2018-2019 look back and ahead at tech buzz, hope, and hype

Who can resist reflection when a year ends and 2019 begins? So much racket, so much of it driven by writers desperate for something to write about – and we’re not talking about the news. Lots of negative tech energy in 2018, including healthcare data breaches, Facebook’s loss of trust, ditto with Google and its much discussed anti-competitive positioning in search. The visibility of Facebook management issues and Google competitive quagmire may actually be good for consumers.  So what was interesting in 2018 that was great news, possibly intriguing or just plain worth noting prior to CES 2019, which will present a cornucopia (or maybe just a plethora) of new tech and tech news? [Warning, more blog posts about CES next week while there].  A few topics that stood out:

• We can hear voice tech with all devices and for all people – especially for seniors. True, we are at the beginning of an adoption curve (hype cycle).  Remember Bladerunner in 1982 – the film demonstrated big innovations that we can now take for granted – electronic billboards, sigh.  But also talking to our devices, cars, headphones, and TVs – useful and even appealing and of surprising (and delightful) benefit for older adults. On the cusp of CES, remember last year’s Google Assistant-Amazon bakeoff, with 56 million smart speakers expected to ship in 2018.  Well, maybe make that 90 million.  A new number will emerge soon – likely higher, given that many people buy more than one of the low-priced Dots or Minis.  Is the experience perfect? Not exactly.  We aren’t always understood, the software may have bugs, or the answer may not be correct.   But as that Voicebot.ai post notes, 2018 really was Phase One.

• Hearing technology got an upgrade and a lower price.  2018 was a big year for disruption in the hearing technology sector following a big change in regulatory terminology at the FDA and a win for consumers who may prefer self-service hearing tests, self-fitting of lower priced hearing aids, and self-service adjustments.  More to come in 2019, including changes in state regulations and seniors with hearing loss AND smartphones can benefit from making adjustments through the phone itself, including smartphone ringer heard with the worn hearing aids. Hearables have brought amplification to headphones and new types of earbuds. Expect to see much more about this from the FDA – and for older adults to hear better at a lower, self-service purchase price.

• The buzz about self-driving cars has faded since early 2018.  Go ahead and search – maybe in 2019, it will start it up again, honing the focus on seniors, now that the closed community of The Villages in Florida is doing a trial. Though perhaps others may be warned by new research. Self-driving cars faced with the moral quandary of who to hit may select the elderly over pets or children. But pending the next accident, the Senate in 2019 will pass a bill to, uh, speed testing up. Yet will people get into this media-hyped, Google-not-so-trusted these-days experiment and ride around without a driver or a backup driver?  How about in snow and ice?  And sleet, freezing rain, hail, drifts, whiteouts?  Shall we sum that as a normal winter?  Color the Canadians skeptical. 

• Virtual becomes a buzzword and MAY be transformative for seniors.  The word ‘Virtual’ has been around for decades in the tech industry. Virtual reality games used special glasses. Then in 2010 along came better glasses and hype overdrive following 2018 CES. Some great experiments were run that could help older adults following the 2017 news about Rendever and senior living testing. Then Brookdale published an article in October 2018 -- but are they really rolling them out? Or just trying to look cool?  What about this McKnight’s article about a VR course? And browse a long list of articles, including VR in dementia care. As with all tech, this may be approaching the Gartner hype cycle 'peak of inflated expectations.' Coverage is light on deployment, and questions remain if this really takes off in senior living in 2019. Consider issues like management of devices from resellers, administration of inventory in senior living, training of staff, step-by-step guide for what works, replacement cycles or charges to residence.  For starters.

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