For many, 2014 was a rough year. With political events as dangerous and diverse to the rekindling of conflict within the Middle East, to social unrest within the United States, to high-profiles leaks of important information in tech companies like Sony, it has been hard to keep up with the modern-day dangers. However, the beauty of technology is that it can make people’s lives better and find new ways to help those who previously may not have been able to help themselves. The following are some of the ways that tech will point people toward a brighter future in 2015.
Medical technology
Recent new developments in medical technology could help those who are recovering from illness suffer a little less than they used to. The highly praised Google spoon allows those who suffer from Parkinson’s and other tremor-causing diseases to feed themselves and perform household tasks they could not have previously thanks to built-in accelerometers that detect and work against slight shakes. This tool allows those who work with them to feed themselves, which can greatly increase their quality of life.
Ostomi-i Alert, a new Bluetooth technology, helps those who are using ostomy bags to remotely access their devices, allowing them to prevent many of the daily indignities associated with using such a tool while in recovery. There are many other types of advances like this coming out in the upcoming year. This, combined with the above listing, showcases the ways in which technology is being used to help and heal in the upcoming year.
New initiatives
Recently, Intel invested $300 million dollars in improving the diversity of its workforce, according to PC Magazine. It wants to achieve a full representation of women and underrepresented minorities by 2020 in its engineering and computer science positions. This may be the beginning of a diversity renaissance within the tech industry, which has historically had a problem with the issues of gender and race bias within its hiring processes. Thanks to the effort of Intel as a standard-bearer in the war against bigotry and harassment in the workplace, there may be a brighter future not just for those using technology, but for those who are manufacturing it. As time goes on, it will hopefully become increasingly common that workers are able to expect a prejudice free workplace.