Here are six new technologies that will likely arrive in 2015 and could inspire new trends of their own.
Apple Watch
While it certainly won’t be the first smartwatch to hit the market, the Apple Watch is poised to start making the concept of wearable technology more mainstream. Just as Apple revolutionized the smartphone and tablet, it’s likely the smartwatch will follow. The technology is not without its flaws, but it could be the first stepping stone to a smartwatch people won’t feel silly wearing.
Oculus Rift
The VR headset technology has been making headlines for a long time now, but develops say they’re finally close to a public launch. The applications of this tech are endless, from the obvious tie-in to video games to things like military training. It remains to be seen where the limit is.
Steam Boxes
In the world of gaming, Steam has always been huge, but has relied on bulky, finnicky and expensive PCs to operate on. To deal with this issue, Valve has developed its SteamOS project. It’s an operating system that is designed solely for gaming and can operate on much smaller machines than the typical gaming PC. The project has apparently been delayed a bit, but it may very well be revolutionary if it starts to draw gamers away from Windows.
Galileo
Whenever you think of real-time navigation, the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) is the first thing that comes to mind. Europe for years has been working on an alternative to that, called Galileo, which will be more relevant to Europeans and will rely on newer satellites that will likely last longer than the ones GPS uses. After many delays, Europe launched its first Galileo satellites in August this year and we should be able to see their efficacy early in the new year.
Petalite Flux
No one likes waiting two hours for phones to get a full charge, so how about cutting the time down to a mere 15 minutes? That’s where Petalite Flux comes in, and it’s currently looking for $30,000 in funding on IndieGogo. If successful, it will bring the first batch in June 2015 and make charging much, much easier.
Cicret Bracelet
Generating major buzz recently, the Cicret Bracelet an ambitious device that aims to project the screen on of your smartphone onto your arm, and make that projection interactive. If this technology succeeds (it’s currently seeking donations) there’s nothing that says it can’t eventually become its own device, without the need for a smartphone. And that’s pretty exciting, no matter if you like bracelets or love your wrists wearables-free.
Aura Wireless Christmas Lights
Covered on Digital Journal recently, this idea is to take the tangle out of Christmas tree decorating. While it’s a very niche product, this is the beginning of something very interesting — wireless power. Aura’s range is fairly limited, but perhaps other companies might be able to improve on the technology and make powering objects less dependent on wires.
