Top 10 tech predictions for 2014: Windows XP headaches, 3D printing uptake, wearable tech
V3 polishes its crystal ball to see where tech is headed in the next 12 months
So, farewell to 2013 and roll on 2014. After an action-packed 12 months we're all hopefully refreshed and raring to go for another madcap year in the world of technology. Many will now be asking themselves, what's going to happen this year?
If we knew what was going to happen we could make millions on the stock market, but where would the fun be in knowing the future? It's far more fun to guess and then see how right (or wrong) you are.
So the V3 team put its heads together and had a think about where the market - and some of its dominant companies - will go and how this will affect the world of business. Feel free to add your own ideas in the comments box below.
10. High-speed broadband access to become the norm
Over 2013, and 2012, huge strides have been made to bring high-speed broadband services to those across the UK, from Cumbria to Cornwall, with both fixed and mobile services meeting this need.
Numerous deals have been signed by BT to roll out access across various counties, and mobile operators are hoping a government trial for new remote services will see 4G as a solution to fill in the gaps fibre can't fill.
With many contracts ready to start rolling out, going live and even being completed in 2014, the ability for businesses and consumers around the UK to get online with good, solid broadband should rise rapidly.
As O2, Vodafone, Three and EE continue to roll out 4G and more people are switched on to its benefits, the UK should become a nation of speed freaks enjoying rapid web access. There is still a way to go, but 2014 should see many of the promises of the past few years being delivered on a major scale.
Top 10 tech predictions for 2014: Windows XP headaches, 3D printing uptake, wearable tech
V3 polishes its crystal ball to see where tech is headed in the next 12 months
9. Upstart mobile vendors to encroach on giants
At present there are only really three players in the mobile market: Apple, Android (led by Samsung) and Windows Phone (led by Nokia, which is now part of Microsoft anyway).
But there are signs that 2014 could see some new challengers emerge. Firstly, the new Firefox OS is due to hit the market, admittedly at the lower end, but this could upset the Android momentum in some emerging nations.
Ubuntu-based devices could also emerge to threaten the big three firms. Canonical confirmed that its plans to bring its Ubuntu handset to market have been resurrected after the huge interest it received earlier this year for its crowd-funded phone idea.
Lastly, Finnish firm Jolla, formed by ex-Nokia staff who worked on the short-lived MeeGo project, is starting to sell devices too. So the big three won’t have it all their own way in 2014, although you can bet they will continue to dominate .
8. Wearable tech will be a mixed bag
As much as we would love to see Google Glass prosper, we can't see it happening. Despite promises of Glass units compatible with designer frames and an increase in the amount of apps available, the social stigma attached to the headwear is just too great, and the benefits too small. Head and eye movements are an innovative way of controlling your device, but it's currently too flaky a technology to be viable. So, at least for 2014, Google Glass won't live up to expectations.
Elsewhere in the world of wearables, watches will have a big impact. Apple's iWatch will be announced and, if the money's right, redefine wrist-based devices. Attempts from Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm and Pebble have been noteworthy, but not awe-inspiring, so there's plenty of room for improvement.
7. 3D printing to grow as big brands enter the market 3D printing has so far mainly been a fringe activity that has the potential to capture the imagination, but for most remains a somewhat unreal concept. But in 2013 3D printing made some real strides and is now a common sight on the high street.
In 2014 this traction could gather more pace as big-name brands behind printers – notably HP – start to bring their own products to market. HP has already promised some devices with a focus on speed and quality, in order to leap ahead of rivals.
This will help push understanding and uptake of 3D printing and no doubt many more businesses will start to assess how they could take advantage of this new area of technology, with some already considering this in 2013.
Top 10 tech predictions for 2014: Windows XP headaches, 3D printing uptake, wearable tech
V3 polishes its crystal ball to see where tech is headed in the next 12 months
6. Apple to push the innovation stakes
Apple had a fairly mediocre year by its own high standards. Its new devices, from the iPad Air to the iPhone 5S were certainly nice and flew off the shelves, but the firm didn't do much that was truly exciting.
In some ways this was to be expected, though, as the firm runs in two-year release cycles for the major product updates. This means in 2014 we will encounter the next serious upgrade to the iPhone, in the form of the iPhone 6 or iPhone Air, or whatever they decide to call it.
Not only that, but Apple has been making a number of notable acquisitions recently, including Israeli company PrimeSense which specialises in gesture control technology.
