Techs I Will Be Side Learning in 2024

Introduction

In 2024, the pursuit of knowledge enters a new phase amid rapid technological advancements. Embracing side learning is no longer just a personal choice but a strategic necessity. 🚀 This blog explores four key domains shaping our tech landscape: Spatial Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performing Backend Development, and Next-Gen Computing (including Edge and Quantum Computing). Each section demystifies these technologies and highlights exciting career opportunities. 🌐 Join us on a journey of exploration and empowerment into the transformative side learning trends of 2024. 🌟

Spatial computing

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Spatial computing refers to a computing environment that takes into account the physical space around us and enables interactions with digital information in a spatial context. It involves the integration of digital and physical worlds, allowing users to interact with digital content as if it were part of the physical environment. It's the foundation that makes Extended Reality experiences possible. 🌐

Extended Reality is the umbrella term for all the immersive technologies that blend the physical and digital worlds, including:

Augmented Reality (AR):
Definition: Augmented Reality (AR) integrates digital content into the real world, enhancing user experiences by overlaying virtual elements onto the physical environment.
Benefits: Improves learning, aids in efficient task performance, and enhances user engagement across diverse sectors such as education, training, gaming, marketing, and remote assistance.
Examples: Navigation apps displaying directions on live camera views, Pokemon Go merging virtual characters with real-world locations, and IKEA Place enabling users to visualize furniture in their homes using AR. 📲

Virtual Reality (VR):
Definition: Virtual Reality (VR) constructs a fully immersive digital environment, transporting users into artificial realities where they can explore simulated worlds or engage in activities with a heightened sense of presence.
Benefits: Facilitates realistic training simulations, enhances gaming experiences, enables virtual travel, and finds applications in fields such as healthcare, education, and architecture for visualization and design.
Examples: Immersive gaming scenarios where users feel part of the action, virtual tours of distant locations or historical sites, and medical simulations for surgical training in a controlled, risk-free environment. 🕹️

Mixed Reality (MR):
Definition: Mixed Reality (MR) seamlessly merges the physical and virtual realms, enabling users to interact with both simultaneously. It combines aspects of both augmented and virtual reality, creating immersive experiences that respond to and interact with the real world.
Benefits: Facilitates enhanced visualization and interaction, particularly in fields like healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Offers unique applications, such as collaborative design, training simulations, and real-time data overlay.
Examples: A surgeon using MR to visualize and interact with a patient's internal organs during surgery, collaborative design sessions where virtual objects are manipulated in real space, and educational experiences where virtual elements integrate with the physical environment for interactive learning. 👩‍⚕️🏭

Career Opportunities:

• AR/VR Game Developer: Skillcrush 🎮
• AR/VR Content Creator: YouTube Video 🎥
• AR/VR Healthcare Specialist: Hurix 💉
• AR/VR Designer: Toptal ✨
• AR/VR Marketing Specialist: AdRoll 📈

Trend in 2024:

• Advanced Hardware and Devices
• Integration of AI and Machine Learning
• 5G Integration
• Revolutionizing Retail and Shopping
• AR in Smart Glasses
• Social VR Experiences. 🚀

Artificial Intelligence

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2023 isn't just another year – it's the year AI explodes onto the scene, reshaping industries, fueling creativity, and demanding your attention. But where do you start? Buckle up, because these 4 AI trends are your golden ticket to a future brimming with exciting possibilities: 🚀

Generative AI:
Definition: Generative AI empowers creative expression by leveraging artificial intelligence algorithms to produce diverse and unique outputs, ranging from images, videos, and music to code. It involves training models to understand patterns and generate novel content based on learned information.
Benefits: Unleashes creativity, automated content creation, and explores new frontiers in artistic expression. Enables the generation of content that may not be conceivable through traditional methods, fostering innovation in various creative domains.
Examples: Creating visually stunning art through algorithms like deep dream, generating music compositions with AI-driven tools like AIVA, and using generative models to produce unique pieces of code or design elements. 🎨🤖

Explainable AI (XAI):
Definition: Explainable AI (XAI) focuses on developing artificial intelligence systems that can be transparently understood and interpreted by humans. It aims to demystify the decision-making processes of complex AI models, allowing users to comprehend and trust the outcomes generated.
Benefits: Enhances user trust by providing insights into AI decision-making, mitigates ethical concerns related to biased or unexplainable outcomes, and facilitates collaboration between humans and AI as partners in problem-solving.
Examples: Visualizing feature importance in a machine learning model, creating interpretable models that highlight decision factors, and developing tools that offer plain-language explanations for AI-driven predictions, fostering a deeper understanding of AI outputs. 🧐🤝

Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs):
Definition: GANs are a dynamic duo of AI, with a generator and discriminator in an adversarial dance. This rivalry pushes the generator to produce hyper-realistic content, from images to entire simulated worlds.
Benefits: Unleashes creativity, perfects content generation, and elevates the realism of AI-created outputs across various applications.
Examples: Crafting lifelike portraits, generating realistic scenes for games, and enhancing synthetic datasets for machine learning through GAN-based augmentation. 🤖🎭

AI SaaS + LLM:
Scenario: Imagine this: You're a small business owner with a brilliant idea for a customer service chatbot. You don't have the resources to build a complex AI system from scratch, but you know the power of language to connect with customers. This is where the AI SaaS + LLM (GPT, LLAMA etc) tag team comes in.
Benefits: Cost-effective, language-proficient chatbot, rapid deployment, guided innovation by LangChain.
Example: Deploying a customer service chatbot swiftly understanding and responding to queries, thanks to AI SaaS, LLMs, and LangChain. 🤖💬

