In today's article, we've put together a small selection of high-profile cases from the tech world that have been in the spotlight in recent years, albeit with varying intensity. Many of them have even managed to become quite annoying with daily reminders of themselves. And some of them, despite their rather modest front-page coverage, can still have a significant impact on our lives in the future. Now let's learn more about these technologies.
No internet connection is too fast
Fast data exchange is not a new story. The development of certain technologies requires certain improvements not only in speed, but also in stability and reduction of signal latency. In recent years, one of the new evolutionary steps in improving connectivity has been cellular communication.
5G networks were introduced in the summer of 2016, and the rollout began three years later in 2019. That is, for at least five years now, the current leader in fast mobile connectivity has been in the headlines one way or another. And some people immediately thought that we would soon forget about LTE, just as we did with 3G. But no.
I'm sure many of our readers remember the first presentations of the standard and 5G-enabled devices. Interesting promotional materials promised that in the near future, the new networks would significantly change life, with robots in operating rooms controlled from another part of the world and FPS games on trains. The reality turned out to be a little different.
In practice, the first tests of 5G networks were only satisfactory with certain devices and in the line of sight of the new towers. That is, with a flagship smartphone and in close proximity to the appropriate antenna, it was indeed possible to see data transfer speeds of more than a gigabit or two. This is still a challenge for many cities and even countries when it comes to a regular wired connection, but with 5G, such figures could be seen right on the street.
However, as soon as we got around the corner, the speed dropped to LTE speeds, and the banal 5G indicator consumed more resources than we would have liked. I remember that some of the first reviewers even just stayed with LTE, because it was enough speed for everyday tasks, and smartphones worked longer.
Nowadays, the prevalence of 5G is much higher. But has it had the impact on everyday life that the advertising promised? Even in countries with great coverage, you can still see LTE as soon as you are outside a big city, and the connection can still be interrupted on highways or in tunnels.
In Ukraine, a large-scale 5G rollout is hardly a priority at the moment. However, such work is underway and operators are planning to upgrade.
In turn, local networks are not standing still. At least in large cities around the world, Internet providers are increasingly offering users the opportunity to upgrade from a 100-megabit connection to a gigabit one. However, to improve the user experience, the old router needs to be updated as well. The current Wi-Fi 7 standard and relatively new Mesh systems should help with this.
In fact, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E devices were quite good for gigabit connections. Aside from the most basic models, for small homes and with proper placement, a single router is quite capable of providing not only a decent connection but also not losing much speed as soon as the client is behind the wall. And this is really noticeable when downloading large files, streaming videos, and running many clients simultaneously.
However, there are many conditions and nuances. Not all users are in a hurry to update not only routers but also their gadgets. And to really feel the improvement from changing the home line, you still need full support for all devices. Local implementation of standards also has a certain impact.
For example, Wi-Fi 7 has not yet been certified in Ukraine, so even if you buy a new router and have a suitable, say, new smartphone that supports this standard, customers will not see a 6 GHz network. This, of course, will not stop enthusiasts who can "make" everything work, as it was with the 5 GHz band. However, the average user is unlikely to spend time on such experiments. And in fact, this is a temporary issue, and the new standards will start working in our country relatively soon.
Mesh systems are also becoming increasingly popular. Consisting of two, three, or more access points, such systems are now found not only in large offices, but also provide excellent assistance to residential users (owners of large apartments and private houses). Manufacturers are eager to introduce new variants of off-the-shelf solutions and add support for the technology to almost every new model of "single" routers. And the renovation stages of large homes increasingly include infrastructure for wired access points to ensure that everything works properly everywhere.
And it's hard to imagine CES, which traditionally begins right after the New Year's weekend, without announcements of new Wi-Fi systems. And since such things are unlikely to be replaced in the coming years, these devices are with us for a long time, and their gradual development will definitely not allow them to "fall off the agenda."
Satellite communication "for everyone"
The two latest generations of iPhones will help the owner call emergency services where there is no cellular network coverage. And it is thanks to satellites. Currently, the coverage and functionality are quite limited, and it is not yet clear how much all this will cost (with the first models, the company does not charge for use for three years).
