What new technology will we see in 2013?
With the new year almost upon us, we’ll be taking a look at some of the most innovative technology and gadgets that we can expect to see in 2013. Some you will no doubt have heard about already, and some you’ll never have thought possible! This is part one.
Google Smart-Glasses
Google revealed that “Project Glass,” which takes all the functionality of a smartphone and places it into wearable eyeglasses, is something that a small team of their engineers have been working on for over two years now. The clear lens could display anything from text messages and reminders, to video charts and maps with turn-by-turn directions. They may also be capable of taking photos and recording videos; all through simple voice commands, according to the concept Google released earlier this year.
Although the finished product is still some way off, it’s believed that we may see it on shelves sometime in Q4 of 2013.
3D Printing In 2013
Okay, so 3D printing is something that is already possible, but those printers are currently commercial-only solutions with the absolute cheapest coming in at a little over $10,000.
In late 2013, we can expect the technology to significantly drop in price to the point where it will enter the consumer market.
So how does it work? The material is gradually deposited through a controlled nozzle, layer by layer, building up to a fully formed product, made of plastic or metal. Imagine being able to draw a case for your phone in Photoshop then printing out!
Leap Motion
Leap Motion lets you interact with your computer in a completely new way. Natural hand movements, instantly interpreted with an unprecedented accuracy of 1/100 of a millimeter, for a mere $70. The Leap Motion is without a doubt one of the most phenomenal products due to be released in 2013, we can’t even begin to describe how excited we are about it.
As far as new technology goes, this is about as cutting-edge as it gets for home electronics at the moment. It’s essentially a USB peripheral device about the same size as an smartphone that creates a 3-Dimensional interaction space of 8 cubic feet to precisely interact with and control software on your laptop or desktop computer. It’s so accurate that it’s able to sense individual hand and finger movements independently, as well as small items such as a pen.
200x more sensitive than existing touch-free technologies, like Microsoft’s Kinect, it’s the difference between sensing an arm or hand movement and interpreting an incredibly accurate fingertip or pen movement.
Currently available for pre-order at LeapMotion.com for $69.99, but wont ship until early 2013.
Xbox 720
With Xbox 720 gossip and concepts churning around inside the rumour mill for the past couple of years now, there’s no doubt that we’re beginning to learn some real hard facts now. If the Xbox 720, if that’s what it is to be called, is to be launched in the run up to Christmas 2013, an official announcement from Microsoft can’t be far away.
So what can we expect from the 360′s successor?
A 56-page document leaked from within Microsoft in June indicates that the new console will feature 1080p 3D support, Blu-ray player and DVR functionaly, which would suggest that Microsoft is trying to position the console as a single all-in-one set-top box for your living room.
Speaking specs, it is said that the machine will have two independent GPUs, and a CPU with four or six cores, one for Kinect, the other for the operating system.
We will also see new anti-piracy measures with an always-on internet connection. Microsoft neither confirms or denies this. Time will surely tell, but it’s looking like it will become one of the most successful pieces of new technology in 2013, especially if Sony are unable to release their PS4 in time for the winter festivities.
OCZ NIA 2 – Neural Impulse Actuator
OCZ have confirmed that they will be manufacturing a successor to their Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) in 2013. So what exactly is an NIA anyway? It’s actually an incredible piece of kit. Wearing the comfortable headband, users are able to control PC Games without even touching the keyboard which reduces reaction times by up to 60%.
The commands are very easily assigned and calibrated based on the user’s physiology. The result; gamers are able to jump, run and fire much more quickly the ever before, without even lifting a finger.
Essentially it works by converting EEG (brainwaves) signals into keystrokes. As it is configured using the supplied software, it can be used in almost any scenario where a keyboard would be used.
Sound good? It’s already being sold by many online retailers such as Play.com and Amazon, although it may be worth holing out until the NIA 2 is released.
December 21st was supposed to be the end of the world. I happen enjoy being alive, so thankfully it wasn’t! Plus, there’s a lot of awesome technology to look forward to in 2013 that I certainly wouldn’t want to miss.
Bendy Screens
In the very near future your smartphone, tablet, or potentially your HDTV will be even more flexible than they are today – quite literally!
Flexible screens are something that a lot of us have already read about after concept models were showcased at CES 2012. However, Samsung is expected to unveil flexible display technology at CES later this year that’s a lot closer in terms of technical specifications to what we’re currently using in our smartphones. The rumour mill has it that we’ll be seeing a flexible display of 5.5-inches with a high definition resolution of 1280 x 720 (267 PPI).
It is believed that the technology is currently without a touch-screen lens at present, which leaves some doubt as to whether it can be realistically used in place of current technology inside of 2013, unless Samsung has something up its sleeve that is.
4G and 10-Gigabit in 2013
The end of last year saw the roll-out of the substantially faster mobile 4G networks. With significant improvements to overall browsing speeds, roaming and bandwidth management, our mobile devices will be far closer to that of a home broadband connection. 2013 should see the new network standard more more widely available to the consumer in both the US and Europe, giving us access to applications and HD media with far less lag. However, we’re not just looking at mobile networks; the communications giant, Marvell Technology Group, launched a new networking product called ‘AVANTA’, which will bring 10 gigabit networking into the home – What does that mean for us? Well not a a lot in terms of the speeds we experience on the internet. However, for those of us that use games consoles, network storage (HDD), file-sharing, or smart TV’s on their home networks, we can expect LAN speeds of up to 100 times faster than we have at present!
The World’s Largest UHDTV
2011 was the year of 3D, 2013 is the year of 4K Ultra-HD, which is why Samsung wont be letting CES 2013 pass by without a grand show of strength. The South Korean technology giant set a world record in Las Vegas on Tuesday by unveiling a massive 110-inch UHD (ultra high-definition) TV, the largest UHD TV to date.
With more than 8 million pixels, the UHD TV delivers a resolution of four times higher than that of the HD TVs that a lot of us have in our homes today. As well as the 110-inch flagship model, we’ll also be presented with a smaller 85-inch model.
Sounds amazing, right? It certainly does, however, while all is good and well having a display capable of such high resolutions, the limitations of the media we currently use in the home today will prevent us from taking full advantage of the UHD display.
It’s only a matter of time before the average consumer will have access to content created in such high definition, but we don’t expect it to be any time soon.
New Technology 
