Some new products and services are game changers, like Apple’s iPhone and iPad. Others are clever twists or refinements, like Google’s Android, which gets better and better. Others are bold gambles, like Microsoft’s new Windows 8, which hopes to combine both a tablet experience and a traditional PC environment in one operating system. Here are a few things consumers will likely see in technology in 2013.
Tablets versus PCs
Android-based tablets are finally gaining traction. But tablets will continue to erode the role of laptop PCs. Consumers are using tablets for tasks formerly performed by laptops. Traditional computers are not away — they still do certain tasks better than tablets, like heavy content creation. But consumers are replacing their laptops less often and spending discretionary funds on tablets, which are gradually replacing another device: the dedicated e-reader.Integrating hardware and software
Meanwhile, another big trend is emerging: Apple’s model of one company making the entire device — hardware, operating system, core apps and an online ecosystem — is beginning to take hold elsewhere. In October, Microsoft unveiled its first computer, the Surface tablet. It now sells three devices — a smartphone and two tablets. These products are built by partner companies, but designed by Google.Rethinking television
Samsung and others already make TVs that can connect to the internet, stream internet video and run tablet-type apps, without any special set-top box. The biggest expectation is that Apple will finally unveil its long-rumoured TV this year, with the goal of greatly simplifying the TV and smoothly melding internet and cable content. Meanwhile, Apple’s tiny is still a relatively small seller but gaining popularity, partly because the company has built into its laptops, tablets and phones a feature called AirPlay which can use an Apple TV box to wirelessly stream audio and video to a TV.Costlier, better music players
In 2013, there will be a push to sell a new kind of portable music player that can handle high quality music. The Korean electronics company, iRiver, has introduced the Astell & Kern AK100 player that can play much higher fidelity digital music. The legendary rocker Neil Young is backing a second venture, Pono, which is doing something similar. In addition to the price, there is another downside — the files can be 10 to 20 times as large as standard digital songs, so many fewer tracks fit in a given amount of memory.Fitness and health monitors
In 2012, sensor-packed wristbands like the Nike+ Fuel-Band and the Jawbone Up were introduced to measure how many steps people take in a day, how well they sleep, and other indicators of health and fitness. One new product, the Basis, is a watch with sensors on the back that measures resting heart rate. All of these devices tie into mobile apps or web-based dashboards.Net-controlled everything
Another trend expected to see in 2013 is an expansion of apps and devices that let people wirelessly control many everyday objects, from light bulbs to appliances, using low-powered networks and smartphones or tablets. And we will likely see more smart devices with such intelligence built in, similar to the Nest intelligent thermostat, which is Wi-Fi powered.These are just a few of the trends likely to mark the consumer tech landscape in 2013. Others will also be prominent, most notably the continued reliance on the cloud, or remote servers, to store content and work collaboratively. There are certain to be developments that will surprise us all, and cannot be forecast. — Agencies
