Five Promising Technologies to Watch
Noteworthy Tech That Inspires
Besides working on code and optimizing DevOps workflows, there are other areas outside the realm of IT work that fuel my passion for all things tech. Following are just a few new toys that have captured my attention and imagination.
AI-Infused Games
Besides the usual AI opponent, a new batch of games is leveraging LLMs to deliver unique experiences. I recently started playing Stardock’s Galactic Civilizations IV: Supernova that features ChatGPT-powered character generation. It’s an interesting toe in the water experience. It’s also one that will dive deeper as more game developers work with LLM providers to generate and maintain a fully dynamic and customized virtual world where AI entities evolve and interact independent of a player’s actions. A decade from now, games will simulate a range of environments that will supply a lifetime of unique AI-powered interactions.
Changing Form Factors
As Valve’s Steam Deck has shown, sophisticated computing doesn’t have to be just in the form of a phone, laptop, or desktop. In fact, I’ve used the Steam Deck more frequently in its Desktop mode than its portable mode thanks to its Arch Linux foundation, making it especially easy to use as a powerful Linux workstation I can take anywhere.
Kubernetes on the Edge
As more powerful hardware capable of running sophisticated container orchestration such as Kubernetes become more affordable, more people will use these configurations for their home labs. I run both Rancher K3s and Ubuntu MicroK8s in my home, powering a host of home automation, dev tools, and personal projects that provide far better resilience and up-time than traditional apps and scripts running outside of containers. These solutions are becoming so simple to set up and operate that people no longer require extensive experience to use them.
A One Car Family
As autonomous vehicles become more common, the need to own a car for every adult in the family is waning. I look forward to the day when I can convert half of my garage into a workshop or additional storage space, and stop using it for a 4-wheeled collection of metal and plastic that remains inert ninety percent of the day. It would also be nice to eventually replace the swath of driveway asphalt with a more attractive walkway lined with plants that mitigate climate change rather than contribute to it.
The Rise of RISC
The RISC-V open architecture is just waiting for a company like the Raspberry Pi Foundation to adopt and make mass consumer friendly. With no royalty encumbrances combined with its open design, the RISC-V platform is building a lot of momentum that will alter the hardware landscape the same way Linux changed the OS landscape nearly thirty years ago.
📢 What are some new technologies that have sparked your imagination and interest? Leave a comment and share your top five list!
Be sure to pick up a copy of Portable Python Projects by Mike Riley, available from The Pragmatic Bookshelf. Join the conversation on DevTalk to find a promo code that will save you 35 percent on the ebook.
Image credits
- Galaxy image by NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Devices image by Denis Tabler, licensed via Shutterstock
- Kubernetes logo, Google, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Waymo self-driving car by Grendelkhan, CC BY-SA 4.0,<https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Close up of RISC-V chip chip by Derrick Coetzee, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
