Top tech trends to watch in 2019
Wondering what tech is going to look like in the forthcoming year? Take a look at Patrick’s article in The Daily Memphian to find out.
January, 4, 2019 - The Daily Memphian by Patrick Tamburrino
Technology evolves and changes on a dime. As we begin a new year and look ahead to trends and devices to watch in 2019, advances will be made in nearly every aspect of the technology industry. I’ve compiled what I believe are some of the top trends to watch in 2019. We’ll see if any or all of these come to fruition over the next 12 months.
Automation is the way of the future
The word for technology in 2019 is automation. From drones and robots to self-driving vehicles, technology will continue to evolve to automate many functions previously performed by humans. What will this mean for jobs? Only time will tell the impact automation will have on various industries.
Artificial intelligence
“Alexa, what’s new with you?” Amazon’s virtual assistant gets smarter every day and can shut off lights, lock your front door and more. These virtual assistants like Siri, Google Home and Alexa continue to “learn” from humans and instinctively know what we want. But look for artificial intelligence to pop up in other places, such as AI-powered security cameras, televisions and mattresses
4G is so last year
In 2019, nearly every major carrier will have 5G pilot programs. Think not only faster speeds to binge watch your favorite Netflix shows, but this next-generation network will connect everything ranging from smartphones to cars and computers. 5G combines fast speeds with low "latency" or responsiveness. These characteristics of 5G will be critical to the long-term impact the network will have on everything from remote surgeries to self-driving cars.
Machine learning adds jobs
Machine learning, meaning the process of computers learning to do something they are not programmed to do, is projected to grow to $8.8 billion by 2022, and machine learning jobs rank among the top-growing careers on LinkedIn. These well-paying jobs include engineers, developers, researchers and data scientists. In 2017, the median salary for a machine learning engineer was $106,225. Looking for a career change? Machine learning may be the way to go.
Netflix and Amazon get competition
Both Apple and Disney plan to launch streaming, on-demand TV options that will rival Netflix and Amazon. Disney+ will features the company’s infamous Disney studio along with Pixar, Marvel, the Star Wars franchise and National Geographic. Apple’s service should launch during the first half of 2019, and it will be free to users of Apple products, including the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Your options for entertainment just keep on growing!
Blockchain
Blockchain was first used for bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency that was released in 2009. The blockchain behind bitcoin is a public ledger of every transaction that has occurred and cannot be tampered with or changed. Advocates of blockchain say this makes bitcoin transactions more secure and safer. However, there are more applications for blockchain besides for bitcoin, and its uses are expanding. The financial services industry has been one of the first adopters when it comes to experimenting with the blockchain. One advantage of blockchain is it is not centralized, so if one part of it went down, the whole network would not collapse. Get ready for blockchain to soon become part of our everyday vocabulary.
There are many other technology trends to watch in 2019. It will be interesting to see how the industry will change, evolve and impact our daily lives over the next year.