Navigation

The technology trends of 2018 point to a brave new world in automation and productivity

The technology trends of 2018 point to a brave new world in automation and productivity

A brave new world
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 By

Imagine waking up to a new day. A smart alarm clock nudges you awake at the optimal time, as you check your smartwatch to see how the quality of your sleep was. As you ready yourself for work, the virtual assistant on your smart speaker reads you the news, and weather and traffic conditions as you brush your teeth.

Freshly brewed coffee from the automated coffee machine awaits you as you grab a cup before work. Just as you are about to head out of the door, a drone from the logistics company drops off a package just in time. You are scheduled to reach the office at 9am and you get some work done on the commute, thanks to your self-driving car.

All this sounds like science fiction, but the foundation for this scenario to happen is here today. Here are some tech trends from 2018 that are making the above a reality.

5 of 14

5G TECHNOLOGY

The power of connectivity has the potential to fast-track innovation and drive economies forward. The coming advent of mobile 5G, also known as fifth-generation networks, could prove to be game-changing when it is deployed in select countries come 2020.

So, how fast can we expect 5G speeds to be? The average 4G speed is about 18Mbps, while 5G speeds are expected to go up to 1GBps, which is quicker than fibre broadband. Telecommunication companies around the world are already testing 5G in cities, while hardware manufacturers like Nokia and Qualcomm are making 5G prototype devices that would eventually make their way into the tablets and smartphones of tomorrow.

5G promises to be the connective tissue that binds emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) devices to power smart cities, autonomous vehicles and delivery of VR content to consumers.

At the same time, smartphone manufacturers like Sony, OnePlus, Huawei and Samsung are readying themselves to release new smart devices that can capitalise on the faster networks. In all likelihood, all four of these companies are planning new flagship handsets coming in 2019 that would leverage on enhanced AR capabilities, better video calling and faster tethering when connecting with laptops or tablets.

5 of 14

TEXT CHONG JINN XIUNG

, , , , ,

You Might Like
Type keyword(s) and press Enter