If technology is has any intention of slowing down, it’s showing no signs of doing so. The reality is that every year a new wave of technology inspires the question: “that’s already here?” Only a few decades ago the smartphone was nonexistent and today, those old school, groundbreaking cellphones are dated technology. In fact, staying current with technology is an arduous endeavor, being that every time we purchase the latest gadget its successor is nearly at the door.
With that being said, now that we’re heading towards 2019, what are some of the latest tech trends and tools to keep an eye on?
Drones
The consumer drone created its own marketplace, then scaled the new territory at an unprecedented rate. At first, the consumer drone was nothing more than a tool used for aerial photography. However, technological advancements have led us to the next wave of drones: commercial drones. The commercial drone is currently being integrated into various industries and, due to their tremendous capabilities, excelling within these different applications. Today, drones are used for search-and-rescue missions, agricultural mapping, conducting structural inspections, and much more. Being that their widespread use continues to grow, be sure to see what new industry they’re in, or what sort of utility they’ll be serving in 2019.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality made a splash during the Oculus craze and since this introduction it seems people don’t know what to do with the technology. Some think it could be the new recreational outlet which connects people virtually across the world. Others regard it as a brilliant learning platform using augmented reality. But more often than not, people are asking themselves “how does VR work?” seeing as they lack experience with the medium. Yet, the technology is evolving quickly and from current reports, its range of applications are nowhere near fulfilled.
Edmodo
Edmodo is considered a virtual learning space—one teachers and students can connect to using VR technology. This type of application would essentially allow teachers and students to come together in an artificial space from anywhere in the world. Feasibly, a teacher could ‘sit down’ with foreign students to introduce the college essay and what’s to be expected of American academia. It’s already integrated into Microsoft Office and Google and has been used by students in Argentina, Mexico, and Spain, providing them with a learning experience unlike any they could experience via a book, visual lesson, or their own classrooms.
FlipGrid
Many of these tech tools are aimed and engineered specifically for educational purposes and FlipGrid, a video tool which encourages open discussion, adheres to this phenomenon. It allows students to communicate and share their thoughts or ideas in an engaging, fun, and visual way. It’s particularly useful for ESL students being that they’re often nervous about their written work—and can refrain from sharing due to this insecurity.
JamBoard
Dropped by Google’s G-Suite team, Jamboard is a tech tool which helps foster brainstorming sessions between employees or students. It’s currently being updated and expanded and, because it’s under the radar, is set to make an impact in 2019. It’s designed to replicate your typical whiteboard—in this case a virtual whiteboard—but each Jamboard can connect to different people (or offices) to create one collaborative ‘think-board.’ If you’re someone that constantly relies on creative collaboration, or if you’ve wanted a centralized platform to exercise this practice, then check out Jamboard.
Tech Trends
As technology continues to evolve, 2019 is set to be another year of progress. Outside of these tech tools, you can also gauge what sort of gadgets or utilities are going to be released by following certain trends or check out productadvisor.com. For instance, massive efforts are streamlining into developing artificial intelligence, expanding upon Blockchain technology, optimizing cloud computing, perfecting the self-driving autonomous car, using nanobots to combat disease, and more. Be sure to stay on the lookout as, like every year, we’re sure to be surprised by the latest new tech.
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