Technology Predictions for 2016

Technology marches on, but where and how fast will it actually move in 2016 is anybody’s guess.

Some of last year’s themes will continue, including a big increase in drone sales, an even greater usage of smart phones, more Internet-connected devices (including wearables and the Internet of Things) plus projected global increases in data hacking. In addition, hard disk drives and solid-state drives are increasing in capacity as the demand for more storage space continues to grow.

Consumer robotics and virtual reality systems are also poised for growth. No flying cars are on the horizon, but commercial introduction of self-driving cars may be just around the corner if you believe the folks at Tesla, Google, General Motors, Apple and other companies now working in that space.

What to Watch for

What new technology will make the biggest headlines in the next 12 months?

Nearly everybody points to virtual reality as one of the biggest areas of interest and growth. Not just for gamers, virtual reality is for anyone who needs to experience a controlled environment for work, education, military training or just for fun.

Consumer robotics and artificial intelligence are also areas with a lot of interest in greater efficiency and expansion.

Wearables, like FitBit and the Apple Watch, have picked up steam and are likely to become even more important at home, at work and in the medical field in the months ahead. We’re likely to see more devices emerge in this space and more fashion incorporated into the aesthetics.

Micron and Intel are expecting to unveil the new 3D XPoint™ memory chip in 2016. The first new memory category in more than 25 years, the 3D XPoint will boast non-volatile memory speeds up to 1,000 times faster than NAND flash memory. Currently, memory cards, USB flash drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) all rely on NAND flash storage technology. As stated by DriveSavers Chief Technology Officer Chris Bross, this new technology from Micron will be a “game changer” in the data storage industry. We’re eager to get our hands on a working device so we can begin data recovery R&D and be ready when we see this technology sent in from a customer.

Corporate data breaches and hacking of individuals are expected to continue to pose serious problems as the bad guys battle new advances in data security and confidentiality at home, work, school and in government institutions.

Here at DriveSavers, we’re expecting to see more and more smartphones, accompanied by a rise in SSDs and a slight drop in spinning hard disk drives (HDDs). While DriveSavers was already the leader in smartphone and tablet data recovery, we saw a dramatic increase in our abilities in 2015. We expect that trend to continue in 2016 as we see more phones and tablets, gain more experience and strengthen our relationships with manufacturers in the space.

Craziness!

As always, there are some pretty crazy, far-fetched ideas looking to get a break in 2016. But how crazy are they? After all, a computer on your wrist once seemed as out there as time travel.

Chaotic Moon Studios is working to bring “Tech Tattoos” to market, primarily for the healthcare and banking industries. Also known as “biowearables”, these temporary devices will work directly on a wearer’s skin to monitor health stats and send data to your doctor, or act as an extra secure credit card.

We’re all familiar with drones now, but how about a drone that will follow you like a loyal, airborne dog while filming you in HD? Or how about a drone taxi service? Take a peek at EHang’s 1-seater autonomous drone, called the 184.

Possible Surprises?

The truth is, nobody can predict with absolute certainty what 2016 will bring in new technology or data storage. But it sure is fun to explore the possibilities!