Weekend Open Forum: Technology predictions for 2013

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Earlier this week, IBM shared what it expects to see over the next five years in technology, with several scientists predicting that computers will become more intelligent and human-like. Although we're not daring enough to gaze half a decade into the future, we thought it'd be fun to see what everyone thinks will unfold over the next year.

To kick things off, we've included predictions from most of our staff along with widgets so you can rate them. Naturally, we also want to hear your technology predictions for 2013 in the comments.

  

We'll hear more about augmented reality and wearable computing devices as companies eye the post-smartphone market.

 

  

Apple will start offering more video content through Apple TV. No TV set. No revolutionary set-top box, yet. The latter will be introduced eventually in partnership with cable operators but won't be ready for 2013.

 

 

Windows 8 will succeed on desktops, flourish with touch-enabled laptops but utterly fail on pure tablets.

 

  

AMD will beat Nvidia to the punch, releasing its Radeon HD 8000 series in early 2013. Months later, it will disappoint early adopters by slashing prices and releasing overclocked cards to remain relevant -- sound familiar?

 

  

I believe 2013 will bring a greater emphasis on the smartphone as the tablet trend begins to slowly fade. Larger handsets like the Galaxy Note II are already proving that a handset can accomplish most tasks that a tablet is capable of. More powerful mobile processors will only accelerate this movement.

 

 

My prediction for 2013 is that digital camera manufacturers will finally stop the decade-long megapixel race and start advertising what really matters: sensor sizes and lenses.

 

  

There will be brand-name WQHD (2560x1440ish) desktop monitors under $500 in 2013.

 

Image via Chris Whetzel

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/51164-weekend-open-forum-technology-predictions-for-2013.html

 

[Guest]

Microsoft will go to keyholder market and release an extension for Windows 8, on keyholder will be remote button, the Start Button and if you push that will call the Windows 8 secret Start Menu on the Screen. 2.99$

 

[Burty117]

I Predict that we will have an announcement for a revolutionary breakthrough in battery technology, but nothing will come of it for 5 years + ...

 

[TomSEA]

Julio's just trying to stir the pot...

 

[cliffordcooley]

I predict that while walking/driving and texting becomes even more of a problem, technology will shift to speech recognition and phones that read your text messages for you.

 

[Jad Chaar]

I Predict that we will have an announcement for a revolutionary breakthrough in battery technology, but nothing will come of it for 5 years + ...

the story of all tech lol. I think the flexible display will flourish, and the Galaxy S4--if it has a flexible display-- will compete further with the iPhone.

 

[Guest]

I predict that Apple will release another iteration of it's crap people will rush to buy, Microsoft will continue to try to push Windows 8, even though Windows 7 is clearly better unless you're using an all-in-one, and lastly that electronics will get a little smaller, and probably a little cheaper, though not by near as much as it's getting cheaper to make them.

Oh wait, all that crap's pretty obvious.

 

[NTAPRO]

I can predict that people will complain about Apple's products but apple will not care

oh wait

Why is it that megapixels don't really matter and why is the sensor more important? I've always wanted a camera

 

[Guest]

I can predict the end of world !!!

 

[TS-56336]

PC Gaming will rule in 2013, beating next-gen consoles to the floor.

 

[Guest]

I predict new iPhone (maybe iPhone 5S) released by apple, and of course apple tv

 

[Per Hansson]

Why is it that megapixels don't really matter and why is the sensor more important? I've always wanted a camera

This little blog has some technical details on it: http://6mpixel.org/en/
It comes down to the fact that increasing the megapixel count results in pixel bleeding, that is the sensor can't make out what type of light is hitting each sensor on the CCD. This results in very poor photographs, especially in low-light conditions.
It's akin to increasing the voltage to a processor when overclocking it, as long as the frequency scales linearly with voltage everything works quite well. But after a while you hit a wall where voltage increases more than frequency: the excess voltage is converted to heat and indeed the reason is it bleeds over from one transistor to the next (This results in a BSOD or data corruption)
Intel realized this a decade ago and scratched the Pentium 4 in favor of the older Pentium 3 that had by then evolved into the "Core" architecture which we use still today.
You could compare the small point and shoot cameras of today to Pentium 4 CPU's: brute force to look good on paper (More GHZ equals better in consumer minds, nevermind that the Pentium 3 at 1.3Ghz can beat a Pentium 4 at 2Ghz in many benchmarks...)
The equivalent to the "Core" architecture is DSLR cameras and also the new "Four Thirds" camera systems utilizing large sensors in small camera bodies.

 

[Julio Franco]

Looks like I'm losing, we'll see a year from now when we repeat the feature

 

[misor]

Due to sony financial troubles, I predict that the next console after playstation 4 and xbox720 (or whatever) will be called playstation x, a joint production of microsoft and sony.
the project will kickstart late in 2013 under a mou.
console gamers rejoice!

 

[red1776]

@ Rick, Great minds and so forth. I said the same thing last week:

Exactly. as Intel is demonstrating there is a lot of life left in Moore's law. My money is on the introduction of super high res/multi-monitor/ low cost setups to make 2560 the standard. Overall the GPU industry (sales) have bucked the economic trend since the economy tanked. I don't think they will let it go without at least am attempt at a trend changer. $300 2560's? 3x1080P with stand for $ 400?

http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=194742&p=2067912

 

[Guest]

Wireless charging?

