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The 17 Tech Buzzwords You Need To Know Right NowThese days, it seems whenever technology is mentioned in the media, there is anew buzzword to boot.Navigating them can become a nightmare, and you’d be forgiven for not beingable to tell your VR from your AI and your IoT.I-O-what-to-who?I’ve decided to gather the super-futuristic tech lingo in one place and lay itout in layman’s terms.If you want to sound cool in front of your web developer pals, or just want tosee a simple, clear list of the tech advances that will shape the landscapeover the next few decades, you’re in the right place. Interested in one termin particular? Simply select it from the list below to skip right to it! 1. Net Neutrality 2. Big Data 3. Data Mining 4. Actionable Analytics 5. Artificial Intelligence (AI) 6. Machine Learning 7. Personalization 8. Voice Recognition 9. Chatbots 10. Augmented Reality (AR) 11. Virtual Reality (VR) 12. Robotics 13. Smart Industry 4.0 14. Internet Of Things (IoT) 15. Quantum Computing 16. Blockchain 17. Technological UnemploymentIf you’ve got more terms you think are a) misunderstood or b) baffling, let usknow and we’ll add them in!## 1. Net NeutralityOne term that always seems to come back into view is Net Neutrality. It has itall: futuristic, political, and a little bit sinister. Net Neutrality is theconcept that a government or an Internet Provider should treat all data on theinternet the same way, no matter where it comes from, where it is going, orwhat it contains.This concept is vital when it comes to internet privacy because it preventscompanies or governments from paying to prioritize their traffic.Picture this: Without Net Neutrality, an Internet Provider could pay toprioritize the traffic of their video streaming service over Netflix’s. Thiscould mean that Netflix’s service would be terrible in that area, forcingusers to sign up to the Internet Provider’s service instead.Conversations around Net Neutrality are currently coming up again in theUnited States. If you live in the US, I urge you to inform yourself and jointhe discussion – even contact your government representatives and put thepressure on!## 2. Big DataA lot of the buzzwords we hear these days have to do with data, the mostcommon being Big Data. This buzzword is used to describe very large amounts ofdata collected by companies or institutions.Big Data typically refers to a set of data so big that traditional analysissoftware struggles to analyze it.This could be data about what users click on a particular website or user’swatching habits on Netflix. This type of data can be useful for companies, butonly if they know how to glean information from them.## 3. Data MiningThe concept of discovering patterns from large amounts of data is known asData Mining.However, it is important to note, that the term Data Mining is often misusedto mean the process by which those patterns are determined or the computerapplications that use that information.Some of the terms below are tools or techniques used to mine data.## 4. Actionable AnalyticsActionable Analytics is a term you will hear in conversations about Big Data.It means the act of analyzing data which leads to a company making some sortof concrete action.In other words, it means analyzing data to find problem areas and theircauses, to then determine what to do to solve those issues.For example, a data-driven company could apply Actionable Analytics todetermine why they aren’t selling a particular product and figure out whatthey need to do to sell more of it.## 5. Artificial Intelligence (AI)When talking about data and gaining insights from it, the term ArtificialIntelligence will often be thrown around.AI is a broad term which refers to the display of intelligence by machines. Itis a field of study which focuses on a machine’s ability to capture data aboutits environment and learn or adapt from it to achieve some goal.Through AI advances, machines have bested the best players at chess andJeopardy, and they are making strides against top Go players.It won’t be long before machines are better than humans at almost everything.## 6. Machine LearningMachine Learning is a type of Artificial Intelligence which gives computerprograms the ability to learn from new data without being explicitlyprogrammed to do so.Machines dig through data to find patterns and then modify the way they workaccordingly.For example, Facebook uses Machine Learning algorithms to personalize thecontent of your news feed, based on what type of links you often click on.## 7. PersonalizationPersonalization is the concept of customizing the information presented to auser of a product. This is often the reason why companies collect and analyselarge amounts of data: so they can personalize your experience with theirproduct, in order to keep you coming back for more.Personalization is often applied by large companies in the form of targetedads or recommendation tools, such as Google Ads, Amazon’s productrecommendation, or Facebook’s friend recommendation.