My Guess on the Next Few Years

So, technology has been improving greatly within the past few years, and the mobile world just went to life in 2007, when Apple announced the iPhone, and Android Inc. was working on their project with Google and the now-Open Handset Alliance. Just recently, Microsoft has been slowly coming back to the mobile game, which they entered during the late 1990's. So, what is next to change huge?

So, at the moment, we are having a clash of the old technology, new technology, and standards. This is kind of an awkward transition period, since there are older PC's, new mobile devices, and still standards (pencils and paper) out there together. I think the first thing to change up is the PC market.

So, Google has been making their Chromebook lines the new best thing for schools and organizations, as they are basically laptop-styled Internet clients, with the internal hardware found in many Android phones. Although these are basically crazy ideas at the time, coming from Windows PCs, I do believe that this is what it will come to in a few years when you think of "computer." Although, for those of us who use our computers for more than just the Internet, I do not believe Windows will be going anywhere. I believe that Windows will make another Chromebook alternative, and be the major operating system for anything technology, as that was their hope for Windows 10.

Next, I believe that mobile devices will turn to be more capable of becoming your PC. Although this may seem odd to us, but I believe that basically mobile devices and computers will basically switch places in the chart of which is the most powerful. Microsoft has been trying to do this for quite some time now, and recently was able to run full Windows 10 on a unknown device running over a mobile processor. This may allow for us to emulate our current applications to mobile devices. Soon, this may just be used for backwards compatibility, as newer applications may be make specifically for the emulators. Due to this, Linux may grow more, such as with Android, within the mobile world within the next few years.

Then, we have the standards. This is the stuff that we have always been used to, like paper, pencils, and physical items. Unfortunately, in a few years, there is a possibility that these, to us, everyday items may just become technology accessories. This is due to that with more technology, what were used to before may no longer be popular. However, this doubtfully will throw these items immediately extinct, although this may cause the companies producing and selling these items to make risks, such as merging with competition or going out of business. An example of this is the merge of Office Depot and OfficeMax (Staples was also originally in this deal to buy out both of them).

Finally, for the devices that help convert modern technologies to standards and back. These are like printers, fax machines, landlines, and so on. It is predicted that these devices will continue to lose sales, and eventually become almost extinct, unless it becomes known as a new type of device later on. For example, printers may stop use in households, and the files then could stay electronic. This would cause a huge chain reaction within household products worldwide within decades.

In the way technology is going now, this is just a sneak peek at what we have to expect within the coming years of technology. These predictions still have over half a chance of being completely inaccurate, although only time can tell whether it is or isn't accurate.

Who's Kodak?

Kodak was a camera company, who almost had a monopoly on cameras on any type for over 45 years! They are the inventors of the digital camera, founded by George Eastman. The Eastman Kodak company may have slightly dodged going out of business 5 years ago, by selling a majority of the business', which they have still not re-entered, but they are planning a comeback, not to cameras, but to phones.

So, this isn't the work of Kodak's manufacturing techniques or anything, but of Bullitt Group, who are rugged phone manufacturers from  the United Kingdom. They are the ones who manufactured CAT's phones. It is so far unsure of if Kodak licensed their product out, or if this is all from Bullitt.

We are to believe the camera on this device will top the one's Nokia has been known for, and since the both of them, Samsung's. The phone is focused on taking steady professional photos, running Android as a smartphone, but it is a camera first, according to Kodak Phones.

So, will this be the rise above Canon's cameras, and declare Kodak as the biggest camera company once-more, because of a "smart camera"? No, of course not, but it would be a good comeback for Kodak to get back into the swing of things, especially in a 2016 market. Many believe that Kodak suffered bankruptcy, and went out of business, and that the name was bought out. That didn't happen, as they a majority of their markets, including cameras, online photo-books, printers, and movie productions, were sold out.

So, how did they "disappear"? Kodak tried to become a monopoly on the home, by entering many markets, but was unable to focus around the digital camera market, which they themselves have created. When they tried to save the company, by entering the printer business, the entire company collapsed.

