In 2017, tech trends are moving as fast as ever, and more than a few well-established bits of jargon aren’t quite as useful as they used to be. Speaking as a frequent tech trend writer,I’ve managed to isolate a few examples.


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Given that CES is this week, now seems like a great time to try redefining a few of the new year’s big tech concepts. Here’s a look at how two industry focuses are shifting in 2017.

“Internet of Things” Will Become “Intelligent Things”

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a term that refers to internet-connected versions of daily household appliances like a smart fridge or a thermostat that connects to your smartphone. But reducing these improvements to their internet connection misses the biggest change coming up: AI. The replacement term, “intelligent things,” aims to describe devices that rely on AI as well as an internet connection to improve the services they provide. But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what the research firm Gartner had to say about it:

“Big Data” Will Become “Dynamic Data”

Jeremy Waite, Marketing Evangelist at Watson Marketing EMEA, offered the followng prediction in IDM’s 10 Key Marketing Trends for 2017 report. I covered it earlier, but the shift in terms is worth focusing on: This shift highlights the direction that all user engagement is going in 2017, from mobile to social media networks: Away from massive scale and towards a higher engagement with a specific, often niche community online. Aim to find insights, behaviors and buying patterns in the data you have, rather than just trying to capture more leads and email addresses.”

Follow Our CES 2017 Coverage

Tech.Co is on the ground at CES 2017 in Las Vegas and we’re covering everything from new tech to innovative startups. Follow our coverage here and make sure to check out all the brand new gadgets hitting the market after the festivities have concluded. Read more about CES trends on Tech.Co