Top 10 Emerging Trends in 2012

Here are the top 10 emerging trends in technology that will change the way we live and communicate, according to Consumer Electronics Association (CEDIA) and reported by Electronic House.

IPv6

Internet Protocol Version 6 is the next generation protocol for the Internet. It’s intended to provide additional addresses to connect and network. According to top execs at Cisco, with IPv6, there will be enough addresses for every star in the known universe to have 4.8 trillion addresses.

4K

This is the next step up from 1080p high-def, where images have a resolution of 4096 x 2160. Consumers will notice the biggest difference when viewing 4K on a huge screen—80 inches or larger.

Audio Everywhere

The proliferation of Internet music services has made it so convenient to access music … and stream it anywhere in your house. The days of hard, physical media are coming to an end. And the really good news: wireless audio technologies have gotten good enough that consumers no longer must sacrifice quality for convenience.

Cloud Life

Music, data, video … when it can be stored in the cloud, consumers no longer need hard drives at home.

Digital Home Health

Technologies designed to help elderly age gracefully are a boon to the high-tech business, and offer a quick return on investment for consumers

Energy Monitoring

We’ve been talking about and waiting for utility-sponsored energy monitoring programs for years; in the meantime, manufacturers have taken the bull by the horns by developing their own systems that can help homeowners curb their household energy usage.

Gesture And Voice Control

We’re already waving our hands at and talking to our TVs; it makes sense that we’ll be doing the same to control our homes.

Mobile Control and Mobile Connection

When you’re able to operate lights, thermostats, A/V gear and other electronics via a mobile device, home control suddenly becomes a lot more attractive. We’ll continue to see tablets and smartphones being used as primary control devices.

TV Everywhere

Video on TVs, computers, tablets, smartphones … it’s everywhere.

Intuitive Home

The final frontier of home technology are products and systems that adjust, modify and alter the settings of electronics without any interaction from you. This will enable homes to mold themselves automatically to the needs of its occupants.