The NewYorkTimes.com reported that “This year, the technologies that we will most likely hear the most about won’t be fancy devices like smartphones or big-screen television sets. It will be the stuff we don’t usually see: workhorse software and internet products that are finding their moment now.”  The January 6, 2021 report entitled “The Tech That Will Invade Our Lives in 2021” included these comments about #2. Wi-Fi is getting smarter:

Thankfully, Wi-Fi technology keeps getting better. This year, we will see a wave of new internet routers that include Wi-Fi 6, a new networking standard. Unlike past wireless upgrades, Wi-Fi 6 will focus not on speed but rather on efficiency by sharing bandwidth across a large number of devices.

Here’s what that means. Let’s say your family owns smartphones, several computers and a game console. If all of them are being used to consume heavy amounts of data — to stream video, for example — Wi-Fi 6 does a better job at providing bandwidth to all the devices at the same time as opposed to letting one device hog most of it.

Efficiency is especially important because more of our stuff connects to the internet, from watches to television sets to bathroom scales to thermostats. On average, the number of internet-connected devices owned per person is expected to climb to about four by 2023, up from two in 2018, according to research by Cisco.

Here are all four new Technologies:

1. Tech that replaces our stores.

2. Wi-Fi is getting smarter.

3. Tech that lets us keep our hands to ourselves.

4. Tech that virtualizes work and self-care.

Are you surprised by this list?