2016 with TNIE

Technology: A slow start, an explosive middle and a quiet end to 2016

This was a year of mixed fortunes for the tech industry with more focus on apps and cloud platforms while new Smartphone’s models being introduced to the market saw refinement in existing concepts. According to Gartner, The information Technology industry has seen 0.3 % decrease in IT spending world wide showing that the tech industry was going into hibernation after an interesting start to a year of Innovation.Here is a peep into the year in Technology.
Technology: A slow start, an explosive middle and a quiet end to 2016
Online Desk
Updated on: 
2 min read
This was a year of mixed fortunes for the tech industry with more focus on apps and cloud platforms while new smartphone models being introduced to the market saw refinement in existing concepts. According to technology research firm Gartner, The information Technology industry has seen a 0.3 % decrease in IT spending worldwide, which indicates that the tech industry was going into hibernation after an interesting start to a year of Innovation. Here is a peep into the year in Technology.
This was a year of mixed fortunes for the tech industry with more focus on apps and cloud platforms while new smartphone models being introduced to the market saw refinement in existing concepts. According to technology research firm Gartner, The information Technology industry has seen a 0.3 % decrease in IT spending worldwide, which indicates that the tech industry was going into hibernation after an interesting start to a year of Innovation. Here is a peep into the year in Technology.
September 7,2016: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 plus The iPhone 7 was the most anticipated Apple product expected this year and going by predictions, Apple revamped the iPhone 7 and 7 plus with enhanced camera, audio and video features that most consumers looking for from a premium phone want.
September 7,2016: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 plus The iPhone 7 was the most anticipated Apple product expected this year and going by predictions, Apple revamped the iPhone 7 and 7 plus with enhanced camera, audio and video features that most consumers looking for from a premium phone want.
October 20, 2016: Google Pixel X and XL: After the google nexus series where Google had tied up with mobile phone manufacturers to bring out purist Android Experience through nexus phones and tablets, the pixel XL and XL+ were fielded to take on the Iphone7 and Iphone 7 plus as well as a way of revitalising the ‘Pixel’ line of products.
October 20, 2016: Google Pixel X and XL: After the google nexus series where Google had tied up with mobile phone manufacturers to bring out purist Android Experience through nexus phones and tablets, the pixel XL and XL+ were fielded to take on the Iphone7 and Iphone 7 plus as well as a way of revitalising the ‘Pixel’ line of products.
October 26,2016: Microsoft Surface Studio After the surface tablet pro, this was one obvious giveaway that this multimedia powerhouse with its 4.5K UltraHD PixelSense screen and innovative jog dial have left both graphic designers and multimedia professionals drooling over this device which was set to compete with Apple's iMac in specs and colour rendition.
October 26,2016: Microsoft Surface Studio After the surface tablet pro, this was one obvious giveaway that this multimedia powerhouse with its 4.5K UltraHD PixelSense screen and innovative jog dial have left both graphic designers and multimedia professionals drooling over this device which was set to compete with Apple's iMac in specs and colour rendition.
Augmented Reality Apps: 2016 saw augmented reality apps come to the fore after spending a few years in a dormant state, with the launch of Pokemon Go –an augmented reality game that made use of your surroundings to immerse you into the imaginary world of Pokemon. More augmented reality apps made use of location tracking and innovative placement of services in real places, as a means to promote their businesses since then.
Augmented Reality Apps: 2016 saw augmented reality apps come to the fore after spending a few years in a dormant state, with the launch of Pokemon Go –an augmented reality game that made use of your surroundings to immerse you into the imaginary world of Pokemon. More augmented reality apps made use of location tracking and innovative placement of services in real places, as a means to promote their businesses since then.
Apple writes epitaph for headphone jack: Surprise Surprise! After more than 2 decades of it becoming the norm in every electronic device with audio output, the 3.5 mm audio headphone jack disappeared with the launch of the Iphone 7 Plus. Apple’s latest phone comes with wireless headphones. It’s in keeping with Apple’s minimalistic approach.
Apple writes epitaph for headphone jack: Surprise Surprise! After more than 2 decades of it becoming the norm in every electronic device with audio output, the 3.5 mm audio headphone jack disappeared with the launch of the Iphone 7 Plus. Apple’s latest phone comes with wireless headphones. It’s in keeping with Apple’s minimalistic approach.
IRIS scanner on Galaxy Note 7: This feature was to bring about more secure biometric facial recognition and encryption to smart phones, which eventually fizzled out with reports of some Note 7 phones exploding or catching fire.
IRIS scanner on Galaxy Note 7: This feature was to bring about more secure biometric facial recognition and encryption to smart phones, which eventually fizzled out with reports of some Note 7 phones exploding or catching fire.
February 2016 Freedom 251: Freedom 251 was a smartphone which had lot of hype around its launch — a smartphone for the price of a small pizza hit the bullseye, as people hurried to book these devices. Sadly the website became unresponsive, possibly due to the heavy traffic. After some legal wrangling, the product and its promise vanished into oblivion, with some cutomers refunded and some orders being delivered. The parent company ringing bells then launched a low cost TV, but there has been no buzz about it.
