2022 is almost down and we’re all set to welcome 2023. Before we walk into the new year, let’s take a quick look at the best events of 2022.
The world population strikes the number 8 billion. Sadly, it took only 12 years to grow from 7 billion to 8 billion.
Novak Djokovic created history by becoming the third male player after Roger Federer and Nadal to win 20 Grand Slams.
The first successful heart transplant from a pig to a human patient occurred in Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
Beijing hosted the 2022 Winter and Summer Olympics and became the first city to host both events in the same year.
Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite international condemnation, and became a reason for the death of 6,655 civilians, including 429 children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declares the recent monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, as the number of cases exceeds 17,000 in 75 countries.
After a period of 6-months, in October, Elon Musk completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter.
After a historic 70 years on the throne Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch, died at the age of 96.
Argentina beat France in a thrilling game of the FIFA final and won the cup after a drought of 36 years. Lionel Messi ended his football career perfectly, but Kylian Mbappé steals the show and almost a cup.
The digital world evolves at a rapid pace. Only a few decades back, connecting to the internet required a dial-up modem and took a lot of time to load even the most basic website. Now people are constantly connected to the internet and practically live there thanks to social media and other engaging applications. As of now, with the help of UPI, even a local vegetable vendor is being able to support their business by connecting to high-end technology and big businesses definitely need to keep up with it to adapt to the rapid changes and stay competitive in the long run.
The major layoffs in the tech industry were clearly a hit to the advancement of new tech trends. However, the already-established tech trends are expected to thrive to a whole new degree in 2023. The latest and emerging technologies held more value than ever as the digital domain trumped over several others. Below is a list of what we believe will be the top tech trends of 2023 –
Smarter Devices
The computing prowess is growing at a rapid pace that enables us to create smarter devices. As of 2022, we have smart televisions, wearables, cars, and of course our beloved smartphones. However, there are also intelligent robots that work alongside humans to complete the majority of their tasks. Did you know that the Police Department of San Francisco, California has currently applied a proposal to deploy robots that are capable of deadly force including killing a person in extraordinary circumstances? Killer robots were only a thing we saw in sci-fi films but the proposal actually cements the fact that this technology is actually ready to be deployed! I do not intend to paint a dystopian picture where robots hold the strings to our lives but it is an interesting development nonetheless. In 2023, the momentum of smarter devices will only be moving forward at a rapid pace. The introduction of intelligent home robots is expected in 2023 which is yet another interesting development in the world of tech. Would you be interested in buying a smart robot for your home or do you think it’s too dystopian?
Metaverse
The metaverse has been quietly waiting for its time to become mainstream. If you ask me, the term metaverse in itself does not trigger my curiosity as much as the term ‘immersive technology’ does. We’re moving towards the next stage of internet usage where we work, play, socialize, maybe go on romantic dates, and do everything else on an internet platform. Forbes reports that the metaverse will be adding in $5 trillion to the global economy by 2030 and the next year is very crucial when it comes to the relevance and prominence of the metaverse for the next decade. As mentioned above, AR/VR technology has continued to advance at a rapid pace but the adoption of the metaverse is a key aspect for the technology to advance furthermore. The one arena where the metaverse will advance in 2023 will be more immersive meeting environments. People will be able to talk, meet, and co-create in a virtual environment. Microsoft and Nvidia are already working on creating individual metaverse platforms dedicated to collaborations on digital platforms. Another important aspect of the metaverse is the avatars present in the virtual world. If you’re familiar with the film ‘Ready Player One’ then you know the level of virtual avatars that are already present in pop culture and people expect something similar if not better. Sadly we’re not there yet. However, it looks like 2023 will mark the year when metaverse will be able to produce life-like avatars thanks to motion capture technology if it’s ever implemented at a larger scale for the general public to use.
Bringing together the digital and the real world
We are already at the state where we are seeing an increasing connection between the virtual and the real world. The one main component of bridging this gap has been virtual simulation technology known as digital twins. In this technology, real-world processes, operations, and products are rendered as virtual simulations to test new ideas in a much safer digital environment. Engineers use digital twins technology to recreate physical objects in the virtual world to test them under every possible outcome and condition without shelling out the big bucks of real-life experiments. In 2023, the digital twins technology will only be taking a more mainstream route and expanding into many industries like automobiles, machinery, cars, and precision healthcare.
2022 was surely a monumental year in the world of tech. While the tech industry like others is still recovering from the grappling hooks of the pandemic, it did manage to make major headlines besides the negative ones. As the year comes to a close, we wanted to look back at all the technological advancements and trends that made it mainstream in 2022. So without any further ado, let’s jump right in –
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
It was only in November that we dedicated an entire edition to the emerging technology of artificial intelligence with our ‘AI Special’ The technology took a front foot in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 20% till 2029. There were many ways AI took over the world with its most prominent example being the healthcare industry during the times of COVID. AI’s demand in the healthcare space increased exponentially due to its models and tools capable of improving healthcare analytics and prediction tools. On the other hand, big companies are now using a big chunk of their commuting power to provide enhanced AI capabilities to the changing world.
As per Forbes, the biggest trend in the world of AI in 2022 was ‘machine vision’ where computers can now see and recognize objects in a video or photograph with much ease. Expect your ‘Are You a Human’ tests on the internet to get a little bit difficult as machines are now catching up quickly! Language processing was another big advancement in the field of AI where machines can now understand our voice, lingo, and accents much better and speak back to us. Another big trend in the field of AI was ‘AI Art’ which quickly became a rage on the internet and sparked a conversation amongst the artist community. Whether AI Art can be considered genuine art is a debate still ongoing.