This could mean the firm is planning new areas, such as Apple TV, or perhaps the long-rumoured iWatch, by utilising the capabilities of PrimeSense, or one of the many other mystery acquisitions it made in 2013. Hopefully, Apple will be back to wowing us in 2014.
5. Our lives won't be changed by the Internet of Things, but our businesses will
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of those phrases that fills us with excitement for the future. We dream of living in a utopia where our kitchen knows where our car is and puts the oven on in time for us to arrive home for a sumptuous banquet of 3D-printed food.
In reality, the benefits of what is more sensibly known as machine-to-machine communication is having a huge impact on the way manufacturers, retailers, utility companies, logistics firms and local governments operate.
Immense power savings will continue to be made as firms switch over from what are essentially dumb appliances to internet-connected machines that know, learn and collaborate with one another to work out when they are needed, balancing power consumption both for the benefit of the business and for the power supply.
Companies working with machines with wearable parts also benefit; sensors keep track of how a component is performing, recognising a potential problem long before it causes disruption. It's this kind of technology, combined with predictive big data analytics, which is already having an impact.
In 2014, this will only continue. With Intel committing itself to IoT with its low-power Quark chip, the firm is certainly looking to place itself at the forefront of widespread IoT use. Sure, security concerns remain, but when the benefits are so glaringly obvious, tech firms will find a way to make them work.
Top 10 tech predictions for 2014: Windows XP headaches, 3D printing uptake, wearable tech
V3 polishes its crystal ball to see where tech is headed in the next 12 months
4. BlackBerry's fortune to fluctuate
At the start of 2013 BlackBerry (or Research In Motion as it was then known) was pinning its hopes of a comeback on the new BB10 platform and full-touch devices it was unveiling. Sadly, this had little impact.
But after many upheavels, it now has a new CEO and a new direction, seemingly in enterprise mobility management, led by its BES10 platform, which is continuing to hoover up customers. As such, there appears to be a route to salvation for the firm.
The past year proved, though, that nothing is ever that simple and no doubt there will be many challenges ahead for the firm as it seeks to reinvent itself, yet again, in the highly competitive mobile market, especially with new vendors entering the market, as we noted in entry nine.
What's more, as reported right at the end of 2013, BlackBerry has just reported a huge loss of $4.4bn and is outsourcing device manufactuing to Foxconn, underlining the scale of the challenge facing the firm.
However, with its brand remaining strong in the realms of security and enterprise, BlackBerry could rise again. It will certainly be fascinating to follow.
3. Microsoft's new CEO to face many tough decisions
We still don’t know who the next Microsoft CEO will be, despite reports that Microsoft has almost reached a decision. Whoever is given the role will be taking on something of a poisoned chalice.
For, while undoubtedly the firm remains one of the giants of the tech world, it faces many battles ahead. Chief among these is the future for Windows 8, as the market continues to show little strong desire for the platform, despite endless marketing.
This has also seen its forays into hardware find little success. Question marks over its tablet range linger, especially now it has the ownership of Nokia’s hardware business to consider, as it tries to increase its mobile market share.
Meanwhile, it faces increasing challenges in enterprise markets with services such as cloud and email, and Google especially is gunning for the position as top dog in businesses services.
Top 10 tech predictions for 2014: Windows XP headaches, 3D printing uptake, wearable tech
V3 polishes its crystal ball to see where tech is headed in the next 12 months
2. PRISM fallout to continue
The PRISM scandal broke in the height of summer but it has rumbled on through the year, with revelations coming thick and fast. These included claims that the US tapped world leaders' phones and that global telecoms networks were monitored.
Even on the verge of Christmas the leaders of the worlds biggest tech firms were in Washington to hammer their message home to president Obama that mass surveillance is not acceptable.
Whistleblower Edward Snowden is still holed up in Russia and has access to huge amounts of data that could be released at any time. As such, expect many more revelations and insights into the world of international espionage in 2014.
1. Windows XP cut-off deadline to catch many out
If you’ve got a diary for 2014, grab it now and turn to 8 April and put a big cross. Then maybe stick a big P next to that, because the date marks the end of support for Windows XP.
What could be fascinating to see is just how many firms are caught out by this, as research has found that many are utterly unprepared for any migrations away from XP, despite the impending security risks it could pose.
Many readers commented last year that they have no intention of moving away from XP, although some firms are already embarking on this push. Microsoft itself has urged its customers to take the issue seriously, despite the seemingly everlasting appeal of XP.
While many companies have no doubt already safely migrated, there are going to be many more that find themselves in a whole world of pain once the deadline passes, and the fallout could last through 2014.