1. Emergence of the Mobile Cloud
Mobile distributed computing paradigm will lead to explosion of new services.
Mobile and cloud computing are converging to create a new platform—one that has the potential to provide unlimited computing resources. Mobile devices are constrained by their memory, processing power, and battery life. But combined with cloud computing, data processing and storage can happen outside of mobile devices. What IDC calls the "Third Platform" will allow for better synchronization of data, improved reliability and scalability, increased ease of integration, anytime-anywhere access to business applications and collaborative services, rich user experiences, and an explosion of new services.
IEEE Computer Society resources: Rock Stars of Mobile Cloud, scheduled for 6 May in Boston, will cover insights into this emerging paradigm shift from leaders in the field.
2. From Internet of Things to Web of Things
Need connectivity, internetworking to link physical and digital.
Going beyond the Internet of Things, where identifiable objects are seamlessly integrated into the information network, the Web of Things takes advantage of mobile devices' and sensors' ability to observe and monitor their environments, increasing the coordination between things in the realworld and their counterparts on the Web. The Web of Things will produce large volumes of data related to the physical world, and intelligent solutions are required to enable connectivity, inter-networking, and relevance between the physical world and the corresponding digital world resources.
IEEE Computer Society resources: A January special issue of IEEE Intelligent Systems explores adaptive solutions to assist in efficient utilization of the Web of Things.
3. From Big Data to Extreme Data
Simpler analytics tools needed to leverage the data deluge.
It's more than the three Vs—volume, velocity, and variety—that make big data such a difficult tiger to tame. It's that the technology world hasn't quite caught up with the need for trained data scientists and the demand for easy-to-use tools that can give industries—from financial and insurance companies to marketing, healthcare, and scientific research organization—the ability to put the data they gather into meaningful perspective. The current era of extreme data requires new paradigms and practices in data management and analytics, and in 2014 the race will be on to establish leaders in the space.
IEEE Computer Society resources: Rock Stars of Big Data will return to the Silicon Valley in fall 2014 to hear from the experts who are unleashing big data's potential. A special issue of Computing in Science and Engineering will explore the challenges of extreme data, and the solutions for accelerating insights and a July/August issue of IEEE Micro will discuss big data's burden on the compute infrastructure.
4. The Revolution Will Be 3D
New tools, techniques bring 3D printing power to masses.
New 3D printing tools and techniques are empowering everyone from global corporations to do-it-yourselfers to create new devices and realize new concepts more quickly, cheaply, and easily than ever—from car parts, batteries, prosthetics, and computer chips to jewelry, clothing, firearms, and even pizza. A future where digital functionality can be "printed into" a physical object will continue to be built on in 2014, driven by new toolkits, services, and platforms and innovative business models and processes, such as online 3D printing bureaus and crowdfunding sites. Digital fabrication is revolutionizing the way that hardware is designed, prototyped, and produced. Advances in additive processes like 3D printing, and subtractive processes like laser cutting have increased the quality, speed, and ease of physical prototyping while simultaneously bringing down costs.
IEEE Computer Society resources: In recognition of 3D printing's growing importance, IEEE Pervasive Computing magazine in July will sponsor a special issue to explore technologies related to all aspects of pervasive printing and fabrication.
5. Supporting New Learning Styles
Online courses demand seamless, ubiquitous approach.
These days, students from all corners of the world can sign up for online classes to study everything from computer science, digital signal processing, and machine learning to European history, psychology, and astronomy–and all for free. As interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) continues to explode, there will be a corresponding need for technology to support these new learning systems and styles. Platforms such as Coursera, with more than 3 million users and 107 partners; and edX, a partnership between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University with 1.7 million users; are hosting classes with thousands of online enrollees each. And although lectures are still the mainstay of MOOCs, the classes require web forums, online meetups, and keystroke loggers to check identities, as well as powerful servers to handle the volumes. MOOCs and other new online classes are creating a demand for learning that is seamless—happening continuously via different technologies; ubiquitous—drawing from pervasive and embedded technologies; and contextual—drawing awareness from location-based and other sensor-based technologies.
IEEE Computer Society resources: In 2014, IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies will be sponsoring a special issue on the topic because, as editors say, the possibilities for developing new learning technologies is now "greater than at any other point in human history."
