News / All news / Five 2013 trends

1. «Wearable» peripherals

SMART WATCH

The main advantage of this gadget is that it can be put on the hand, or on the head, or attached to clothes. The main technological feature is that you can «connect» it to a smartphone via Bluetooth communication (the most common version is 4.0) and receive some information from it.

The existence of a smart watch market niche was reminded by Pebble startup, which was able to attract record 10.2 million dollars in May 2012 with the assistance of Kickstarter.

Now, what Pebble watch can do:

Smart watches of all manufacturers have options based on the same principle: they are synchronized with Android/iPhone and show useful information:

• incoming SMS,
• tweets,
• e-mails,
• Facebook feedback and news,
• weather forecast,
• accepted/rejected calls,
• sound informer of smartphone-base connection stability.

The average price is about $150.

CYBER GLASSES

The popularity of cyber-glasses was firstly started by the Google founder, Sergey Brin. Speaking at the I/O conference in July, he showed a Project Glass prototype in action. Now only developers can buy it – the price is $1500. The gadget is expected to come for sale in 2013.

Sergey Brin about Project Glass:

According to information appeared during the 2012 cyber glasses with transparent lens, which impose a virtual image over real-world objects, are to be prepared by companies such as Oakley, Microsoft, Sony, Apple, and Olympus.

2. Wireless charger

In 2012, about 5 million devices that can be charged «over-the-air» were sold.

In 2013-2014 year, according to various estimates, their amount exceeds 100 million. The impulse to the development of this technology may become chipset, which is to be issued in the beginning of 2013 by Intel and Integrated Device Technology joint efforts. It will be designed for ultrabooks, all-in-one-PCs, smartphones and autonomous power sources.

Nokia shows the way a wireless charger operates in Lumia 920:

3. Non-contact controlling device

Kinect became one of the most successful Microsoft products. In February, the company released controller version for computers operating on the Windows base. According to rumors, the company wants to adapt the technology for contactless control of smartphones, laptops and TVs. The second generation Kinect announcement can be expected at the gaming industry E3 exhibition, which will be held in mid-2013.

Samsung has already started experiments with hands-free smartphones controlling. The screen of Galaxy S III model (appeared in May) does not blink off while a user watches it. The camera detects if a user turns away. Microchip Technology also made its contribution, which showed the technology GestIC for mobile devices, that is able to recognize gestures in three-dimensional space.

Leap Motion controller is able to recognize gestures even more precisely than Kinect. Their device – Leap 3D – is a compact USB receiver with sensors and a camera. It can keep track of fingers position (not the entire hand as Kinect does) and small objects in the real-time mode. Pre-orders for Leap 3D started in May. Deliveries will start in the beginning of 2013.

Leap Motion presentation:

4. 3D-printing

The General principle of three-dimensional printing is following: at first, a computer creates a virtual 3D model of an object, consisting of hundreds of easy-printed layers, and then it produces layer-by-layer on the «3D» printer.

3D-printers can print parts for space rockets, guns or human organs. For example, the largest torrent tracker – The Pirate Bay – was prepared in advance and in the beginning of 2012 opened a section, where users can download a virtual model of a physical object, and then print it on 3D-printer.

Color MakerBot Replicator costs $1749 in USA. Most certainly, the next month at CES 2013 improved and cheaper models will be shown.

How does 3D-printer operates:

5. Smart TV

«Smart» TV differences from the usual one are: Internet connection, supporting the installation of additional programs, vocal commands and gestures identification. Smart TVs already exist for several years. As expected, at CES 2013 large Asian companies – LG, Samsung, Sony and Panasonic – will show even more advanced models which will make thinking that it would be nice to have such a device in the living room. Manufacturers are in a hurry, because in 2013 a TV from Apple may appear.

Also in 2013 mini PC on Android – executed in common USB-sticker shape factor – may spread. Compact computer can be connected to the TV via the HDMI port and then it is possible to watch the HD-video on a big screen or browse the Internet.

Samsung about Smart TV at CES 2012: