Technology refers to applying scientific knowledge, skills, methods, techniques, processes and approaches for creating goods and services or simply attaining goals and fulfilment of objectives. The use of technology results in the change in the human environment. The pace of evolution of technology nowadays is greater than at any other time. As technology is evolving at a great speed, so is its importance increases. And if we look around ourselves, we come to know that every invention has come to be with technology assistance. That means that our lives are completely surrounded by technology.
Today we can’t imagine the world without the use of technology. It has become part and parcel of our lives in such a way that it nearly seems impossible to live without all these inventions that are a result of blessings of science and technology.
If we see this in the context of a situation that we are facing nowadays, due to the spread of a pandemic, technology’s importance and significance have become more explicit. When almost the whole world was going through a lockdown and practising social distancing, it was due to technology that we still remained connected despite being at a distance. The trend of “work from home” became popular among people.
New technologies are trending this year, and people are more curious to know about them every year. Some of the top technologies trending in 2021 are well explained by nursing assignment help;
- Internet of things
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Virtual reality and augmented reality
- 5 G
- Blockchain
These trends are discussed below.
- Internet of Things (IoT):
Internet of things or simply IoT has become an increasingly popular trend nowadays. It refers to physical objects or “things” networked with internet through software, sensors or other technologies, enabling connectivity and exchange of data with other systems or devices.
Some common examples of the internet of things (IoT) that we come across daily are the home appliances that are connected. One of them is air conditioners at our home, which can be controlled via a mobile phone while you are not at home or even if you are at home in some other room. You can turn it on or off or regulate the temperature. Similarly, there are LED TVs that are also connected with other devices through wifi. Other examples include smart ovens, home heating system, smart doors, smart home security systems, smart farming, smart contact lenses, smart wearable health equipment, wireless trackers and many more. It is expected that by 2030 the use of internet of things (IoT) devices would be around $50 billion. These devices add comfort in our lives and assist in doing work efficiently, consuming less time and incurring a low cost.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning:
Artificial Intelligence is not new now; however, it keeps on trending because of its enormous effects on our lives. It was among the biggest technology trends in 2020 and is still in the list in 2021. In simple words, it is the intelligence exhibited by machines. It is different from the intelligence exhibited by humans and animals as it does not involve emotionality and consciousness. Artificial intelligence’s salient features include speech and image recognition, smart phone personal assistants, navigation apps, ride-sharing apps, and many more. It is a valuable tool to help us understand, interpret and comprehend the world around us.
Machine learning, an application of AI, enables the system to learn automatically and improve from experience without being programmed. Some important examples of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are digital assistants, Google maps and ride-hailing applications, face detection and recognition and e-payment.
Machine learning, a subset of Artificial Intelligence, is being used in almost all kinds of industries, and it has created a huge demand for skilled professionals. It is expected that artificial intelligence would grow to $57 billion in 2021. It has also become part of about 37% of a business framework in the past four years.
- Virtual reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Extended Reality (ER):
Virtual Reality (VR) is a human-made experience that may or may not be similar to the real world. Augmented reality (AR) refers to the moderation of a true life environment by adding visual elements, sounds and other sensory stimuli. Extended reality (ER), on the other hand, refers to the combination of all real and virtual environments. Virtual reality submerges a person in an environment, and artificial intelligence adds enhancement to that environment. This trend has primarily been used in gaming; however, it has also been used for training army personnel. A famous example of augmented reality incorporated in games is the game that became popular in 2016, namely “Pokemon Go” which had 100 million estimated users. It made $2 billion as per the reports of Forbes. This game featured Pokemon characters bouncing around within the town of the person playing this game; the goal was to catch these monsters.
Another game that became a sensation in 2018 was “Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.” It had around 10 million downloads in Google Play Store.
These technologies are expected to get more integrated into our lives now, and in future in various fields, most prominent among them is medical. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality’s world market is expected to grow to around $209 billion by 2022. This will create more opportunities for people who have an interest in this game-changing field.
- 5 G:
5 G refers to the fifth generation of technology standard for broadband cellular networks. It is aimed to increase the responsiveness and speed of wireless networks. It is the successor of 4 G technology which also provides connectivity to the cellular networks. 5G technology is said to be 100 times faster than 4G. With this speed, the performance of the networks will be improved to a whole new level.
In today’s world of science and technology, where internet has become a necessity for even daily routine works, there is a need to increase and improve the speed of the internet. Nowadays, when virtual reality, augmented reality, Internet of Things, and other concepts like these are gaining popularity, it has become vital to improving the quality and, most importantly, internet speed to improve connectivity. The development and use of 5G technology is a great step in this regard. This technology is expected to launch worldwide in 2021 in about 30 countries.
It will be used in HD cameras that help improve safety, factories and for traffic management, smart retail and smart grid control. Keeping in mind the benefits and advantages of 3G and 4G technologies, 5G is expected to open new doors of useful features in terms of connectivity and networking. 5G will facilitate services that rely on advanced technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality and also cloud-based gaming platforms.
- Blockchain:
Blockchain refers to a digital record. It is a type of database. As the name implies, in blockchain, data is stored in sets or bocks. After the fulfilment of every block of information, it is chained with another information block. It is said that the blockchain possesses the potential to change the world. It is a part of Internet of Things. It ensures social media platforms security by working on cybersecurity data. The concept of blockchain as a Service (BaaS) is also getting popularity nowadays. Well-known organizations, firms and startups use it. People who get the expertise of this technology earn handsome salaries due to the increasing demand for it. The hacking of data stored in a blockchain is considered nearly impossible. It is known as a secured technology which facilitates secured transactions.
It represents a type of data in which only addition is possible, and you can’t take away anything from the data or change it. This characteristic makes it secure. Any entity does not control the data in blockchains.
