Tech Predictions for 2013

Expect more tablets, smarter TVs
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 2, 2013 11:54 AM CST
Tech Predictions for 2013
Microsoft Corp.'s Surface tablet computer is displayed at Hollywood's Milk Studios in Los Angeles. Expect tablets to continue their ascendancy.   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

Veteran tech writer Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal looks ahead to 2013 and thinks we'll be controlling more of our everyday devices (thermostats, appliances, etc.) wirelessly through apps. We're heading toward a world of "Internet-controlled everything." Other forecasts:

  • Tablets: The market is only going to get bigger, with more people buying them to replace laptops and e-readers. Microsoft's Windows 8, a hybrid of sorts between a tablet experience and that of a regular PC, hopes to reverse the trend, but it's too early to tell whether it can make a dent.

  • Smart TV: This might just be a breakthrough year for easy-to-use TVs that integrate seamlessly with the Internet for streaming and apps. One strong contender: Apple's long-rumored TV could hit the market.
  • Cheaper smartphones: Mossberg expects to see prices drop for both the phones (especially Androids) and their monthly data plans. A company called Republic Wireless, for example, has a $19 plan that makes calls via WiFi instead of carrier networks when possible. Expect more such innovation.
Click for the full list, which includes better (and thus pricier) music players and fitness monitors. (More technology stories.)

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