This time
of year, predictions are usually plentiful. Some are easy to agree with, while
others are simply so outlandish that a furrowed brow and a shake of the head
are the only response. Yet it doesn’t stop them from coming. This article in E-Commerce Times offers 10 predictions
for the tech world in 2013. Although most are safe in their prophecy, some may
be a bit of a stretch.
There are
the go-to predictor terms: shift, growth, rise, emergence, and— a personal
favorite— advance. First, there is the shift to mobile devices. No reach there.
Just stop somewhere, anywhere, on the street and look around. You will see at
least one person texting or browsing the Internet using some form of mobile
device.
Next up is the
shift to HTML5, the fifth revision of HTML. This article predicts HTML5,
although it’s still in development, will greatly influence mobile browsing over
the next few years.
The
personal cloud has gained much popularity and it will likely continue to grow
as more people move to tablets and other mobile devices and away from PCs. It’s
just an easier and more reliable place to store information.
One of the
more interesting predictions is the rise of the “Internet of things.” According
to this article, there will be much more crossover between the Internet and
other tools used throughout the day, such as vehicles and prescription drug
containers, which will use image recognition and other technologies tied to the
Internet.
That brings
back thoughts of watching the the movie Back
To The Future Part II for the first time and seeing Marty McFly get fired
via videophone. Just five years ago that would still have been a stretch, while
today you can Skype face-to-face conversations with friends and family around
the world. Things once thought to be a reach are becoming a part of everyday
life.
Where this
prediction may go a little off base, however, is forecasting that mobile devices
will surpass PCs in web browsing next year. That’s simply not going to happen
that quickly. Too many people use PCs all day long at work and then at home.
That migration will be years down the road. Not many years, but definitely
years.