But it was possible to start developing this approach. There was no frantic race with competitors, but Huawei's flagships, which appeared almost simultaneously with the iPhone 14, did not hesitate to support it.
So far, all major smartphone chip makers have announced work on this functionality. Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Samsung will soon present their solutions, Android 15 will have support (according to anonymous sources, the Pixel 9 will already have this functionality), and more smartphones will also be able to offer at least emergency satellite communications.
Moreover, SpaceX is already actively testing the Direct to Cell function, which will provide not only text but also voice messages, file sharing, etc. Of course, it will take years to adapt, and it is unlikely that everyone will suddenly have a critical need for satellite communications. However, it will still be very convenient to have this option in specific cases (expeditions, camping, long trips, etc.).
Moreover, in the case of Direct to Cell, the technology should not require additional antennas. That is, it will work with any smartphone.
And since I mentioned SpaceX and satellite communications, it's hard not to think of Starlink. Unfortunately, for most Ukrainians, this company and its services became known because of Russia's full-scale invasion. However, the initial purpose of the terminals is still a common civilian use - to access the Internet where there are no land lines.
With the help of a relatively inexpensive terminal, a small hut in the mountains where you can go for a weekend can easily be provided with a relatively fast Internet connection. And Starlink is not the only company that provides such services. We have already mentioned that Amazon is preparing Project Kuiper. But even without it, there are several companies that already provide such services, albeit mostly to commercial and government customers.
The current success of Starlink and its already relatively affordable prices (less than $100/month) will only encourage current and potential competitors. Therefore, we can expect to see an increasing number of providers and wider use of satellite communications in completely different scenarios.
IoT, smart homes and gadgets
Wi-Fi in the air conditioner or a speaker with a voice assistant that entertains children with funny sounds at their request have become commonplace. There are also cameras in doorbells, motion-sensing home lighting, smartphone-controlled security systems, programmable kitchen appliances, refrigerators with built-in monitors, and a TV without SmartTV has basically become exotic.
Moreover, special communication protocols such as Zigbee or Thread are already available to control individual devices. Support costs a pretty penny, and the number of smart gadgets is growing steadily. The same exhibitions, such as the aforementioned CES, are sure to showcase new IoT devices and ways to make your home smarter.
The general idea still remains the same: technology should make the owner's life more convenient. For example: the morning hot coffee will be ready in 20 minutes after the alarm goes off; the cooling system will respond to the temperature and weather; the lights will turn on automatically using motion sensors or other rules; the security system will activate as soon as no one is left in the house, and so on.
However, at the moment, a smart home has some difficulties with support and compatibility. In order for the entire possible fleet of devices to work together, you need a hub to control everything. And so far, there is still no one-size-fits-all solution that is easy for the average user to understand. A large community of enthusiasts will, of course, be happy to help. But it's doubtful that those who usually need help transferring data from an old to a new smartphone will be willing to deal with all the new standards, hubs, and apps.
However, there is still interest in the topic. Large manufacturers are still implementing solutions, albeit at a rather slow pace. Thus, you can start building a smart home with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or Google Assistant. And if the integration is successful, each of these options, for example, will turn on the guest Wi-Fi network or turn off the kitchen light from another part of the house, just by voice command.
If you accidentally stumble upon the blog of one of the enthusiasts, you can get lost for hours, if not more, in the number of interesting and relatively inexpensive home solutions that cleverly change the way you look at ordinary household items. And I would really like to see all of this overcome the initial difficulties and become more widespread in the future. And most importantly, it would be easier to use, because the mass buyer, unfortunately, still does not have enough training to set up some things.
So for now, smart homes remain more of a whim of tech-savvy people, and ordinary users are slowly mastering one or two IoT gadgets. For now! I want to believe that over time, manufacturers will better standardize and integrate such things into the overall system, and updated devices in homes will really make life more convenient.
Wearable gadgets are increasingly focused on the health of the wearer
Some of the first fitness bracelets did not have a wide range of uses and only monitored the number of steps, vibrated with notifications, and tried to wake the wearer at a given time. However, the emergence of the first smartwatches was supposed to change the approach significantly. It partially succeeded, and it became common practice to view notifications or quickly ask the watch to remind you of an important event.
