What on earth is consumer-based technology

Technological growth is now motivated by consumer trends. Companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are all growing because of the innovations being made in line with consumer demands. These consumer-based technologies are providing fantastic advancements and creating deeper levels of practical implication. A great example of this is the Google search engine. At the core of Google’s success is its ability to develop technology in response to consumer trends. It is obvious that most modern technology is consumer-based, but how has this trend affected technology as a whole? Here are some good examples:

User-Generated Content

Consumer trends have shown a high profit in allowing more integrated content to be developed by a greater number of third party institutions. Basically, this means that more independent developers can make programs that run well on advanced devices, like the iPhone. Apple has designed the iPhone with this level of customization in mind and in doing so, expanded the use and practicality of their devices. User-generated content is a direct byproduct of consumer-based technology.

User-Friendly Applications

In order for any piece of technology to be successful, it must now be user-friendly. Products that are known for ease of use are dominating the market.  More and more companies are developing products and services that make life easier for the end user. Look at Google, one of the most advanced search engines available. Each new development adds a new layer of user interface that makes Google easy to use. For example, Google will fulfill your search query before you’ve finished typing it. How’s that for ease of use?

User Involvement

Consumers have gotten tired of sitting around all day communicating with their technology by typing or pointing or clicking. Devices have now become more diverse in how users can interact with them. Voice search, motion capture and capacitive touch technologies are all examples of how the consumer’s need to interact has affected the development of technology. Nintendo first implemented interactive gaming via movement with its Wii console, but Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect took this idea further. True, you can now control a video game by moving your hand in front of a screen, but you can also select a movie on Netflix, send an email or browse the Internet all without ever touching a device.

Many of these consumer-based technological advancements may seem to only consider the pleasure of the user and have little sensible implications.  It’s important to consider how these new technologies will affect the future.  User-generated and friendly content could one day allow hospitals the ability to develop personalized monitoring programs for each patient; code writing and development could be accessible to everyone. User involvement has endless implications for the development of new devices. Though consumer-based technology is motivated by profit, the possibilities for future technologies are still valuable to society as a whole.

To see some specific ways consumer technology is being implemented practically, take a look at this article.