Eight Incredible Trends and Technologies to Expect in 2016

As we approach 2016, we still have no glasses to let us see the future. But when it comes to the year ahead, we might not need foresight technology to see few of the developing trends.

A lot of next year's technology has its roots in 2015. This year, we have already seen heaps of wearable gadgets freed and Internet-connected appliances, such as the iKettle and the Nest Protect. Here are few of the big tech trends we expect to catch on next year.

Mind-Reading Machines

International Business Machine (IBM), the largest computer company in the world, foretells that by 2016, consumers will be able to control electronics by using brainpower—no passwords needed. Also, it is expected that consumers will have access to gadgets that read their minds letting them move computer cursors and call their family.

3D Printing

Over the next four years, market for low price 3D printers will continue to grow. New uses in industrial applications and bio medics will reduce cost. 3D printing gives students’ endless ability to test and design with hands-on exposure.

Big Data

Big data means the exponential growth and convenience of data, both structured and not. The vision is that organizations will take data from any source, attach relevant data and analyze it. This action will not only reduce cost and time, but will develop new product and smarter decision-making, as well.

 

High Definition CCTV

Expect cameras that record footages in high definition, with some capable of gigapixel resolution!

Sunscreen Pill

By 2016, the sunscreen pill will hit the market, protecting our skin and eyes from UV rays. By reverse engineering, the way coral reefs shield themselves from the sun, scientists are positive about the possibility, much to the dismay of sunblock producers everywhere.

Space Tourism

Space tourism, right now, costs around $20-30 million to take off and chill at the International Space Station, or $200,000 if you want a sub-orbital spaceflight from Virgin Galactic.

But, the market is developing faster than most realize. In five years’ time, companies such as Galactic Suite and Orbital Technologies may realize their company goals, with space tourism packages ranging from $10,000 to $1 million for a five-night stays in a revolving hotel suite.

Sources:

http://www.slideshare.net/AlbertJoseph1/technology-trends-for-2016

http://www.slideshare.net/flowil/the-2015-it-trend-showcase?next_slideshow=1

http://matadornetwork.com/life/24-incredible-new-technologies-youll-see-by-2021/

Photo credits:

inhabitai.com, www.newbeauty.com, www.futuretimeline.net, www.3dprintersmag.com, sourcetech411.com, and datafloq.com 

How Can You Benefit from DOST’s Project NOAH?

Photo credit: noah.dost.gov.ph

During his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2012, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III made a special mention of Project NOAH. He said, this initiative would save families during disastrous events.

Three years had passed since the launching of this groundbreaking project, but many Filipinos are still unaware of it. Well, it’s rainy season once again and we’re starting to hear and read about this project in various media outlets and platforms.

Before the next SONA unfolds and PNoy boasts about Project NOAH for the very last time, it counts that you know something about it.

In case you are not familiar with Project NOAH or know so little about it, it’s time to feed your mind.

What should you know about this high-tech program? Why and how should you use it to save your own life and other people’s lives?

What Is It?

The devastation of powerful typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, and Sendong inspired the creation of Project NOAH—an acronym for Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards.

It is a collaborative project among various governmental agencies and the University of the Philippines but was initiated and launched by the Department of Science and Technology. It has a goal to “promote and integrate advanced science and technology to enhance disaster management and prevention capacity of the Philippine government.”

A web-based project, NOAH expands weather forecasting systems at their very best. It offers early warnings for typhoons and other disasters (e.g., landslides, flooding, etc.) through the use of an IT network. Its official web site includes many features that all offer updated info—from weather outlook, to amount of rainfall, to water level monitoring, and up to 3D mapping of flooded areas.

Well, it’s a “view-one-know-all” thing.

How to Use It

Filipinos and any web user who is concerned about the current situation in the Philippines can just go online and visit the web site, www.noah.dost.gov.ph.

The web site features a hazard map, various sections representing NOAH tools (overview, weather outlook, Doppler, weather stations, flood map, and health), search bar, measuring tools, and map visualization options. It also has newsfeeds and allows flood reporting. The site is so useful for it contains updated details and even real-time updates on many current disaster-related events.

Perks of Using It

During the launching of Project NOAH, PNoy said that Project NOAH aimed at giving people enough time to prepare, especially those living in communities near 18 major river basins.

As the country lies across the typhoon belt and on the so-called “ring of fire,” the project wants all Filipinos to always stay safe. Through this project, the government hopes to achieve zero casualties whenever catastrophes strike.

Latest Must-Have Technologies for Students

Photo credit: mac-fusion.com

One of the best things about modern technological progress is that it eases the way we do our stuff. While all of us benefit from the rapid evolution of technology, students seem to enjoy much more. This is because many technology trends are designed to further students’ education.

Just like science, learning has also evolved so fast. With many resources just around us, it makes learning a good experience. Indeed, learning during this modern age is fun and somewhat a lot easier.

Move over scientific calculators, students now have more tools to respond to the changing demands of schooling.

