Top 5 tech trends for 2012

1. Touch computing

 

Tablet computers such as the iPad might seem like a nice alternative to desktop and laptop computers, but we believe they're more than that: They are becoming replacements. Just as the command line (remember that?) gave way to graphical user interfaces, so the mouse will be superseded by touchscreens.

 

3. NFC and mobile payments

Near Field Communication (NFC) essentially lets you replace your credit cards with your phone: Wave an NFC-enabled phone near the credit card reader in a store (or taxi cab), and the money is deducted from your account.  By 2013, 1 in 5 cellphones are expected to be NFC-equipped.

 

5. TV Everywhere

So you thought you'd be able to watch all your favorite shows online and get rid of your cable subscription for good? Not so fast!  The cable companies have a cunning plan: They'll let you watch live TV, plus on-demand movies and TV shows, on your connected devices IF you keep your cable subscription. Dish Network, Time Warner and Comcast are among those offering the service.

 

6. Voice control

Here's another trend that's got a moderate chance of taking off in 2012: Voice control (Siri).  

The novelty of Siri on the iPhone 4S -- which allows you to send texts, create reminders, search the Web and much more using just your voice -- may be the start of a new trend in voice controlled devices.

 

5. HTML5

HTML5 lets developers create richer, more interactive applications than ever.  Why does this matter? As developers tire of building applications for every operating system out there -- from Android to iOS to Windows Phone and beyond -- HTML5 offers the opportunity to build an app once and have it work everywhere.

 

In summary, 2012 is all about new ways to interact with our devices through touch and voice control, new lightweight ways to share content, a revolution in mobile payments and a overabundance of rich Web applications -- not to mention the hundreds of new innovations that we've yet to dream up.