Cyber Security
The world is becoming increasingly digital and with that cybersecurity will only become more and more prominent. Businesses and individuals both need to protect themselves from major cyber attacks. If the software on your mobile or computer device is compromised it could lead to great catastrophes like the leak of personal data and banking details. As of 2022, most of my data is stored on a cloud drive similar to a lot of people today. We like to have the convenience of being able to store data on the cloud and not on physical drives to preserve storage but it’s a double-edged sword as cloud drives could get struck by a cyber-attack anytime. 2022 saw an increase in public awareness about the topic of cyber security with an increased number of people using VPNs and other services to ensure their data is secured on the internet. Pro tip – Do use a VPN while surfing on the internet as you never know which site leads to a cyber attack!
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
2022 saw a surge in interest in VR and AR technologies thanks to the metaverse boom. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has kept his stand solid on the metaverse being the next big thing in the world of tech even though current numbers paint a different picture. This year, we saw the launch of the Meta Quest Pro which is priced at a whopping $1,499. However, the VR headset has introduced the concept of mixed reality which looks like the perfect way ahead in the world of VR. Thanks to mixed reality technology, users can experience high-resolution engagement with the virtual world while maintaining a presence in the real world in high definition. A truly immersive and remake upgrade to the experience of VR was brought upon by Meta which can only be expected to be the gold standard of VR/AR in the near future. Do you expect to attend your work meetings via a VR headset as early as 2023? It doesn’t look like a stretch thanks to the advancements in VR technology.
5G Connectivity
2022 was the year India stepped into the 5G game with all guns blazing. Though it was in the last quarter of 2022, I am glad now I can surf the internet at lightning speeds on a cellular network thanks to 5G making its way to India. The fifth-generation wireless is currently the most advanced mobile broadband technology that already has giants like Samsung, Apple, Qualcomm, and other mobile network providers working on their toes to deploy the technology at a faster rate. It is reported that approximately 4 billion 5G subscriptions will be active around the world by 2025. 5G has the potential to change the way people perceive cellular networks and turn to them for their primary data needs. While 5G is still finding its footing in a country like India, 6G is already on the horizon which directly translates to more power in our mobile devices, cars, and wearables!
Quantum Computing
No, we certainly are not at the stage where we can travel through the ‘Quantum Realm’ and make big changes to the fate of the universe. That is only reserved for the fascinating world of Marvel films. However, the trend of quantum computing surely took over the world in 2022. So what actually is quantum computing? In simple terms, it is the processing of information that is represented by special quantum states that enable machines to handle data in a much different way from the traditional ways. Quantum computing has the potential to give humanity computing power that is a trillion times faster than what we’ve got today’s advanced supercomputers. Having such fast computing speeds allows humanity to unlock a different era of technological advancement. It could change the way we approach aspects like drug innovation, space exploration, and much more.
It will be an understatement to say that 2022 was an exciting year in the world of tech. It was definitely not all sunshine and rainbows as major tech companies fired a considerable chunk of employees in the face of a looming recession. Whereas, Elon Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter changed the face of social media as we’ve experienced it over the years. There were also the crypto bros taking major Ls thanks to the volatile nature of digital assets/currency that personally got the crypto enthusiast in me existential. Sure, there were new launches every week and new technologies explored. However, with new launches also came the funerals of beloved tech devices from the past. Here is a look at all the products and services we bid goodbye to in 2022 –
iPod Touch
Who would’ve thought that an iconic device that changed the way people consume music will also be discontinued? Not me surely. But it does not come as a shocker as every purpose an iPod serves can now be done by the iPhone. The iPod not just was a capable music player but also an aesthetically pleasing device that added to the user’s style quotient. It indeed is a surprise that Apple continued to sell the iPod years after they were rendered useless by the iPhone. The $199 iPod Touch was discontinued in 2022 by Apple who finally bid goodbye to its iconic music player. Though discontinued, the iPod will forever be known as the device that undoubtedly changed the music industry.
Overwatch
Blizzard Entertainment’s beloved multiplayer first-person shooter Overwatch was replaced by Overwatch 2 on October 2, 2022. While this is not a drastic discontinuation as the IP of the game stands tall with its sequel, there were many players who wanted the sequel to be a separate entity altogether. Not every upgrade is appreciated by gaming purists who would much rather stick to their older game than jump on to a new one. However, the new game brought about several changes like 5v5, an updated game engine, revamped look for heroes, and a free-to-play business model.
Google Stadia
The gaming community was excited to know Google’s disruptive strategy with Stadia. Google intended to steam all A-list games on all your devices without having a console. While the vision was appreciated, the end product was far from perfect. The technology was surely top notch but by the time Google made titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 or Cyberpunk 2077 available on the Stadia platform, the majority of the players had already gotten them on their preferred platforms. Early 2021 started showing signs of Google’s interest in the Stadia platform as they stopped in-house development studios for it. Whereas, in September 2022, it announced that Stadia will be shutting down for good.
Blackberry
We all have long moved on from the marvel of Blackberry devices but the company was still surviving somewhere in the dark. However, the year 2022 proved to be the final nail in the coffin as the Canadian company announced it had shut down all servers required for older Blackberry devices to work. Alas, the “We’re Blackberry Boys” advertisement song did not age well at all! After the servers went dark, all the Blackberry devices were rendered to mere e-waste. While the brand Blackberry died years ago, 2022 gave it a silent and ultimate death.
