The top Five Most Anticipated Household Technologies For 2013

2012 saw some exciting technology revelations such as Streaming, Self-drive cars and Apps for home system controls.  With the industry constantly falling over themselves to release newer, more innovative creations, there is no doubt that we will see even more technology revelations in 2013.  Let’s take a look at five of the most anticipated AV technologies in 2013.

The Cloud

The concept of cloud services is not new to 2013, however it is likely that we will see these services being utilized a lot more as business and service users realize the potential of these offerings.

Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user’s data, software and computation.  Businesses such as NASA and Dropbox use cloud storage services.

In 2013, it is likely that we will see an increasing number of home electronics manufacturers enable their products to be programmed, updated and managed via the cloud. The implications for this is that as a user, you will need fewer hard drives at your home, to store information as all your important information will be stored in the virtual cloud.  You can access this information anywhere and anytime.

Voice Control

The concept of voice control is nothing new, however instead of it being work-in-progress, we are now starting to see some real innovations which offer a practical service to the consumer.

Nuance has developed voice recognition software (Dragon) which can be incorporated into systems such as the Smart TV, Social Networking sites and remote controls.  Although we have already seen TVs that can be operated via voice and gestures, more and more manufacturers are starting to incorporate this software into their devices.

Creative custom electronics (CE) professionals have even figured out a way to utilize the iPhone Siri app as a way to control a home’s lights, A/V equipment etc.  Therefore 2013 is the year that voice command finally becomes a tangible household product.

OLED TVS

Forget the flop that was 3D TV back in 2012, 2013 welcomes a newer, better, more innovative product: the OLED TV.  An OLED TV screen uses a new display technology called OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLED televisions are brighter, more efficient, thinner and feature better refresh rates and contrast than either the LCD or Plasma.

The launch of the first ever OLED TV has been announced today (3^rd January 2013) as LG has launched a 55 in (140cm) OLED TV, officially launching the battle over the next-generation of high-quality screens.  Although LG’s model will be sold in South Korea first, other markets including Europe will follow thereafter.

Key features of this product include: perfect black levels and vibrant colours which look better than real life, a slim 1.7mm thick, however the price although to be confirmed, is likely to be the high end of the market.

4G

One of the most significant changes expected for 2013 is the 4G mobile spectrum auction, which will enable all the major networks  to offer 4G mobile broadband.

The scramble for 4G technology is because it promises faster data transfer, about four times the speed of 3G, which is more robust and delivers more reliable mobile data connections.  This essentially paves the way for what analysts call “the third platform” (the first two were mainframes and networked PCs): A combination of mobility, cloud computing, social media and big data analysis.  The third platform relies on cloud based services running on mobile devices.

Wireless HDMI

The ultimate goal is technology devices which work without reams and reams of wires. Although 2012 saw an increasing number of wireless HDMI products e.g. from Belkin, DVDO, Gefen, Knoll Systems and others, some of which operate in the 5GHz spectrum rather than the crowded and interference-prone 2.4GHz zone, 2013 has a whole extra year of research and development behind it.  Therefore there is a greater expectation of outputs.

There are several technologies attempting to become the industry standards like WirelessHD, Wireless Home Digital Interface and the Wireless Gigabit Alliance, however this is still very much in development. therefore 2013 is likely to see some exciting evolutions.

About The Author: Ollie is a technology writer from The UK, he writes for a number of websites including CTS Networks