GADGETS
There
is great expectation that next iPhone (logically, it might be called
the iPhone 8) will be a big generational change to mark the iPhone’s
10th anniversary. The home button could be gone, we might even get a
curved screen and of course, a new operating system (OS) in tow.
The
question really is whether it can successfully erase the volatile
memories of the Galaxy Note 7. It is expected to run the latest specs, a
high resolution curved display and even improved camera. But the
question remains—can it stay cool enough to not explode?
Sometime
in early 2017, Microsoft will enhance Windows 10’s focus on new
creativity and gaming experiences. This will include 2D->3D object
creation, game broadcasting and 4K gaming. The Forza Horizon 3 game in
4K would be a good enough reason to splurge on a new PC!
The
next Surface evolution will likely run the Intel “Kaby Lake” processor,
and improved graphics. It’ll continue to be the benchmark for Windows
convertibles and also an alternative to the Apple MacBook, and that ties
in with the push towards making it even more enticing for enterprises.
It
is believed that Google is working on a PC that will run its upcoming
hybrid OS, which combines the goodness of Android and Chrome OS. Likely
to be called the Pixel 3, it will have a 12.9-inch display, and the
flexibility of a laptop and a tablet.
TRENDS AND EVENTS
In
March in Barcelona, we could see the return of Nokia phones; it is
confirmed that HMD Global will be making the phones under licence.
Huawei usually has a strong line-up of phones to show, and with the P10,
it’ll continue down that path. HTC also has a lot at stake.
Mark
Zuckerberg’s Jarvis artificial intelligence (AI) assistant isn’t a
hobby project. AI is a part of our lives, more than we have noticed. It
is gaining contextual intelligence: Facebook can recognize your friends
in photos, Google’s Allo is proactively communicative and Netflix knows
which TV series you should watch.
After
many false dawns, smart home gadgets that you can control with your
smartphone may become real now. Tech is becoming more affordable, and
there may finally be some agreement on standards that allow
interoperability. Google’s Android Things platform also indicates the
next horizon of geeky excitement.
Netflix
is here, and now Amazon Prime Video has joined the party. India is
finally coming to terms with a world beyond cable and direct-to-home
(DTH) television—always available, on your phones and televisions. In
reality, 2017 could finally be the year when India adopts video
streaming over conventional television.
With
the state of the environment becoming a serious concern, carmakers in
India are expected to focus on hybrid technologies—mild hybrid and full
hybrids. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd’s smart hybrid vehicle system (SHVS)
and Toyota’s full hybrid technology is forcing rivals to consider
similar tech for new car launches. Cleaner cars will go mainstream.
PEOPLE TO WATCH
Elon
Reeve Musk, the South African-born Canadian-American businessman, has
promised that every Tesla car will be fully autonomous by the end of
2017. A semi trailer truck and a minibus will also be unveiled.
Hyperloop ground speed transport project will get to test their
human-scale pods as well.
Riskified,
an Israeli start-up, makes an e-commerce fraud prevention tool that
will help companies and merchants in identifying and verifying the
authenticity of online transactions. This gains even greater relevance
globally, with transactions over the Internet spiking, particularly for
shopping.
Travis
Cordell Kalanick’s ride sharing titan Uber is on track with driverless
cab tests in Pittsburgh and San Francisco, except for the small matter
of tweaking an algorithm that’ll stop them from cutting off cyclists.
Then there is the potential initial public offering, which could be the
biggest one of 2017.
The
start-up, also called ‘The Pixar of Virtual Reality’, has VR projects
lined up for 2017. The Invasion! story is available for Oculus Rift, HTC
Vive, Playstation VR, Google Daydream and Samsung Gear VR. Asteroids!
will be released at The Sundance Film Festival. It has raised another
$25 million.
The
Chinese smartphone company has big plans for 2017. First, it is
expected to build on the excellent OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones
with an equally excellent successor. No pressure, then! The company will
also start production in India to meet local demand for its phones
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