Career Opportunities:

• Content Creation using AI: Fiverr Guide 🖼️
• Debugging and Troubleshooting AI Systems: LinkedIn Article 🔍
• Image and Video Editing using AI: YouTube Video 🎥
• Developing and Delivering AI-powered SaaS Solutions: Decktopus Blog 💻
• Building Custom AI Solutions for Businesses: Merge Rocks Blog 🏢
• Building and Maintaining LLM Infrastructure: CDO Magazine 🌐

Trend in 2024:

• AI for Sustainability
• AI-powered Cybersecurity
• AI-driven Personalization
• Quantum Computing and AI
• AI Governance and Regulation. 🌿🔐🎯⚛️📜

High performing, scalable Backend

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As of now, crafting a robust and high-performance backend requires a strategic embrace of cutting-edge technologies, notably gRPC and a Rust-based backend.
Learning the dynamics of gRPC and Rust in 2024 offers a gateway to a modern technology stack, providing a versatile toolkit to build scalable, efficient, and secure backend systems. 🚀

gRPC:
Definition: Communication framework known for streamlined data exchange via Protocol Buffers, high-performance HTTP/2, versatility across languages, and bidirectional streaming support.
Benefits:

• Efficiency: Protocol Buffers enhance data serialization for efficient communication. 🔄
• Performance: Utilizes HTTP/2 for exceptional speed and reduced latency. ⚡
• Versatility: Supports various programming languages for flexibility. 🌐
• Bidirectional Streaming: Facilitates simultaneous client-server communication, enhancing real-time interaction. 🔄📡 Example: Employing gRPC in microservices for fast communication, utilizing Protocol Buffers and bidirectional streaming for efficient data exchange. 🛠️

Rust:
Definition: Rust is a memory-safe programming language that prioritizes performance, safety, and concurrency. It stands out for its focus on preventing memory-related errors and providing strong support for concurrent programming.
Benefits:

• Memory Safety: Prevents common memory errors, enhancing code robustness. 🧠
• Concurrency Support: Facilitates safe concurrent programming, reducing race conditions. 🏎️
• Native Code Compilation: Compiles to native code for optimal performance on target hardware. 💻
• Developer Productivity: Modern features enhance productivity by minimizing bugs and errors. 🚀
• Flourishing Ecosystem: Thriving community provides diverse libraries and tools. 🌱 Example: Developers use Rust for high-performance systems like web servers, ensuring efficiency and security in concurrent environments. 🌐🔒

Career Opportunities:

• Web Development: Reddit Discussion 🌐
• Blockchain Development: LogRocket Blog ⛓️
• Microservices Architecture: Medium Article 🚀

Trend in 2024:

• Growing Open Source Ecosystem
• Microservices Architecture Staple
• Integration with AI and Machine Learning. 🌐🏗️🤖

Next Gen Computing

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Learning about Next Gen Computing, including edge computing and quantum computing, can offer numerous benefits and opportunities in 2024 and beyond. Let's start with brief definitions of each: 🌐🚀

Edge Computing:
Definition: Edge computing brings processing closer to the source of data, rather than relying on centralized cloud servers. Think of it as mini data centers located at the edge of a network, closer to devices and users.
Benefits: Faster response times, reduced latency, improved bandwidth efficiency, better security and privacy for sensitive data, and localized decision-making based on real-time data.
Examples: Processing sensor data from self-driving cars, analyzing video footage from security cameras, or running AI models on smart devices like wearables. 🚗📹💡

Quantum Computing:
Definition: Quantum computers harness the principles of quantum mechanics to perform calculations that are impossible for even the most powerful classical computers. They leverage qubits, which can be 0, 1, or both at the same time (unlike classical bits that are either 0 or 1).
Benefits: Solving complex problems in fields like drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, and cryptography, potentially leading to revolutionary breakthroughs.
Examples: Simulating molecules to design new drugs, optimizing logistics and supply chains, or breaking current encryption methods. 🧪💼🔐

Career Opportunities:
The rapid advancements in edge and quantum computing are opening up a plethora of exciting career opportunities across various sectors. Here's a glimpse into some of the promising areas: 🌐

• Edge AI Engineer: Microsoft Learning Path 👩‍💻
• Edge Network Architect: Juniper Documentation 🌐
• Big Data Analyst: Simplilearn Article 📊
• Quantum Algorithm Developer: Salary Explorer 🎛️
• Quantum Software Engineer: ACM Magazines 💻

Trend in 2024:

• AI and Machine Learning Advancements
• Quantum cryptography
• 5G Technology Expansion
• Blockchain and Decentralized Finance (DeFi)
• Health Tech and Telemedicine
• Robotics and Automation. 🚀🔒📶🔗🏥🤖

Conclusion

In the tapestry of tech evolution, 2024 unfolds as a canvas colored by Spatial Computing, AI, High-Performing Backend Development, and Next Gen Computing. Concluding our exploration, the importance of these trends emerges. They aren't just novelties but gateways to a future where innovation knows no bounds. Skills in navigating Spatial Computing, leveraging AI, mastering high-performance backends, and embracing cutting-edge computing pave the way for a future where our collective potential is limitless. Let 2024 be the year we plant the seeds of knowledge that bloom into the tech marvels of tomorrow. The journey continues, and the possibilities are boundless. 🌐🤖🚀💡