Study Partners

If you are a student who wants to bolster your technology skills and become better in school, these latest trends will surely help you:

• Mobile Devices

Owning a touchscreen mobile device that run with a modern OS is a must for students. While it seems like a luxury, a smartphone, tablet, or iPad, is now a necessity. It will just require an Internet connection for you to conduct a research on various teacher-given topics. Learners just have to use a mobile device properly, say for schoolwork and not to cheat or disturb the class.

• Laptop

Bringing a portable computer with you is so cool. Just ensure that yours is installed with necessary programs and software apps so you can get the most out of it. With a laptop, students can capture anything—save files and ideas—and remember everything.

• Apps

Have your mobile device installed with various apps that can help you as you pursue your studies. Instead of having online games, you must install apps that contain quizzes, transfer files so fast, download the best cloud, or keep files securely. You may also have apps that solve math problems easily, or offer downloadable educational videos for offline viewing, among many others.

• Thumb drive

This tool, which comes in a variety of names, makes every student ready with all activities. With a handy storage device, you can save files and work on them later anywhere you may go. With it, it seems all your schoolwork also come in handy. You just need to be cautious in using a flash drive: do not expose it to a virus and keep it so others won’t access or steal your files.

Using these tools will help you become better in school. As these trends will not die away so soon, expect that the future generation will enjoy more high-tech innovations. Who knows time will come that students will just need to install a memory chip on their brains to broaden their knowledge.

As science continues to evolve each passing day, you can expect more “best-fit” solutions to meet your academic needs. As a student, you just need to be creative, practice good ethics, and study hard to reach academic success!

Top Religious Mobile Apps for Catholics: Why Do They Exist?

Photo credit: play.google.com

Today, mobile apps seem to have become synonymous with online games. While mobile apps are a great source of fun and entertainment, they are also a useful tool for practically everything— a guide for cooking, access to news and weather advisories, free chat, and many other things that may help you perform activities with ease. These are all the reasons why mobile app usage is currently on the rise.

How about mobile app for religious engagements? Yes, there is such a thing. It’s like having a digital ministry or a church in one’s pocket, right? This is not an untoward act against the church but just a trend that is becoming a hit among Catholic faithful around the world. With these apps, anyone can just strengthen the faith but without a purpose to leave the formal place for worship.

Apps for the Soul

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular and downloadable religious mobile apps for Catholics.

1. Laudate – This is a free “comprehensive” app that runs on iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire and is available in different languages. It has many uses for it serves as a source of Church documents, liturgy of the hours, daily mass readings, new American Bible, stations of the cross, links to various related apps, and podcasts of meditations, among others.

2. The Pope App – Launched by the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church, this free app runs on iOS and Android in 5 major languages. This one allows users to have access to papal-related contents, such as schedule of events, transcripts of speeches of His Holiness, and video clips and live streaming videos of the Pontiff’s addresses.

3. Pocket Catholic – This is a “very lightweight” app that is offered for Android users for free. It allows users to carry with them a searchable list of common Catholic prayers, daily mass readings, and lets users find churches near them based on set GPS location.

There are many other paid and free apps out there. Just pick the ones that fit your certain needs and interests. All these apps exist to help you strengthen your devotion.

Get your smartphone now and bring your Catholic faith into the massive digital world. Who knows there’s someone up there who has also gone mobile and connects with us digitally?

For your comments or suggestions, feel free to write it in the comments section below.

Best Photo Apps for IOS and Android Phones

Photo credit: techlomedia.in

One clear thing, taking pictures with a phone is a trend now. Call it smartphone photography or iPhoneography (because you’re using iPhone), you can point-and-shoot on interesting things.

Easy, isn’t it? But here’s a more interesting thing for your Android or IOS phone. You can use these different photo apps to enhance your images.

ProCamera 8

Many iPhone users can gain a more control on images with ProCamera 8. It has full-manual exposure control, adjustable shooting grids, an innovative high dynamic range, and image stabilizer. The apps even offer a set of editing tools for your images. What’s more, you can adjust the quality and size of your photos. Other than JPEG, you can save your pictures in TIFF format for high quality printing.  

Camera+

Camera+ is a camera and a photo editing app. It has a range of advance settings and tools to enhance your images. Have more control on exposure, color, and sharpness. Work with a variety of filters, touch-focus adjustments, 6x digital zoom, and a timer.

Hipstamatic

If you want a novel and timeless photo effects, Hipstamatic is a good choice. This photo app has different vintage and modern films, lenses, and flash. Using the combos can give you stunning images in a variety of style.

Oggl

It is an app by Hipstamatic, but it offers more flexibility. You can mix and match its filters before taking a picture. You can even change the film and lens setting after you have taken the photo.

VSCO Cam

This popular camera and photo-editing app has packed of filters and tools for your photos. It offers soft and slightly faded look features. You can adjust the exposure, color, and sharpness via this app.

