Three consumer technology trends to watch in 2014

Top technology trends are not new. They've all been around for years. However, 2014 will see these budding technologies mature and grow beyond anything we could have imagined a few years ago. What they all have in common is that the mobile device is the perfect controller for each technology. So here are the three consumer technology trends Telecom suggests to watch in 2014. They all centre around your smartphone.

1. Wearables are the new frontier

Wearable computing, or wearables, is quickly moving from niche to broader use, led by the growing health and fitness markets.

Everyone is curious about the avalanche of smart watches and wristbands, intelligent glasses (such as Google Glass), e-health patches and other similar devices.

The wearable devices industry will be worth $19 billion by 2018, according to Juniper Research.

Analyst firm Berg Insight estimates the total number of wearables shipped globally in 2012 hit 8.3 million, and predicts they will hit 64 million units by 2017.

Samsung, Sony and Pebble have already launched smart watches and Apple, Google and Microsoft are expected to join the party later this year. really useful.

Soon organisations will be grappling with wear-your-own-devices (WYOD) in the workplace. Companies need to make WYOD an opportunity and assess how their people can use wearables to do new things and increase productivity and efficiency.

2. Connectivity enables smart homes

The "smart home" will move mainstream this year. A lot of consumers are interested in getting these types of systems and services, with Arthur D. Little estimating that smart home revenues will grow by 12 per cent a year until 2020 in Europe.

The smart home has a connected platform that enables its occupants to remotely control and programme an array of automated home electronic devices. These range from home automation (security, comfort and entertainment) and home cloud (management of content and data), through to e-Health services.

Home automation and security is one of the hottest areas right now. This includes home security, energy and utility management (such as smart meters), home automation (alarm systems and devices such as August locks or Nest thermostats), and lighting and entertainment (such as smart TVs).

Smart TVs are big, with more than 60 per cent of US broadband households reporting at least one TV connected to the internet. We are poised to see explosive growth in this area, with global smart TV shipments expected to reach 123 million in 2014.

3. Predictive apps get personal

Many will be using mobile apps to boost productivity and make life easier.

In 2014, we'll see growing use of predictive apps that sense their environment and respond in real-time, anticipate user action and meet user demands in their moment of need. These apps provide you with timely information, even without being directly asked for it.

Air New Zealand's mobile app lets travellers manage their travel itinerary with their smartphone, which acts as a boarding pass at airport kiosks.

Although not a predictive app, another app that's really useful is the Countdown shopping app, which can scan products in the kitchen cupboard and save them into a shopping list.