I’m still digesting from yesterday’s Christmas BBQ, and reflecting how innovation and technology slips its way into every day conversation.

My chats over beers are usually at industry networking events filled with tech entrepreneurs and programmers. It was good to unplug with friends outside the scene and not focus on work, while hearing how far my usual day job topics are slipping into everyday discussions.

There is a gap between general perceptions and the likes of the Gartner top 10 technology predictions.  In 2013, I posted about the impact of Gartner’s predictions after hearing a representative share at a breakfast. Predictions at the time seemed sensational and relevant:

• Asian-headquartered employment
• EU protectionsim
• Big data job creation
• IT vendor consolation
• Facebook privacy leaks
• Security and malware issues on employee devices
• Smart device proliferation
• Reduced Windows 8 installations
• Asian mobile handset vendor dominance
• Gamification of business applications
• Wearable technology proliferation

Some of these can be seen now as business as usual (smart devices into smart cities), while others have morphed into something else entirely (global protectionism, big data into AI, IoT in everything).

Compare these to the Gartner list five years later:

• Increase in visual and voice search
• Tech giants self-disrupting
• Legitimised cryptocurrencies
• Increased fake news
• Counterfeit reality overtakes reality
• Chatbots take over
• Role versatility over specialisation
• IoT in everything
• IoT security versitility

Most of these topics were raised by others at the Christmas BBQ, but with a practical concern. What degree would support the last 15 years of a career? How will technology impact a particular profession such as teaching or law enforcement? Is my data safe online? What should I post about my kids?

Three technology trends that came up include artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, and augmented reality, but all with a practical application on how they impact current jobs and future professions.

All the while we controlled the air conditioning and music with an app.

Oh, and speaking of future thinking, I went to the theatre to watch the latest Star Wars movie as a Boxing Day treat. I suppose predicting the future of technology is like predicting where the franchise is going when we all learned about the Vader / Luke relationship.