 

[Guest]

Smarter smart stuff... smarter dumb stuff...dumber smart stuff, too.

Sub-mini iPad/Nexus strapped to wrist.

Algae Bio-crude will get established as a viable & economic energy source, but wind will blow out.

LED lighting will become truly competitive, and really begin replacing CFLs and halogens.

Fewer folks will have the education necessary to get the jobs that still exist.

Kahn Academy et al. will reach more people worldwide and expensive sources for education will attack the where/what/how of what they offer.

Groasis waterboxx will be established as a viable method for greening the desert, sequestering huge amounts of CO2.

The EPA will be identified as a source of Global Warming - not due to hot air, but due to past success in removing particulate matter from the atmosphere.

 

[klepto12]

Why is it that megapixels don't really matter and why is the sensor more important? I've always wanted a camera

This little blog has some technical details on it: http://6mpixel.org/en/
It comes down to the fact that increasing the megapixel count results in pixel bleeding, that is the sensor can't make out what type of light is hitting each sensor on the CCD. This results in very poor photographs, especially in low-light conditions.
It's akin to increasing the voltage to a processor when overclocking it, as long as the frequency scales linearly with voltage everything works quite well. But after a while you hit a wall where voltage increases more than frequency: the excess voltage is converted to heat and indeed the reason is it bleeds over from one transistor to the next (This results in a BSOD or data corruption)
Intel realized this a decade ago and scratched the Pentium 4 in favor of the older Pentium 3 that had by then evolved into the "Core" architecture which we use still today.
You could compare the small point and shoot cameras of today to Pentium 4 CPU's: brute force to look good on paper (More GHZ equals better in consumer minds, nevermind that the Pentium 3 at 1.3Ghz can beat a Pentium 4 at 2Ghz in many benchmarks...)
The equivalent to the "Core" architecture is DSLR cameras and also the new "Four Thirds" camera systems utilizing large sensors in small camera bodies.

You do realize that intel actually used the mobile cpus as there base for core? why would they use pentium 3? look up your facts man.

 

[Mister_K]

China Overtaking US in Scientific Research.
Solar flares are disrupting the Earth's magnetosphere
3D technologies are widespread
Highly flexible touch sensors are appearing in a range of gadgets
Full-body scanners are mandatory in US airports
Direct high-speed rail from London to Frankfurt and Amsterdam
14 nanometre chips enter mass production

Source: http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/2013.htm

 

[cliffordcooley]

You do realize that intel actually used the mobile cpus as there base for core? why would they use pentium 3? look up your facts man.

I think Per was referring to Intel abandoning the P4 slot architecture in favor of the older P3 socket architecture. And if I'm not mistaken wasn't the mobile design a spin-off from the P3 architect?

 

[captaincranky]

Why is it that megapixels don't really matter and why is the sensor more important? I've always wanted a camera

Part of it is a mechanical issue of, "angle of acceptance". As you decrease the size of the individual pixel, the light must be closer and closer to a true right angle to enter it.

This is an effect you could interpret in a monitor or TV also. As the size of a TN panel decreases, the acceptable viewing angle decreases, and IMO, fairly dramatically. (Other panels obviously suffer this effect as well). But, you can view a 40" TV from just about any angle and get the same result. (Different panel tech, plus way more pixel size).

The second issue is noise, and the S/N ratio tends to get better as the pixel size increases. The inverse is true, in that it requires better tech and construction, to get rid of the noise in smaller sensor units. Likely improvement in the firmware as well.

A present there is a market upsurge in "full frame DSLR" offerings. "Full frame" is considered to be having a sensor the same size as a 35mm negative, or 24 X 36mm. These are what have been considered "pro cameras" for years.

Ironically, "digital lenses" have been developed to compensate for the smaller sensors and light entry angle. ("Digital lenses", if designed properly, bend the output to the sensor back to straight, after the image production has been completed). Unfortunately, these lenses are designed for smaller sensors, and their, "coverage circle" falls far short of the 35mm frame size. Now, the pendulum will swing back towards to the older format 35mm coverage circle designs. I suppose the moral here is, I hope everybody held onto their old 35 mm lenses, you're liable to be needing them.

 

[tonylukac]

I'm waiting for cheap touch screen monitors. That will be more reason to use my dual boot windows 8 desktops. Ironically, one motherboard is now failing since I upgraded to win 8.

 

[captaincranky]

...[ ]... Ironically, one motherboard is now failing since I upgraded to win 8.

Maybe it's committing a slow, dramatized suicide in protest to the Windows 8....

 

[NTAPRO]

Oh I see. I guess I'll wait a little while longer to pick up a camera then.

Is anyone else having weird notifications? I've been noticing this for a while now:

 

[captaincranky]

Oh I see. I guess I'll wait a little while longer to pick up a camera then.

Is anyone else having weird notifications? I've been noticing this for a while now:

It's one of those so called, "known issues". Here's the thread: https://www.techspot.com/community/topics/alert-notification-problems.186827/ I do a lot of "post post" editing. I wonder if the system is picking that up. Although, a posting to a thread you're merely following usually provokes a minimum of 2 alert entries. To clarify, the captioned numerical count of alerts is correct, but there are always multiple entries in the text portion..