Technology has progressed at a dizzying rate over the last decade, and that rate seems to likely to increase in the one ahead. In the meantime, what are some of the most exciting tech trends likely to catch our collective attention in 2020? It may come as a surprise that some trends that seem to have buzz around them for ages without ever really taking off, such as virtual reality and autonomous vehicles, will continue to hold a place in 2020. Other tech trends are about what will likely fall by the wayside or at least find an inhospitable landscape, such as many forms of new media and apps from small developers.
Getting New Tech
Although the costs of a desktop or laptop computer have plummeted in the last decade, other devices, including smartphones, can still be pretty expensive. These days, unless you work from home, these mobile devices are probably more useful to you than a clunky desktop. If it’s time to upgrade or you want to pick up some new tech but aren’t sure whether you can afford it, you might want to consider taking out a personal loan. Interest rates can be favorable into one easy monthly payment, and if you pay it back promptly, it can boost your credit rating.
Virtual Reality
It’s not quite the science fiction future we might have hoped for just yet, but virtual reality is set to get a boost in the years ahead along with augmented reality and mixed reality. These fall under a larger umbrella of extended reality. Augmented reality refers to using the screen of your smartphone to place digital objects in real-world situations while mixed reality combines the two. The immersive experience of VR is set to feature in at least one popular video game, and it is also anticipated that businesses will start to use all three types more to engage and interact with customers.
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Autonomous Cars
Self-driving cars still have a long way to go, with challenges that meet at an intersection of artificial intelligence, regulations as yet unwritten and ethical philosophy, but they will continue to cause a buzz in 2020 despite some setbacks in 2019. Several technology companies are continuing to test and develop these vehicles, and even before they are on the road in large numbers, the cars you purchase will have more automatic safety features.
Challenges for New Media and App Developers
After a big boom in startup websites and blogs, many new media outlets have closed or been bought out in recent years. It remains to be seen what becomes of the existing ones. Several specialty blogs and sites, particularly those with a narrow focus and small staff, continue to thrive as they deliver unique content to their audiences. Apps face a similar challenge as small developers are up against the largest companies who can buy them out or throw more money at products for improvement. All the same, one of the most exciting elements of the tech world is that it may be precisely at these moments that something innovative comes along to disrupt the status quo once again.