February 2016 Freedom 251: Freedom 251 was a smartphone which had lot of hype around its launch — a smartphone for the price of a small pizza hit the bullseye, as people hurried to book these devices. Sadly the website became unresponsive, possibly due to the heavy traffic. After some legal wrangling, the product and its promise vanished into oblivion, with some cutomers refunded and some orders being delivered. The parent company ringing bells then launched a low cost TV, but there has been no buzz about it.
May 7, 2016 Tesla Autopilot crash: With the death of a Tesla car driver this year, it brought to the fore the need for better Artificial Intelligence. It was found that the autopilot was not able to distinguish between the sky and a vehicle in front.
May 7, 2016 Tesla Autopilot crash: With the death of a Tesla car driver this year, it brought to the fore the need for better Artificial Intelligence. It was found that the autopilot was not able to distinguish between the sky and a vehicle in front.
September 1, 2016: ‘Jio Mere Laal’ Reliance Jio (4G LTE) and their plans seem too good to be true, but besides getting a lot of customers wooed with its introductory plans, it also drew the ire of fellow telecos who said they couldn’t facilitate more interconnect points. However, over more interconnect points have been added to prevent call drops, after TRAI reiterated that telecos would face heavy penalties for call drops and deficiency of services.
September 1, 2016: ‘Jio Mere Laal’ Reliance Jio (4G LTE) and their plans seem too good to be true, but besides getting a lot of customers wooed with its introductory plans, it also drew the ire of fellow telecos who said they couldn’t facilitate more interconnect points. However, over more interconnect points have been added to prevent call drops, after TRAI reiterated that telecos would face heavy penalties for call drops and deficiency of services.
October 1st week: Indian ATM Card hacks October saw a massive hacking with over 32 lakh ATM and debit card details becoming vulnerable. It allowed customers’ details to be lapped up by hackers abroad, who used the cards for shopping and other activities. Most banks blocked suspicious transactions as well as the cards, but also highlighted the need for banks to increase the level of cyber security.
October 1st week: Indian ATM Card hacks October saw a massive hacking with over 32 lakh ATM and debit card details becoming vulnerable. It allowed customers’ details to be lapped up by hackers abroad, who used the cards for shopping and other activities. Most banks blocked suspicious transactions as well as the cards, but also highlighted the need for banks to increase the level of cyber security.
December 2016: Legion storms the Twitterverse Twitterati like Vijay Mallaya, Rahul Gandhi, Barkha dutt and Ravish Kumar were at the receiving end of hacking . Worst hit of the lot probably was Rahul Gandhi, who faced jibes regarding the Gandhi family, Congress party and more. Legion, the hacker group, later said they had got details that could cause chaos across India. The year was not a good one for computer security, as it saw an increase of 35% use of ransomware, along with loss of public records and intellectual property, according to Symantec Internet Security threat report.
December 2016: Legion storms the Twitterverse Twitterati like Vijay Mallaya, Rahul Gandhi, Barkha dutt and Ravish Kumar were at the receiving end of hacking . Worst hit of the lot probably was Rahul Gandhi, who faced jibes regarding the Gandhi family, Congress party and more. Legion, the hacker group, later said they had got details that could cause chaos across India. The year was not a good one for computer security, as it saw an increase of 35% use of ransomware, along with loss of public records and intellectual property, according to Symantec Internet Security threat report.
MIT Technology review had picked out a few trends from 2016 which stood out and are likely to be a a beacon for future technology conquests, here are a few.
MIT Technology review had picked out a few trends from 2016 which stood out and are likely to be a a beacon for future technology conquests, here are a few.
Self Driving Cars: With Google’s self-driving cars and Tesla’s autopilot coming to fruition in 2016, these technologies — though in its nascent stages — are evolving rapidly with self-learning AI and sensor technology, which lessens the need for human intervention in driving. But with the death of a driver in a Tesla vehicle on auto-pilot mode,It forced the electric car-maker to update the software to advanced levels.
Self Driving Cars: With Google’s self-driving cars and Tesla’s autopilot coming to fruition in 2016, these technologies — though in its nascent stages — are evolving rapidly with self-learning AI and sensor technology, which lessens the need for human intervention in driving. But with the death of a driver in a Tesla vehicle on auto-pilot mode,It forced the electric car-maker to update the software to advanced levels.
Reusable rockets: Among growing trends for the future is one among those announced by MIT Technology Review — reusable rockets, pegged on the lines of SpaceX rockets, as an economic and environment-friendly concept.
Reusable rockets: Among growing trends for the future is one among those announced by MIT Technology Review — reusable rockets, pegged on the lines of SpaceX rockets, as an economic and environment-friendly concept.
December 22,2016: France inaugurates world’s first “solar highway”, a road paved with solar panels providing enough energy to power street lights of the small Normandy town of Tourouvre.(Wattway by Colas website)
December 22,2016: France inaugurates world’s first “solar highway”, a road paved with solar panels providing enough energy to power street lights of the small Normandy town of Tourouvre.(Wattway by Colas website)

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