The rate at which technology is advancing is quite astounding. There are constantly updates and changes and new developments which take things to the next level. One of the classic examples that are always used to demonstrate how far things have come in a short space of time is the example of the processing power that was used to run the landing on the moon. It turns out that the processing power that ran that famous mission in 1969 was less than what is contained in a modern mobile phone. Quite clearly things have come a long way. It is often hard to tell what is coming next and where things are heading, but here are a few advancements that have just arrived, and which look set to shape the technological landscape of the next few years.
Viewing experiences
The shape and nature of how we view television has changed significantly. From old-school back and white televisions, through those giant boxes with the big tubes, through all sorts of flat-screen technologies. We have now reached devices like the Samsung display which is a place where technology and design come together in one place to create the ultimate experience. Not only that, but all the latest technology has the ability to serve multiple- end uses. It can act as a television or a monitor or as a display unit for advertisements and external signage. As was the case with the telephone, that stopped being just a device for talking to people, so too are televisions and screens becoming more than just one-dimensional viewing platforms.
Printing
The three-dimensional printer is here, and, by the looks of things, it is here to stay. In a relatively short space of time, we have morphed from dot-matrix printing, through colour printing and laser to the incredible technology that is 3D printing. In short, 3D printing is a way of putting down layer after layer of thin plastic to form an object. It is not just an image on a page, it is something that can have a practical use. Think paper-weight or cell phone cover or key ring, or so many other things.
Music consumption
This is one of the things that has changed the most in the last little while. First, we saw changes from record to tape as people adapted what they listened to, to cater for things like Walkman and motor cars. Then came compact discs as digital technology overtook analogue. Then we started to see CDs being replaced by flash drives and self-contained storage units like the iPod. More recently though even those have been bypassed with the arrival of complete online business solutions like Spotify or Alexa. Now it is completely possible to access any music in the world, to enjoy it, add it to a playlist and to hear it at will – and you don’t have to worry about storage. And, instead of having to buy whole albums, now it is very easy to only listen to the songs that you want to.