## 8. Voice RecognitionVoice Recognition is the concept of translating human speech into text thatcan be understood by computers.This text can be used by computer programs in a multitude of ways, whether towrite documents or carry out commands. This field can be incredibly complexbecause language itself is so complex – for this reason, CareerFoundry UXDesign Course writers have worked with Amazon Alexa to create a specializationcourse for Voice Design.A word’s meaning can be entirely dependent on the context in which it appears.As a simple example, the word pair, meaning two of something, sounds exactlylike the fruit pear. Voice Recognition programs need to be able to determinewhich of these words the user said based on context from the rest of thesentence and apply it later if such a case comes up again; a great example ofMachine Learning.## 9. ChatbotsChatbots are computer programs which conduct “human like” conversations withusers, typically via text. They are typically used in Instant Messagingapplications, such as Slack, or on websites to help users with frequentlyasked questions.Machine Learning and Language Analysis are used to help make chatbots seemmore human like and improve the way they communicate with their users.## 10. Augmented Reality (AR)AR is the notion of adding computer generated elements, such as sounds, videosor GPS data, to the real world. These are typically done through some piece oftechnology like a smartphone or AR glasses.Pokemon Go is a great example of an Augmented Reality game, as it usesinteraction which varies depending on where you are in the world and how youinteract with it.## 11. Virtual Reality (VR)Virtual Reality is similar to AR but it usually encompasses more of the user’ssenses.A user will typically wear goggles and headphones which block out the outsideworld and completely immerses them into the virtual reality created by theprogram. Examples include the Oculus Rift, the Google Daydream, or thePlayStation VR.Virtual Reality has become one of the most promising trends in the gamingindustry but it can also be used to train people who operate in complexprocedures, such as flying a plane or performing a surgery.## 12. RoboticsRobotics is the field based on science and engineering, which focuses ondesigning, creating, and building robots and the computer programs thatcontrol them. Robotics has been around for a while but it has become moreimportant than ever with advances in Artificial Intelligence.Robotics have a multitude of uses ranging from the military (ever seen a bombdisposal robot in action?) to commercial products or to manufacturing, whichleads us to our next term.## 13. Smart Industry 4.0Industry 4.0 is the term which is surfacing to describe the current trend ofautomation and sharing of data in the manufacturing sectors.The goal of this trend is to create “Smart Factories”, which are factoriesthat analyze the way they work, make improvements to their processes throughMachine Learning and then share their results with other factories so they canadapt as well.## 14. Internet of Things (IoT)The Internet of Things is a term that encompasses everything involved inconnecting everyday devices to the Internet, in order to collect data fromthem, exchange data between devices or control them from a distance.These devices can be cars, home automation systems or your everyday toaster.## 15. Quantum ComputingTraditional computers work with bits, which can only have two states, 0 or 1.Quantum computers on the other hand, work with qubits which can have more thantwo states. In a nutshell, qubits mean faster and more powerful computers.Quantum computing is still in its infancy but there is interesting researchbeing conducted based on new advances in quantum theory.Quantum Computing is considered the future of computing, and could well mean acomplete overhaul of everything we know about computers thus far.## 16. BlockChainBlockchain is a new type of database, which is distributed (not just in oneplace) and encrypted by default.Bear with me:Traditional databases overwrite a record when a change occurs on it, but withBlockChain, every change creates a new record, that is timestamped andcontains a link to the previous version of the record.This means that you can see all the transactions that ever occurred on aparticular record since it was created, which facilitates verification andvalidation.The popular crypto-currency BitCoin is based on the BlockChain technology, andit’s currently being evaluated for use in medical and banking records.## 17. Technological UnemploymentOur last term is a fiery hot one right now – possibly the gloomy side-effectof the exciting developments explored above, depending on how government andsociety responds:Technological Unemployment is the notion of humans losing jobs to machines.Advances in robotics, machine learning and automation have led to jobs beingtaken over by machines.Currently physical labor jobs, such as manufacturing or truck driving are themost affected, but intellectual jobs are getting further threatened as AIadvances.Discussions around Technological Unemployment have led to interestingconversations around Universal Basic Income, which means everyone getting anincome for governmental agencies which would cover the basic costs of living.Interesting Universal Basic Income trials have started to take place inOakland, Ontario, Uganda and Finland, to name only a few.People who oppose the scheme claim that giving people money for doing nothingwill destroy the economy. One thing is clear – we need to start thinking aboutnew approaches to careers and unemployment.What should we do now? Wait for the tech apocalypse? Well – you could sit back and hope universal basic income is introduced inyour town – or you can get ahead of the curve and learn tech skills!