The big tech trends for 04 by Stuart Miles, founder of Pocket-lint.com

With CES and MWC now behind us we are able to clearly see what the big trends for 2014 are shaping up to be. As you would expect, the consumer electronics industry is always moving forward, always looking for bigger and better things, albeit normally on smaller and more powerful devices.

Take wearables for example. It is a category that will dominate and distract electronics firms for years to come as everyone moves to work out what to do, what to launch, and what works.

It is going to be tough, not only because manufacturers have to work out what we want, but how they will work too, while all the time constantly looking to see what Apple will do in the space; for the record it hasnt said anything yet.

So far the wearables category has focused around devices you put on your wrist or contraptions you put on your head.

Google Glass, the poster child of it all, is expected to launch later this year, while a number of companies from Sony to LG to Nike to Polar, have already announced or launched fitness bands that are keen to tell you just how far youve walked.

Then there are the smart watches allowing you to do everything from seeing who is calling you to taking a picture and even smart socks and necklaces, if you are keen to put your wearable tech somewhere else.

But it is not just devices that we clip on to ourselves that are getting connected. The internet of things is starting to take off too. No longer is it just your phone, tablet, or laptop that is connected to the internet, but your heating, your fridge, your lights, your music, and much more.

To show the extent of where this is all going, at CES one company showed off a smart basketball that measured your shots as you took them, while at MWC, another company touted a Bluetooth enabled toothbrush that was able to tell your dentist if you arent cleaning your teeth properly.

But it is not just about connecting everything together. Watching television in 4K is still in its early days, but the format, which as the name suggests has four times the resolution of Full HD is gaining momentum with manufacturers making 4K televisions, and content creators like Amazon and Netflix promising to make all new content in 4k. Expect in a year or so to be watching 4K content in your home.

Of course as with all trends, you normally find the biggest trend hasnt yet reared its head yet. Will it be something social, something new and exciting, or just more of the same, the great thing either way is that well get to play with lots of cool stuff along the way. 2014 is bound to be just as exciting as 2013, and look what that brought us; Xbox One, PS4, drones, smart TVs, and much more.

This blog was written especially for YouView by Stuart Miles founder of Pocket-lint.com, a website offering the latest electronic product reviews, including news on gadgets, digital cameras, home cinema, audio, car and mobile phone.

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