I try to keep up with technology (emphasis on the try). Here are two that I personally think are worth exploring:

1. ARKit and ARCore

Apple’s ARKit is what Project Tango should have been from day one. I’m genuinely impressed at Apple’s implementation of AR and the fluidity of the user experience. ARCore will likely catch up in the next year or two and I expect AR to open new opportunities in the interaction of 3D worlds and objects. Keep an eye for profitable ideas with this technology, especially in the GIS field.

I’m not totally convinced about Microsoft’s take on it with their mixed reality goggles, they seem too “geeky”, just as Google Glass.

2. Alexa / Google Assistant / Siri

We are past the inflection point. I find myself routinely using voice commands to perform certain tasks faster and more easily than using a click or touch interface. Advances in natural language processing and the availability of simple SDKs to implement ever more complex speech interactions is going to add new ways to better the user experience. Siri used to be frustrating to talk to; so did Google Assistant. Lately, not anymore.

Deep learning and blockchain are also two hot topics that might be worth looking. Blockchain is a quite hyped-up because of Bitcoin, Ethereum & Co., and I would advise caution while evaluating it. Deep learning has more concrete applications, but I’m still unsure about its practicality in cases where simpler methods already deliver satisfactory results.