Filterstorm Neue

The app has masking brush, curve tools, radial, and linear gradient filters. These features take your photos to higher level.

TouchRetouch

The app can get rid of unwanted things from your photo. Simply point or highlight the objects you want to remove. It has clone tool if you want to duplicate an object.

Google Camera

If you want simple interface for your android phones, Google Camera is a good one. What’s more, behind this simplicity are amazing functions for your snaps. Use its lens blur, panorama, and HDR+ to create great photos.

Snapseed

Google’s own photo editor, Snapseed, has been around to tweak photos taken by android phones. The app has basic filters and frames that allow you to check and adjust your photo. Crop, size, and rotate the image. You can even control its contrast, color saturation, brightness, and white balance. With its selective adjustment tool, you can select and adjust parts of the photo.

Instagram

Instagram has ramped up the popularity of mobile photography. Apart from being a photo-sharing app, it has editing filters and tools. You can even share your photos to Facebook, Twitter, and many more.

Top Cellphone Models to Lure People This 2015

Photo credit: samsung.com

Rapid growth in modern technology is a proof that the world really goes high-tech each day. Apparently, people can’t help but to wait for the latest trends that keep on coming and affect daily living.

In recent times, cellphone has become one of the necessities that help humans fulfill activities or even survive a day. But using this gadget always comes with a surprise. This is because tech firms selling electronic products strive to improve the current models. Further, phone brands seem like mushrooms that continue to exist and come out to meet the growing demand of people. As a result, both aficionados and regular Joes are all left waiting for new products and shocked upon seeing their specs.

Are you one of the many techy people who are eager to see the latest phone models this 2015?

Latest Models

There is a stiff race among electronics companies and phone makers. In a pursuit to dominate the market, these firms launch new phones at least once each year.

Here’s a list of what you can expect to see now or in the coming weeks or months:

• Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

These models were unveiled on March 1st and are set to be released on selected countries on April 10th. These sister phones have many similar specs with only a bit difference on battery, weight, and color of unit. Both do not have memory card slot.

• HTC One M9

This third-generation One model has similarities with One M8 but it features a much narrower and thicker frame. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and boasts its 20-megapixel rear camera.

While these two manufacturers announced the phone’s official release in the market, some others remain mum leaving aficionados speculating about their latest offers.

Below are other phone models we all expect to see before 2015 ends:

• Microsoft Lumia 940
• Apple’s iPhone 6S / 7
• Sony Xperia Z4
• LG G4
• Samsung Galaxy A7
• Nexus 7
• Huawei Ascend P8
• Asus ZenFone 2
• Google “Project Ara”
• Moto X+2
• Xiaomi Mi Note

Which one attracts you the most? Which one best suits your lifestyle?

(Note: The writer does not aim to preempt any impending release of these phone models nor promote these brands. The second list is a consolidation of predictions and rumors among phone fanatics across the Net, thus, these may or may not be released in the market and the name model may change.)

Going Modern? Innovative Technologies to Watch out for This 2015

Photo credit: Oculus.com

Time flies so fast and so does technology. Modern discoveries surprise us each day. What we have today becomes obsolete the next day. Truly, modern trends continue to change, shock us, and affect our daily living. What does the future hold for us? Are we ready for a high-tech earth?

People are on a quest to make living convenient and easy. This endless pursuit prompts us to look ahead and wait for brilliant ideas find lifestyle-changing solutions.

If you are “techy” person who has passion for the latest finds and innovation and planning to get them for your convenience, for sure your mind is hungry to know the most innovative things this 2015.

Read this article to feed your hungry mind.

Current Breakthroughs

• Virtual reality headsets for 3D gaming – Oculus VR is up for “an effort to revolutionize the way people experience interactive content.”  Its Rift, which can allow 3D game players step into the virtual world, is expected to be launched in 2015.

• Sleep tracking device – Pioneered by a 23-year old British entrepreneur James Proud, this device called “Sense” will make use of a tennis ball-sized sphere and an app to gather details of one’s sleep. Incredible, right?

• 3D-printed electric car – This car, with model name Strati, is the first and one of its kind. It can be built in 24 hours. This is for a fact that it has only 49 parts.

• Long-lasting LED light - Jake Dyson Products worked to transform the light bulb we used to know. The firm will soon launch an LED light that can perform up to 40 years. Yes, that’s the life span!

• Powered bike wheel – This is yet a new feature we all want to experience. Copenhagen Wheel has a wheel that can study the way how one’s feet move—it can capture the energy from braking. What else? It can be retrofitted to almost any type of bike.

• Neural computer – This chip, which was named SyNAPSE, was developed by no less than IBM and was launched in August 2014. What’s hot about this one is that it is modeled on biological brains and can imitate their neural networks. It is expected to gain huge following in 2015.

These are just few of the many amazing discoveries that will come along our way. Let’s just hope that these things will really make living easy, happy, comfortable, and safe.

Enjoy the perks of science. Go modern now!

[Source: The Guardian.com ]