However, health monitoring remains a large, if not the largest, part of wearables.
In addition to counting steps or measuring heart rate, modern models have already added ECG, blood saturation, breathing control, and more. At the same time, smartwatches warn of heart problems, which in some cases, according to doctors, saved patients' lives. And it didn't stop there.
Not so long ago, Apple Watch (as the most popular example) began to "understand" that the wearer has fallen, which can be automatically notified by emergency services and selected contacts. This is especially relevant for elderly people who are more likely to get sick. Newer iPhone models offer the same feature.
With each new model of smartwatch, manufacturers are paying more and more attention to fitness, increasing the possibilities of using them during various sports, and even offering meditation to improve mental health. The watch reminds the user to take a break from work and walk a bit, encourages them to walk more by offering rewards and setting new goals, and praises the wearer for achieving new milestones.
Among other things, wearables are still trying to master pressure measurement. ASUS has just introduced Vivowatch 6 with this feature, and insiders and analysts potentially attribute this functionality to each subsequent Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch model. And rest assured, developers are actively working on it.
Another one of the things that top brands really want to add to watches is measuring sugar levels. And to do it in a non-invasive way. Development and testing do not lose investment, and manufacturers still have hope that it will eventually be possible to implement and bring it to the proper level.
This direction of wearable gadget development is already well established and enjoys considerable user support. That's why announcements of new models have recently focused on health and sports-related features.
Folding smartphones (tablets, laptops...)
Foldable smartphones have created a rather interesting niche. Flexible displays allowed us to return at least some diversity to the market (which, however, is still mainly formed by monoblocks). Thus, at least two form factors have been added to the selection, which are increasing sales every year.
Their appearance was quite loud. At first, the fact itself delighted technology fans, and then... a series of problems (like with the first Samsung Galaxy Fold, whose internal display protective film turned out to be a more important design element than it seemed at first glance).
Now Fold has several competitors from Google, OPPO, Huawei, and others. Each manufacturer has experimented with the format in its own way and found its fans. "Flips have also made a comeback, and as expected, they have become a more image-conscious solution. But the main thing is that all of them have their buyers, and this year foldable smartphones are expected to cross the 20 million mark in total.
For a long time, Samsung has been the leader in sales, but competitors are beginning to actively strengthen their positions, and Huawei is doing the best due to the high attention of its home market. And with the competition comes an extra incentive to fight for the customer, so flagship processors, water and dust protection, interesting external and functional solutions, support for styluses, and much more are already available in such devices.
But foldable smartphones are not the only devices with flexible screens. Brands are cautiously experimenting with the formats of such tablets and laptops. For obvious reasons, this is still a smaller market, but it is still moving at a slow pace.
Apple is one of the largest tech giants that has not yet jumped on the foldable device bandwagon. And even if it joins the competition, it is not at all certain that the popularity of foldable smartphones or laptops will increase significantly in the near future. It is often difficult for users to change their habits, and they will still have to adapt to the new format of work. (According to analysts, we can't count on such gadgets from Apple this year.)
There are several other challenges on the way to popularity. Folding devices are much more complex in design, so it is difficult to ensure the same level of durability and maintainability as classic models. Also, the high cost (both of the devices themselves and of repairs) does not help the promotion. But let's hope for the best.
Virtual, augmented and mixed reality
I remember the first Oculus and the feeling of something really new. It took some extra time for manufacturers to improve the basic parameters and certain features. And today, helmets allow you to look into the virtual world, complement the real world, or combine both. And now there's no need to sit at a computer, because helmets have become lighter, "learned" to work autonomously and, most importantly, to process data without assistance.
Just like the possibilities, the use cases have also increased. And although it may seem that such helmets are mostly for entertainment, in fact, VR technologies are used by the military for simulation and training, their benefits in the treatment of certain diseases and disorders are being researched, some designers and engineers have found a place for VR, and so on. Vision Pro can basically turn a room into one big workspace.
When creating virtual universes ("metaverse"), Facebook even changed its name to Meta. This is how much Mark Zuckerberg believes in virtual worlds for meetings and communication. They also offer virtual classrooms, "attending" performances of music bands, training, and much more.
