Technology is taking over our lives and 2012 is set to be no different. IT contractors might be interested to hear some of the technology predictions for the year ahead.
Mobile shopping is set to become big business. The Centre for Retail Research has predicted that by 2015, 25% of all online purchases will be made via mobile phone. eBay subsidiary PayPal’s mobile application was used by three times as many people in the US on Cyber Monday this year than last. One person even used their mobile to buy a £70,000 Ferrari from the Internet auction site. IT contractors with skills in mobile retail could find themselves in for a bumper year as more and more companies jump on the online trading bandwagon!
After a slow start, mobile wallets are now becoming a trusted payment method. Using your phone rather than a debit card to pay for purchases or comparing prices by scanning barcodes will soon become mainstream activities as mobile networks step up the battle for new customers.
Google Wallet opened to the American public last summer and the UK will be the first European country to see it later this year.
In third world countries, migrant workers use their mobile phone as a bank account. Currently around $12 billion is sent home by mobile phone money transfer and that is expected to reach $55 billion by 2016.
This year will also see the launch of Apple TV. Its design has been kept closely under wraps but some experts predict it will recognise both voice and hand gestures.
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Image: Is the future here yet? by dmje
