Recap: Technology Inventions and Transformations During 2016

Through the years, we have witnessed technology grow like a child maturing into adulthood. We’ve seen technology fail, and we’ve seen it prosper. We’ve stabbed fun at it when it doesn’t make sense, and we’ve commended it when it’s absolutely brilliant. We must say that technology is transforming almost every field of human with each passing day.

Every year new innovations and transformations are introduced. Some become successful and some aren’t up to the mark. Each year has its own hits and failures.

Now that 2016 is towards it’s end Mobile World Live in their traditional annual review, looks back at an action-packed 12 months.

Recap: Technology Inventions and Transformations During 2016

The Top 5 exciting and game changing stories in technology during 2016 reviewed by Mobile World Live are as follow:

5.  Rise of the Robots:

The leading companies in tech, specifically Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, spent their 2016 hyping up something a little more intellectual: their current pursuits to build a “general artificial intelligence,” and all the extra smarts they’re adding to the product while they’re at it.

Also Read: iPhone gets into wearable devices with Artificial Intelligence

AI could emerge as the one of the biggest game changer in the coming times. Though there are some ethical challenges for AI to overcome first to become a mainstream.

4. IoT Tech Wars: 

The competition in the IoT platform space is just kicking off. As IoT progresses in the enterprise, we are probable to see new platforms arise and some of the current leaders lose power. Unlike the web, cloud, and mobile forerunners, many pertinent enterprise software executives have jumped in the race very early and are motivating innovation at an agitated pace. Its a race between the operators and the licenses carriers. Innovations like connected cars and smart cities are such examples. The next few years assure to be an exhilarating time for the IoT platform space.

3. Media Megadeals:

Mobile World Live also highlighted the trend for US Mobile operators trying to turn themselves into giant media companies. It has been witnessed that AT&T wants to acquire Time Warner for $85B. Its one of the biggest telecom media acquisition. And at the same time Verizon wants to buy Yahoo’s core asset for $5B.

This is imitating a trend in the United States where top operators want to push into the media and entertainment industry. They want to expand because they believe that their core business is not really driving growth. Though these deals haven’t been confirmed yet as they have to face examination from the government. So we will have to wait for 2017 to see if these deals will be fruitful or not.

2. Network Shakeout:

The rise of China’s Huawei has been an incredible success story. But its coming at a price especially to western rivals and in particular Ericsson which this year felt the full force of market transformation. 2016 has been a hard year for Ericsson. Ericsson had to dismiss thousands of its workers this year due to a still market for its products. It’s long term CEO Hans Vestberg also stepped down this year. So it’s not sure what 2017 will bring for Ericsson as its rivals might take the lead. Now Borje Ekholm the new chief has a big job on his head to turn it all around.

1. Boom:

2016 witnessed mobile megadeals, intelligent machines, tech wars and network nightmares. But the story that made the biggest bang was the flagship device that literally exploded, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

In the beginning it received appreciation. But later on news about the phone exploding left the company in shock. After this issue Samsung ended production of the crisis-ridden Galaxy Note 7. The big question for next year is that how Samsung can get its reliability back. For that we will have to wait for 2017.

Here is a video of the review:

As 2016 is towards its end so the above changes and developments can be observed in 2017. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.