As 2015 draws to a close, it’s a great time to consider the newest tech trends we’ve seen over the last few months, and look forward to what 2016 has to bring. It’s been an excellent year for technology; from the introduction of the highly-anticipated Apple watch to the surprise rebranding and expansion of Google.
Windows 10
After the disappointment that was Windows 7 and the surprise of Windows 8 being far more tablet-orientated than its predecessors, Microsoft have massively upped their game with Windows 10. Having taken inspiration from the success of their mobile OSs, the new desktop has seen the introduction of some stellar new features, such as robot assistant Cortana, which gets to know your working habits and is connected to the web and document search and currency converter, for quick answers. Landmark Technologies note the excellence of the OS’s built-in security features, which connect users’ accounts across devices to a secure VPN that’s easy to use, safeguarding data from the cloud to the hard drive. Additionally, we see Windows 10 as Microsoft’s first ‘app’ OS, which is easily downloaded and works with the existing infrastructure to bring the desktop up to date.
El Capitan OS X 2015
Opting for a lengthier name than its previous systems, Apple’s newest Mac OS was released to the public at the end of September. Slightly ahead of Windows, this OS was Apple’s second OS to be released via the App Store, following the removal of DVD drives from its hardware, but significantly the first to be released for free. One of the main design changes to this OS is the move to seamless integration with the mobile iOS; following reports that mobile technology use has surpassed desktop use globally, Apple are looking to make the transitions as easy and clean as possible. Like Windows 10, Siri is moving to Macs and natural language use (e.g. “today’s forecast”) has been implemented into the search infrastructure.
Dropbox for Android
For years Dropbox has consistently been the go to cloud storage service for domestic and commercial users alike, with over 400 million users announced this year. Unlike Google Drive and OneDrive, Dropbox caters to the niche OSs including Linux and Blackberry mobile. The Android update – five years in the making – allows users to seamlessly back up data selected data and properly manage offline data that syncs across different platforms. The design has been hugely improved as well, with just four main buttons to navigate your entire collection.