2018 is finally upon us. And as usual, the new year comes with some tech trends and predictions for extreme growth in usage and popularity in 2018. Here are a few of them;
Self driving cars: Although this might take longer to penetrate in the Nigerian market, self driving cars will see more growth in usage globally. Uber, the mobile taxi app company has already started doing its own self driving car tests, Google ha been doing it for a while. But technology enthusiasts say that 2018 is the year that we might start to see self driving cars get into real service, especially more in closed environments where these cars will be able to drive autonomously within a confined, pre defined area. Tech experts say that with Artificial intelligence and machine learning, a lot of progress will be made in perfecting self driving cars in 2018.
BlockChain and Cryptocurrency: We started hearing more about the use of cryptocurrencies towards the end of 2017. However, we are going to see a lot more of block chain and use of digital currencies in 2018. With all the new technologies, Bitcoin and other digital coins will get more usage and attention in the new year. It has been predicted that more major companies are going to get in on the game in 2018 but might not end up sticking around for a long time. There will be more experiment on blockchain uses in 2018.
Artificial intelligence (AI): Already, companies like Accenture and PwC have invested billions in preparations for the uptake of artificial intelligence in Africa. There will be a lot more attention on AI which is still in its infancy, but over the course of 2018 it will get a lot better and more people using it in the background.
Internet of Things (IoT): Experts predict that 2018 is going to see a lot more, smart home devices with the growth of IoT. more companies will try and push for it. Things like Google home, Amazon Eco, Apple’s Siri and the likes will push more companies into IoT. This is going to be especially so, with Bluetooth 5 which has been upgraded from just one to one connections to smart devices receiving information without connecting directly, through the use of local GPS coming out this year.
Cybersecurity: 2018 is going to see a lot more focus on cyber security. Potentially, the removal of passwords and some other type of paradigm introduced, because last year, we saw so many hacking scandals, the wqannacry ransomeware and so, people have started to realise that their data is probably not as safe as they think it is. Big companies are especially going to be pushing for more cyber security in 2018. Two factor authentication is definitely going to make a big move in 2018
Virtual Reality: 2018 will probably see the introduction of next generation virtual reality headsets. I spoke to Seni Sulyman, Country Director of Andela a few months ago, and he revealed that the company was working big time on next generation VR headsets. It is likely to see a newer, upgraded version in 2018 because it has been about two years since the HTC vive and Oculus rift were released. Industry analysts say that by the end of 2018, we might start to see a little bit of augmented reality, holo lens technology, especially because Microsoft has started working on a new version.
5G: There will be more talk about the fifth generation internet connection which will allow faster connection on cell phones and smaller devices. The maximally increased cellular bandwidth might not be implemented into mobile carriers and devices till 2019 but we will definitely hear a lot about it and what to expect from 5G in 2018.
Jumoke Akiyode- Lawanson
