Last year started off on a promising note with Virtual Reality (VR), modular phones and wearables like smart clothes and smart watches. In between, there were social media storms on the U.S. presidential election, and stampeding droves of Pokémon Go players. Then towards the end of the year, technology took a surprising turn in the direction of Artificial Intelligence. And all the while, Samsung had a literal blast.
The year of Artificial Intelligence
In the beginning of the year, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg challenged himself to build his own Jarvis, Iron Man’s AI butler. And now he’s done it. Jarvis is voiced by Morgan Freeman and controls Zuckerberg’s house lights and music, entertains his daughter and recognises people’s faces. Soon, Zuckerberg hopes to teach Jarvis some more tricks like making his popcorn.
Google too announced its Assistant, which leverages on all their search algorithms to make life easier for users. At the Pixel launch, Google demoed it. by searching through images finding the perfect image for users. Apple’s Siri also uses AI to become the perfect assistant, connecting itself to several services and managing day-to-day life. With image recognition software getting better, companies are putting it to good use by funnelling it all through their AI systems to make the Internet more natural. Inspired by an episode in the Netflix series Black Mirror, Eugenia Kuyda, founder of the app Luka, created a chatbot so she can talk to her deceased friend. There are chatbots that help you with everything from where to eat and reserving movie tickets to booking cabs. Amazon, Uber and Google all are making strides in AI with controlled robotic drones, which are capable of delivering your products and driving your cabs.
VR goes mainstream
As promised, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR went on sale. The first two were exorbitantly priced. Google also unveiled the Daydream VR headset for its Pixel smartphones. With the hardware in place, the floodgates of content were opened. However, the Adult Industry was the only one creating it. Now a few games are seeing the light of day, including Asetto Corsa, SuperHot, Elite Dangerous and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
India goes cashless
While the U.S. election results were on the offing, India dominated the headlines with demonetisation. The move forced the country to embrace cashless transactions with e-wallets such as PayTM and MobiKwik. While the debate on whether demonetisation was a good or bad idea rages, there is no doubt that it did nudge the country on to the path of going completely
cashless.
Pokémon Go and Augmented Reality
The year saw people go crazy about Pokémon Go and the game finally arriving in India. Thanks to the game, Augmented Reality went mainstream. Cameras made objects and characters appear like they were in close proximity.
The game was launched with Google Maps support and it changed mobile gaming as it brought people together and forced them to be active. Things got ugly pretty fast with accidents, mass trespassing and stampedes forcing governments to issue instructions warning against playing the game. Five months in and Pokémon Go started to lose it’s sheen. That was when it launched in India to an already bored and waning audience. Still, there are 23 million active players, which is the most for any mobile game in
history.
Streaming video wars
Streaming giant Netflix launched officially in India in 2016, providing access to great shows such as Marvel’s Daredevil and Luke Cage, and critically acclaimed series like Black Mirror, House of Cards and Narcos. A few days ago, Amazon also launched its Prime Video service in the country. There has also been a barrage of original content on YouTube with shows from international acts like PewDiePie and SuperWoman, and local acts like AIB, Them Boxer Shorts, Kanan Gill. Not to mention fantastic original content from TVF: The Viral Fever.
The explosion of streaming content and the fall of Internet’s biggest piracy sites have forced Indian players to step up their game. Now, apps offer to stream shows and videos.
Prisma and Face Masks
In the social media sphere, one of the biggest phenomenons was Prisma. The app used advanced algorithms to convert images into paintings in various art styles. The infamous face swap, a feature by Snapchat, allowed users to switch faces with anyone and anything. The feature gained popularity following comedian Tanmay Bhat’s notorious video conversation between Lata Mangeshkar and Sachin Tendulkar. Earlier this year, Facebook jumped into the action by acquiring MSQRD, the face-swapping selfie app, and started their own live Video feature with face masks and face swapping.
Samsung goes up in flames, Apple loses shine, Microsoft gets creative and Google joins the smartphone wagon
After the successful launch of Galaxy S7, the Korean giant unveiled its flagship Galaxy Note 7. After reports of the phones combusting, Samsung initiated one of the biggest product recalls in tech history in two lots before finally pulling it off the market. It cost the company nearly $5 billion in revenue loss and dealt a big blow to its reputation. Samsung has issued an apology and is now doing everything to rise from the ashes. They are reportedly even considering sourcing batteries from rival LG.
Meanwhile, Apple saw a surge in sales for the iPhone 7. It took a few bold and questionable moves, including the controversial removal of the beloved 3.5mm jack. This was followed by the launch of a lacklustre update to the MacBook Pro.
Rival Microsoft was also hard at work, unveiling its new Surface series, including a large Surface Studio, to combat the ageing iMacs.
Lastly, Google jumped into the smartphone space with Google Pixel, which sports a superb Google Assistant.
The author is a freelance tech and lifestyle writer
