Four techy products to watch out for in 2016

Ladies and gentlemen, this is 2016 – as if you do not know that already – the year we expect technology world to go a bit baloney for the right reasons. Some big tech products are expected to hit the market and shape the world and the way we do things, literally

As much as 2015 gifted us with nifty inventions such as Tesla Powerwall, Microsoft Surface Book and Apple Watch, 2016 has an outlook that should dwarf 2015.

With expected launches of virtual reality, robotic and drone products, as well as massive shifts in smartphones space, you can be sure of massive competitions among the big players.

So, let us discuss a few of these products that we hope to see come to life this year.

Ara is a wonder!
Google is fast becoming the Big Brother of the tech world, with its eyes everywhere. And I love that! With Project Ara, Google will make you not only customise the programmes on your smartphones, You will be given the power to even customise the hardware too.

With a modular platform, you can pick the camera you want for your phone rather than picking your phone for the camera. You can have a sensor to test if water is clean. You can have a battery that lasts for days; an awesome speaker; a gamer phone. And Ara can also be your car key. Simply put, Ara is a wonder phone that does more than a phone.

You can upgrade different parts of your phone when you need to. Replace a broken display. Save up for a high-end camera. Share a module with your family, or swap one with your friends. Now you don’t have to throw your phone away every few years.

In short, Ara lets you make thoughtful choices and tell your story through your device.

And Google named this awesome piece of machine after the lead mechanical engineer at Google. His name is Ara!

Here comes your delivery on Starship…
While some tech companies are busy putting final touches to their plans of using drones for the delivery of goods, Starship robots are ready to hit the ground running. Literally!

By introducing smart, friendly robots that travel the sidewalks, Starship started by co-founders of Skype is aiming to ultimately make the delivery of goods seamless and almost free.

The six-wheeled electric robot has a locked compartment in which it can carry and can travel on sidewalks to deliver cargo within a 3 mile radius.

Starship robot uses cameras, sensors and maps to navigate autonomously 99% of the time and will launch the first “pilot” services with partners in the U.S. and U.K. in 2016.

Starship’s robots can drive intelligently on the sidewalks at pedestrian speeds. They know their location and can navigate their way through an area with perfect precision all whilst seamlessly merging with pedestrian traffic. The robots can detect obstacles, adjust speed or stop and safely cross the streets.

See through, see true with HoloLens
I was so psyched about Microsoft Surface Book. But HoloLens just knocked me unconscious. Not really. It is one piece of invention is patiently waiting for.

In the review of the of tech products that rocked 2015, I glorified Oculus. But Microsoft HoloLens – which reminds me of Kevin Bacon in the Hollow Man – is one gadget that connects the future to the present.

HoloLens brings ideas to life. It is the first fully cordless, holographic computer, enabling high-definition holograms to integrate with your world.

There isn’t a screen to touch or a mouse to click. Create and shape holograms with gestures. Communicate with apps using your voice. Navigate with a glance. Microsoft HoloLens understands your gestures, gaze, and voice, enabling you to interact in the most natural way possible. I dare say HoloLens will understand you! An early version of HoloLens will be available to developers in 2016 for $3,000.

Surface Hub is hot
Whiteboard markers may soon join chalks in the dustbin of history, at least in some corporate boardrooms.

2016 will see the launch of Microsoft Surface Hub, a gigantic multi-touch display that uses digital ink technology.

With supports for custom version of Skype, OneNote and Microsoft Office software Surface Hub which comes in two sizes — 55-inch screen and 84-inch screen — will make workplace meetings less of a borefest.

The gadget will also come with wireless keyboards and special pens.

But there is a massive snag though.

The 55-inch model will sell for $8,999 and the 84-inch model will sell for $21,999 when they go on sale in the first quarter of 2016.