Madison Genthry 
With the world cascading quickly into a digital era, the tech industry is working at maximum capacity to ensure that we are equipped with the appropriate tools, services, processes, and innovations to move smoothly into the new world. A world centred around digital devices and intangible storage systems also requires more regulation to maintain control over ventures into the unknown, but within the existing frameworks, legislations, and laws, there are new developments from the tech industry entering the world each day.
We are already into March in a new year that is ticking along very quickly. However, there are developments within the tech sector to keep an eye on throughout the year.
Self-Driving Cars
2025 could finally mark the official breakthrough for autonomous driving. The technology for self-driving cars has been in the workings since the 1980’s, but due to a lack of tech available to forward these ideas, the idea remained a pipedream. That was until he 2000’s, when companies were finally armed with the appropriate technology and software to make this concept a reality.
Due to the whole idea of cars driving themselves, there were obviously major concerns over safety. However, companies such as Google with their “Project Chauffeur,” Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo began accelerating their designs and tests, with Google operating the first driverless ride on public roads in 2015. Naturally, designers and engineers worst fears were confirmed when five minor incidents were reported from a test in Silicon Valley, a relatively quiet suburb when it comes to road traffic. While five might seem a small number, it is five too many.
But if we fast forward to the present day, nearly a decade since those initial tests were carried out by Google, the autonomous driving sector is making significant progress with the United Kingdom reporting that they could see self-driving cars on motorways by the end of 2026. However, many experts predict that 2035 is a more realistic timeframe to perfect the technology involved and build the trust in this life-changing innovation. The rapid advancements are also an indication of the greater tools at the disposal of designers, engineers, and technicians. Whether it is the end of 2026 or 2035, it might not be long before we are being chauffeured around.
iGaming
One word that has so many avenues. iGaming is an umbrella term that incorporates some rapidly growing options in the entertainment industry. Amongst those, online sports betting, online casinos, and Esports feature under that umbrella. Each avenue is a beneficiary of the digital revolution and the shift to a more online world, and as with autonomous driving, the tech is there is support each of these options.
The story of online casinos in particularly is a remarkable one. Casinos in a digital format have existed since the early 1990’s, but due to the popularity of physical casinos and slow maturing of technological and computer science capabilities, online casinos did not appeal to casino enthusiasts around the world. The buzz and electricity of live, in-person action was too alluring. But that all changed with the recent pandemic. Suddenly, people worldwide were confined to their homes, forced to adapt their lifestyles. This is the point online casinos began to roll the dice.
The surge in online casino activity brought this format of game play into the limelight and since then, the figures representing revenue and the number of users globally have been on the rise. The test for the online casino industry came when physical casinos reopened. But the numbers continued to increase. Many countries around the world are now looking to introduce legislation to approve online casinos in their jurisdiction.
The accessibility to the rest of the world provided by enhanced connectivity makes creating a legal and secure framework for online casinos extremely appealing for emerging, international markets. Alternative EU casinos that accept UK players is an example of how the industry can transcend boundaries and take full advantage of the digital capabilities afforded to online casino websites and game developers alike. With the world moving in one, digital direction, it might not be long before online casinos catch up with and rival their physical embodiments.
The Future of Fitness
Much like with casino play, we have been accustomed to a manual approach when it comes to working out and exercising. Dealers in casinos deal cards manually, but whether it is setting the weight limit for a machine, taking instructions from a personal trainer, or creating workout plans and sessions, we have been used to doing that heavy lifting, as well as the actual lifting in the gym. However, the greater automation that tech is bringing into our lives is bringing a smarter, tech-induced, tailored approach to workouts in the gym.
Founded in Denver, Colorado, eGym is one of the companies that is taking workouts into a digitalised era. From one simple wristband, the eGym system acts as a personal assistant that creates personalised workouts suited to your needs and objectives. Whether that is conditioning, building muscle, and for whichever body part, the system monitors and adapts your exercises and tracks your progress. However, the wristband that talks to the eGym system is just one part of the tech injection.
While the wristband initially talks to the system, it also communicates with machines around the gym that can automatically adjust the seating, reach, and weight settings to whatever is required. This saves any effort remembering what seat height is required, what weight you reached last session, or how many reps or sets you need to do. In performing all this for you, the machine can align itself to your personal shape and goals, targeting the exact muscle group and streamlining the workout further for quicker and better results. The future of fitness is here with the tech already being utilised in more gyms across the world. Despite all the automation, there is no substitute for the actual hard graft. The system cannot perform that for you.