And helmets are not the only option offered in this area. At one time, Google Glass glasses with a small display were supposed to help with navigation, notifications, translation, and more. But no matter how interesting the idea was, with a starting price of $1,500, these glasses were too expensive an experiment for potential buyers. However, this did not stop the company from supporting the product for 10 years.
But smart glasses did not stop there. Among the current offers is, for example, the Ray-Ban Meta collaboration. These are, at first glance, quite classic glasses. But they have a small built-in camera. In addition to the obvious functions of taking photos and recording video, the glasses should help with streaming, describing objects in front of the user (which is done by artificial intelligence), making calls, and listening to music.
Based on similar solutions, other manufacturers and startups are also experimenting with cameras and additional control of certain functions (for example, the aforementioned music playback) or integration of voice assistants. There are more options like this, but it's still difficult to say that they are popular and have already clearly formed a usage model.
Again, according to insiders, Apple has a certain number of prototypes of glasses. How exactly the Cupertino R&D department sees such a product, and whether it will appear at all, is still unknown. Still, it would be interesting to see Apple's own approach. Therefore, it is quite possible that VR and AR have not even begun to accelerate.
Drivers are (almost) unnecessary, and so are internal combustion engines
And to bigger "gadgets". The last few years have changed the car market dramatically. Classic internal combustion engines with gasoline or diesel are still around, of course, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon. But now, in big cities, you don't have to wait long for an electric car to pass by. And the rapid development of cars with electric motors and batteries has brought many changes to this market.
To begin with, many manufacturers have approached the development with a certain "futurism". Accordingly, the design of such machines is noticeably different from "ordinary" vehicles. Large LED panels on the front and rear, specific soundtrack, retractable door handles... All of this has been seen before, but electric cars have the highest concentration of such details. Not to mention the overall design, which often seems to have been "borrowed" from a computer game or movie set in the year 2124.
There are also noticeable differences inside the interiors. In addition to the same "futuristic" decoration, large digital dashboards began to replace classic ones en masse with the growing popularity of electric cars, where they were installed by default. And this is not something like the old models in the Honda S2000 (or even earlier), or the Lexus LFA, where a digital dashboard was a necessity. Now these are really large screens that not only show speed and battery status, but also help with navigation, multimedia control, calls, and more.
Media screens have also grown significantly. And if earlier, for example, it was possible to play games in the car only after the owner (with a famous rapper) visited West Coast Customs, then in the new Teslas it is a basic functionality. About 10 years ago, not every car could offer at least a 7-inch display for multimedia and navigation, and now, in some cases, there are almost TVs on the center panel. Moreover, basic things such as the climate control system or the seatback can be controlled from these touchscreens.
Another thing you may like is the connection with the new cars. And it's not just about the two-way security system. Electric cars have been partially transformed into gadgets that can be controlled from a smartphone. By opening the app, you can see the location of the car, the battery charge, warm or cool the interior, see images from cameras in real time, and so on. And yes, similar functionality is available with an internal combustion engine, but the user is more likely to see the same in an electric car, where it has become a relatively normal practice, rather than a luxury option.
And another interesting thing that started with Tesla is autonomous driving (or, more simply, autopilot). For some time now, it has not been exotic to see a driverless taxi on the street in the United States. Or even ride in one. It is the same with electric cars, such as Tesla or Mercedes, which, although they require a driver, are still able to take them to the specified address almost independently.
Currently, such technologies need to be improved and do not guarantee complete safety. Mistakes happen, and unfortunately, they can be fatal. However, cars with such functions regularly receive updates and improve their "skills." Therefore, it is possible that in the foreseeable future, more and more cars will not only get rid of the internal combustion engine, but will also be able to get rid of the steering wheel without any problems (by the way, such concepts have been demonstrated more than once, and some are planned to be launched soon).
If you're a fan of cars with internal combustion engines, don't be in a hurry to get upset about the transition to electric traction. Indeed, the EU and some US states are planning to stop selling classic cars in 2035. There is still time, and fuel will not disappear from the market overnight (Roman Melnychenko and I talked about this in a podcast a year ago). But car manufacturers are already beginning to discuss with government officials that the deadlines may need to be revised, as demand for electric cars has begun to fade a bit, and the necessary infrastructure may not be available to fully meet the needs.
