My Prediction for 2015

Here is my prediction of what will be big (or begin to be big) in 2015

1. Haptic Feedback

What: Feedback from devices to the human. Common example right now is the little vibration you feel when you type on your phone screen. Another example is a video game control with vibration feedback. A recent experience with my Nintendo Wii remote vibrating every time the cursor passes a character as I am typing.

Why: Feedback from device to human encourages interaction and make it much more user friendly.

Current State: Currently in video games, phones, watches.

What to Expect in 2015: Improve the feedback feeling (smaller, more types of feelings) and on applications (messaging, ...)

2. Virtual Reality Goggles

http://www.virtualrealityreviewer.com/experience-paul-mccartney-live-concert-vr/

What: Ocular virtual reality goggles and others

Why: Teleport people to places they never can be. Make existing media (movie) more interesting and entice people to buy & watch again. A win for the studios (entire existing library can be monetized), device maker, and consumer.

Current State:

What to Expect in 2015: Creation of more content (need equipment to record at 4K, 360), licensing the right to record (sporting events, music events), streaming technology (instaneously stream a live event to millions of people).

3. 3-D Printing

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20130524-high-school-student-designs-3d-printable-finger-splints-for-developing-countries.html

What: Create an object in 3-D and manufacture it at home on a 3-D printer.

Why: Anything that you need to custom make that is not sold in stores - a custom medical cast for your jammed finger, a custom plastic leg for your sound bar (broke or need custom height), a new toy for your bored kids.

Current State: Currently available and can print simple structures but cannot withstand 1.2KPI of static pressure.

What to Expect in 2015: More intricate, stronger, cheaper, & faster 3-D printers.

4. Laptops (Ultra) Will See A Re-Birth With Touch

Bezel on Apple Mac Air is big & ugly! Needs to support touch screen, too.

What: Tablets (and Netbooks) have been growing at the expense of laptops... tablets have touch screens, are easy to carry around, is a fun and novel way of performing tasks that was done on the heavier/bulkier/touch-screen-less laptops

Why: Tablets are great OUTPUT devices and occasional INPUT devices.  Booming social media only needs occasional INPUT. Hence tablet boom.

Current State: We are at the inflection point where touch-thin-ultra-books take the best of laptops (easy to use keyboard, local storage) and combine with the best of tablet (light, touchscreen, long battery life)

What to Expect in 2015: More intricate, stronger, cheaper, & faster 3-D printers.