10 soaring technologies of 2017 that came in earnest and for a long time

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Every year new technologies appear and existing ones are improved. The life hacker has selected the most promising of them.

Face ID

The fingerprint scanner has become the gold standard and is used in almost all smartphones, even budget ones. But Apple decided to move on and in 2017 introduced its anniversary smartphone with the new Face ID technology. Now, to unlock your iPhone, just look at it. Moreover, if in other smartphones the face recognition function is just an option, then Apple simply abandoned Touch ID in favor of a more advanced technology.

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Face ID is getting so much attention for a reason. To fully implement the idea, Apple had to develop a sensor and camera system called True Depth. The system consists of an infrared camera, an illumination system and a point projector. Together they create a 3D-impression of the face and save it to the phone's memory. The next time the user looks at the phone, True Depth will take a photo of his face, compare it with a mold in memory, and unlock the smartphone.

While the technology has drawbacks that are impossible to ignore, Apple has definitely given a boost to other companies that will develop their Face ID counterparts. Most likely, in the future, face recognition will become the new standard in the smartphone market.

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Blockchain

Blockchain technology is on everyone's lips - largely thanks to the hype around Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. But not everyone understands what it is for. Technical details aside, blockchain is a fast and reliable tool for transferring information. This is primarily about financial transactions in which large amounts of money are involved. Just a few days ago, Sberbank and Alfa-Bank carried out the first interbank transfer using the blockchain.

The use of blockchain is not limited to the financial sphere. Medicine, copyrights, energy, the Internet of Things and many other areas, which are based on the transfer of information, can use blockchain technology to optimize processes.

4K and HDR

More recently, 4K TVs were considered an expensive toy, but 2017 proved that they are not. More and more YouTube videos are coming out in 4K resolution. Netflix is also gradually introducing a new picture format, and the film industry is not lagging behind. With the release of PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, many gamers are thinking about upgrading their technology.

In addition to higher resolution, many 4K TVs support HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, or wide dynamic range. This is important because HDR improves color fidelity and overall image quality. This means that we can see more details on the screen.

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Of course, there is no urgent need to rush headlong to the nearest electronics store. However, many are already showing their interest in promoting a new picture format that will soon oust Full HD from the market.

Frameless smartphones

The main trend of this year. It is worth mentioning that the term "frameless smartphone" is not entirely correct. There is a frame, in some models it is very noticeable. The display format has changed, which is quite natural, because manufacturers could not endlessly increase the size of smartphones.

Apparently, the widescreen display has become the standard for the smartphone market, given that even budget models have become "frameless".

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Quantum communication technologies

Quantum communication is the safest way to transfer information, but at the same time the most expensive one. It's not only about the transfer of text communication, but also about audio and video calls. With the advent of new technologies, you don't have to worry about being tapped.

Unfortunately, due to technological limitations, quantum communication is an exclusively local phenomenon, and we are still far from the global quantum Internet. However, scientists and engineers in some countries work tirelessly in this direction.

Much of the news comes from China, which not only launched a quantum satellite into orbit, but also created the first quantum commercial network. In Austria, a group of specialists from the University of Vienna was able to develop a prototype of a quantum router that solves problems that limit the transmission of information over long distances over fiber-optic communication lines.

It is difficult to predict when the quantum Internet will emerge, but when it does, we will have the most secure information network.

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High-speed transport network

Elon Musk is Tony Stark in the real world. The billionaire and philanthropist of the 21st century is full of ideas and not constrained in funds. While an ambitious Mars colonization project is underway, Musk is working on other ideas. One of them is the Hyperloop supersonic train.

The idea is a network of underground tunnels through which bob-shaped cabins move at high speeds. Sounds crazy. Indeed, while Elon Musk managed to accelerate the train only up to 300 km / h. But the inventor does not lack purposefulness, which means that sooner or later he will be able to build a super-high-speed transport system that will encircle the entire planet.

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Smart speakers

Physical incarnation of smart assistants like Siri and Google Assistant. Last year the smart speaker Google Home came out, and this year - Apple's HomePod. Both companies want to link all smart electronics based on their OS and localize the control center through smart speakers.

Smart speaker Google Home

Echo is another smart speaker, this time from Amazon

Unfortunately, in Russia there is no way to test such devices in action, they are not officially sold. In addition, they still do not know much and are used as an optional addition for a smart home: they can turn on music, tell about the weather or call a taxi.

Other large companies have already joined the development of such speakers, so we are expecting more smart gadgets for the home in the near future.

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A revolution in 3D printing

Until now, 3D printing technology is perceived by most as something fantastic. Nevertheless, 3D printers are used with might and main almost everywhere: in medicine, industry, architecture, in space programs.

The technology is so ambitious that not everyone is still aware of the possibility of printing a pizza or a house, but the fact remains. Only in 2017, the first part for a nuclear power plant, a tibia prosthesis and anti-radiation shields for the ISS were printed. Who knows, maybe in 30 years we will also print people on a 3D printer.

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Environmentally friendly transport

The first thing that comes to mind is Tesla Motors, and for good reason. Elon Musk's company is always well known. In addition, he recently unveiled the brand new Tesla Roadster and the impressive Tesla Semi tractor unit.

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Tesla, like Apple, is driving technology development. It is difficult for us in Russia to judge the prospects for the use of electric cars in the near future. However, some European countries are already planning to switch to electric motors.

Cryptocurrency

If you haven't been in isolation this whole year, then you've probably heard about cryptocurrencies. The world has divided into two camps, as is usually the case. Some see the future in virtual currencies, while others argue that Bitcoin is another financial pyramid. Be that as it may, it cannot be denied that this phenomenon has affected the entire financial market. Many European countries have even installed terminals for exchanging this currency.

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Judging by the reactions of bankers, financial analysts and authorities, it can be assumed that cryptocurrency can create a number of problems for them. It's hard to control, if not impossible. It remains to wait and observe: who knows, perhaps in the future we will see a change in the economic system all over the world.

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