We just have to wait and see whether this can save the name of Kodak or not. Their smartphone, the Kodak EKTRA, is expected to release later on in this week of December 5th, 2016.

Goodbye to Microsoft Mobile's "Nokia"

So, since 2011, Nokia has been the biggest manufacturer of the Windows Phone devices. They had a partnership with Microsoft, up until 2014, when Nokia sold it's phone business' to Microsoft, renaming to Microsoft Mobile. The entire Microsoft Mobile was once from Nokia, very few joined since 2014. But what has been happening since then?



The world renowned leader in mobile devices, Nokia, has always made great products, and that didn't stop with their sale. Nokia's former executives continued the Nokia tradition, but it didn't go do well, as Nokia's former CEO, Stephan Elop, moved over to Microsoft Mobile. Nokia claimed Elop kept them from staying globally dominate in the market, and is the reason they had to sell out to Microsoft.

Microsoft's new Lumia logo

At Microsoft Mobile, they continued to produce Lumia devices under the Nokia name, although a year later switching to their own name. Microsoft Mobile also continued Nokia's feature phone business, in their own way. Nokia's original Series 30 and 40 feature phone business' were discontinued for their incompatible Series 30+ series. These retained the Nokia name the entire time, however, in advertisements were accompanied by Microsoft's logo.

Back at Nokia, they have been a designing a tablet, without the help of manufactures or a mobile division, a tablet, which was later on released as the Nokia N1 in early 2016, after Microsoft could no longer use the name for mobile devices, with the exception of feature phones. This device was later manufactured by Foxconn under contract, and distributed it in certain markets as well. Unfortunately for Nokia, since Microsoft had their patents, their hardware didn't look that different that the base model, such as the iPad Mini without Apple's proprietary hardware features.

After Elop was "retired" out of Microsoft Mobile, and Satya Nadella became Microsoft's new CEO, things became different at Microsoft Mobile. New devices were made unique, and unlike Nokia's former designs. However, the market, who trusted the Nokia name, didn't trust Microsoft's on a mobile device, killing off almost the entire Windows Phone and future Windows 10 Mobile market in general. Also, with Microsoft's name being on Lumia devices, other manufacturers stepped away from Windows Phone and went to focus full-time on their Android devices.

In 2016, Microsoft began the sale of their feature phone business, their last to still carry the Nokia branding, to HMD Global and Foxconn's subsidiary, FIH Mobile. During this time, many former Nokia executives left Microsoft Mobile and transferred to HMD Global. Manufactures were mostly transferred to Foxconn and FIH Mobile. Nokia, beforehand, had a slight partnership with these companies to make Nokia-branded devices, but became official in March 2016.

In September, during the end of the sale, Microsoft surprisingly announced a new Microsoft Mobile device to add to the lineup, the Nokia 216 and Dual-SIM. This shocked many, and it didn't carry anything Microsoft, as they knew they would soon have to give up ownership of the 30+ Series. This device was rumored to be made by Nokia themselves, but was not.

On December 1st, 2016, Nokia and Microsoft Mobile finished the sale to HMD Global and FIH Mobile. This almost made Microsoft Mobile nonexistent, but they still can sell Lumia devices, as well as produce them. As of December 4th, Microsoft can no longer sell the Nokia 216, or any other Nokia-branded feature phones. As of December 5th, they are sold on Nokia's website, with is managed by HMD Global. A majority of the other Nokia feature phones are starting to pop-up on Nokia's website. As these were Microsoft Mobile's, FIH Mobile will take over manufacturing, and HMD Global will take over support. As of the same day, Microsoft removed all of the Nokia-branded phone promotions off of the Microsoft Lumia YouTube page.

This is the end to the Nokia Lumia, and the mistreatment of the Nokia brand for the last five years. This is also a new beginning for Nokia, as they venture off into the making of their own brand of phones once more, this time through partners, and running Android as the operating system. Also, this is a lesson for Microsoft, even the biggest companies can go down with the wrong leadership. Although Microsoft already learned that, as Microsoft's hardware is getting much better. Both of them are off to great starts so far.