Nevertheless, the topic of electric vehicles is far from its peak. From time to time, new models attract a lot of attention (such as the recent "wave" of Tesla Cybertruck deliveries), electric vehicles are constantly setting new records for top speed and 0-100 km/h acceleration times (sometimes dozens at a time), getting unusual features( Hummer'sCrabwalk or Mercedes' G-Turn ), increasing the possible distance without "refueling," and so on. And they will receive even more attention when there are no other options on sale.
Cryptocurrencies
Here's the bottom line. As soon as the price of Bitcoin starts to move in one direction or another, only the lazy will not know about it. Even though the hype has already diminished considerably, cryptocurrencies are not going away. Of course, this does not apply to all "coins," but still.
And yes, we still don't live in a world where you can pay for ice cream in the first store you come across with a crypto. But such currencies are finding their niches, slowly becoming part of financial systems.
The topic of Bitcoin as the "next gold" also remains open. And if you have any interesting thoughts on this, please share them in the comments.
Artificial intelligence is (possibly) applying for your job
Let's finish with the most relevant trend of today. The recent launch of ChatGPT by Open AI has become the most high-profile event in the tech world over the past couple of years. The large language model is already able to speak like a real person. At the GPT-4o presentation, it practically flirted with the presenter.
AI is now a mandatory part of any new product. Smartphones are getting generative photo processing capabilities, voice assistants with integrated LLM (large language models) are finally becoming more useful and interesting, and generating a music composition or song is a no-brainer. AI functions have reached laptops that have a separate button to activate chatbots/ AI assistants, developer software starts writing code for programmers, text translation is progressing before our eyes, math problems are solved in a chat window... Even alongside the term "google", a new variant is now used - "GPT-google".
Some AI gadgets have also appeared. Small devices can be attached to clothes(Humane Ai Pin) or have a small compact form(Rabbit R1). They work with LAMs (Large Action Model) that can not only communicate with the owner, but also play music, set reminders, call a taxi, and so on. Well, in theory. In practice, such gadgets turned out to be extremely clumsy and not entirely convenient, and almost all of their functions could be used in a smartphone application. Therefore, they have not yet succeeded in creating a new gadget niche, and AI remains "alive" in smartphones and computers.
And while AI does not pose a threat to familiar gadgets, there is another interesting aspect to this topic. Skeptics predict another total danger for humanity as soon as AI gets out of control. Even industry employees warn about this. Certain professions, such as translators or lawyers, whose services can be provided by chatbots, have also been added to the list of worries (Hollywood has already experienced large-scale strikes of screenwriters because of this). In their turn, adherents are already using AI in full force in their everyday work and life with incredible enthusiasm.
However, certain questions remain. In the literal sense. Chatbots don't always answer questions accurately or "twist" different information. That is, if you ask something specific, the probability of a correct answer is still quite high, but there is a small percentage of errors. It happens that the LLM practically invents the answer or some "facts". This phenomenon is called "hallucinations". So, just like Googling the symptoms of an illness, in case of health problems, you shouldn't rely on a chatbot's diagnosis and start treatment, but rather consult a real doctor.
Nevertheless, AI should not be ignored. As with most modern technologies, it is worth studying AI and looking for ways to use it in your profession right now. Those who learn how to "ping" (give queries to AI) and are more creative in their use of AI are more likely to retain their jobs in the future. After all, barring an "AI apocalypse," these technologies will be relevant for a very long time.
Instead of conclusions
For those who follow the tech world closely, it may seem like really interesting events are rare. But if you look closely, something new, intriguing, and exciting is happening all the time. Sometimes it's small things, sometimes real breakthroughs, and sometimes just funny stories. And if you take a closer look at a seemingly simple update of the next smartphone, you can find much more interesting updates than it seemed at the presentation. That's why our editorial team is dedicated to covering the most interesting things in the tech world. And we sincerely hope that you will stay with us on the Mezha as well.