2016: A Year for Technology

With the two words “Hey, Siri,” anyone can send an email, respond to a text, map a route to work and even remotely control the lights in their home. In modern society, AI assistants like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana are a click away, and smart TVs, cameras, thermostats, lights and even cars monitor every aspect of daily life, seamlessly integrating technology in to our routines.In 2015, we saw a surge in consumer technology with the introduction of Amazon’s Echo, a revolutionary voice control system and the iPhone’s addition of 3-D touch and hands-free Siri to name a few. Technology, however, had far wider applications this past year: virtual reality was used to conduct a revolutionary heart surgery, Lexus created a functional hoverboard and self-balancing segways blew up around the country, literally.So, what tech does 2016 have in store?Everyday, millions of Americans take to the road in cars. Car technology, however, is undergoing a major shift. With most vehicles sporting some form of screen, car operating systems are becoming a big emphasis amongst major companies. Apple’s CarPlay allows users to integrate their iPhones with their screens to play music, check messages, make calls and speak to Siri. In 2016, however, Smart Cars could become a reality as partnerships between tech giants like Google and Apple and car powerhouses like Ford and GM become a reality. In addition to being “smart” these vehicles could feature the first signs of autonomous driving. Current semi-autonomous cars carry high price tags and are limited to luxury Mercedes and Tesla vehicles, but as companies like Google, GM and Lexus enter the market, with some predictions as early as this year, we may soon see moms berating their kids or teenagers playing Angry Birds as their cars navigate the highway at high speeds.For Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, however, staying on the ground is not a preferred option. During 2015, Bezos released information about his drone delivery program. If cleared by the FAA, we may see the first field tests within 2016, and shortly after, the implementation of same-day delivery. Especially with orders piling up around the holidays, Amazon’s deliveries become extra crucial and drone technology could make the difference.What those cardboard delivery boxes contain has also gone through a shift over the past couple years. This past holiday season, FitBit rose as the top downloaded app for iPhones, remote controlled drones stocked the shelves of most department stores and virtual reality became available for the masses. Whether to measure your heart-rate during a workout or immerse yourself in a game, these additions to our lives can have great beneficial impact when used properly.But what happens when we irresponsibly use technology? The recent death of Joshua Burwell, who fell from a cliff while distracted by his phone, serves as a stark reminder of the immersion of technology. While walking down the street, most people have their heads bent over, browsing the internet or answering emails on their phones, but as technology becomes more immersive, human contact will slowly dwindle into nonexistence. With the onset of Virtual Reality headsets like the Occulus and Samsung VR in 2015, users can now place themselves in any situation from the comfort of their couch, and therein is where the problem lies. Humans are inherently social creatures that learn, develop and thrive in with others, and without the company of our friends, family and even enemies, life becomes bland. A lack of basic social contact has been shown to reduce brain function and even usher in the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s. With the access to music, information and technology at our fingertips, smartphones allow users to block the outside world out. Currently, we can book a plane ticket, buy a sweater and get a restaurant reservation within minutes. And as voice technology becomes more powerful, that time will soon be reduced to seconds.Consumer tech has greatly advanced society, allowing us to communicate around the world, gain an education via open-source websites and navigate through unfamiliar territory. It has allowed us to personalize our lives around our interests and passions, and 2015 consumer tech ushered in a new era of hands-free technology and virtual reality.Already, most communication is done over some form of technology, and if we don’t consciously take action to put our phones away or greet each other on the path, human-to-human interaction will slowly die out. Soon, saying “hi” while walking down the street will become a gesture remnant of the past.