A Look Into 2015

Each year at this time I like to take a look into the future and see what trends, products or services I can identify as those that might impact our digital lives for good or for not so good in the coming year.

I think we will see two big technologies that captured the digital market in 2014 get even more popular in 2015.  Individually they were both game changers, but in 2015 I think we will see many new products emerge using both technologies.  The GoPro camera and all of the lookalikes will merge with small inexpensive drones spawning a bevy of YouTube videos to compete with all those cat videos filling up our collective bandwidth.

The good news is that many creative people might well produce some extraordinary videos.  The bad news is that there will be no paucity of the mentally deficient who will use these technologies to do and record stupid stunts or eavesdrop on others’ private lives.  Already we have seen amateur drone operators think nothing of flying close to major airport oblivious to the safety issues of such a stupid endeavor.

Other than keeping an eye on the sky in 2015, you may also be able to keep an eye on your home and loved ones more completely and inexpensively.  Look for a host of inexpensive cameras, sensors, door locks, HVAC controls and intrusion alarms to come on the market using your smartphone or tablet as the controller.  While not new, the price of these items will continue to drop.  For less than $40 you can now buy a camera and audio monitor that plugs in any wall outlet and, via your home Wi-Fi network, can serve as a home security monitor 24/7 with no monthly charges.  The systems can be set to alert you when motion or noise is detected. The alert comes to you via your smartphone.  A glance at the screen shows that the commotion was either Fido barking or some miscreant looking to purloin some of your belongings.

These same technologies can connect to your furnace or lights.  You can even remotely open your front door for a neighbor or a child who may have lost the key.  Again, all of these devices and services have been available, but like many digital products of the past, the prices will drop like a ton of bricks.

Some other technologies and trends to look for.  More people will drop cable and satellite and opt for internet delivered content.  Point-of-sale payment options like the new iPhone 6 payment service will expand.  Look for a lot of players but only the big guys will survive.  Your personal id information and business internal records will continue to be under assault and several companies will be sprouting to help you defend your and your digital id.  Unfortunately there is no easy solution.  The internet’s greatest attributes are ease of access and worldwide reach.   These are also the two things that make securing the privacy of the data on the internet so difficult.

Next December I will pull this article out and give you a report on how smart or not so smart I was going into 2015

By the way, a belated Happy New Year!