Tech Titans and Industry Pundits Look into their Cloud-Based Crystal Balls to Predict Tech's Future

NEW YORK, Dec. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Living in Digital Times, a conferences and events company that showcases products in the context of lifestyle, invited some of its expert speakers who'll be featured at CES® 2016 to weigh in on what's in store for the upcoming year. The experts represent eclectic markets including: kids and families, fitness, beauty, finance, health, fashion, education and more. With over 250 exhibitors and 300 speakers, Living in Digital Times has increased its show floor participation space by 40% from 2015.

Living in Digital Times posed the following question to their guest speakers: Where will technology take us in 2016?  Read on for their forecasts.

Advances in Technology
"It's a Lake Wobegone year for technology (Google it).  All the men will be talking to their cars and TVs, all the women will be bedecked in beautiful but smart jewelry and all the kids will have their drone driver's licenses before the age of 12." -Robin Raskin, founder and president, Living in Digital Times.

"As drones, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, driverless cars, 3D printing and other breakthrough technologies reinvent the way we do just about everything, I predict that CTA will be focusing policy makers and the public alike on the benefits of these innovations." – Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Technology Association.

Advances in Digital Health
"Advances in medical technology are erasing physical barriers to medical care. Beginning in 2016, patients will have the ability to be medically examined from anywhere – not just video chats, but actual real-time physical examinations. Technology will shrink further and be applied to numerous fields in healthcare. Health will be monitored not just at medical clinics, but also at home, at work, anywhere. Technology in hand, consumers will soon meet their doctors halfway. The next several decades should provide some of the most magical medical technology we've ever seen." - Dr. Samir Qamar, CEO, MedWand Digital Health & CEO, MedLion Direct Primary Care. Presenter, Digital Health Summit

"Electronic diagnostics, correlating electronic data with gene expression and other markers such as inflammation, bio regulation, using technology to understand the brain and reach higher consciousness." - Deepak Chopra, Founder, The Chopra Foundation. Special Guest, Digital Health Summit

Advances in Digital Money
"My sense is that 2016 will usher the march of the enterprise, whereby every Fortune 500 company will begin developing their Blockchain strategies, much like the opportunity that was presented in the late 90s with the Internet. In addition, Wall Street is getting into position to explore and trade Bitcoin at greater scale, especially now with secure platforms and regulated exchanges. Bitcoin seems to be the bright shiny new toy for institutional investors, albeit with the potential to be a long-term juggernaut for their portfolios. There is an exciting new currency, network and ecosystem blossoming right in front of our eyes, and it's on the scale of importance and impact as railroads, telephony or the Internet. Expect every trend in Blockchain to accelerate in the 2016." -Matthew Roszak, Founding Partner, Tally Capital. Speaker, The Digital Money Forum

Advances in Fitness
"I see 2016 as the year in which we will make great strides in putting the 'personal' back into fitness. Already we've seen great progress in delivering individualized insights for elite athletes, and it won't be long before we see a similar level of personalization for consumers powered by the improvements made in the way we identify underlying relationships in data collected." – Stacey Burr, Managing Director, adidas Digital Sports. Speaker, FitnessTech Summit

"People will seek more humanization of their digital experiences and a personalized approach that adapts to changing needs. Whether it's group fitness, recipe sharing or social networks organized around a health and wellness journey, communities of support enabled by technology are helping people to tap into the confidence to get started, the motivation to stay inspired, and the positive energy to keep going. The most compelling programs and tools will be able to meet people where they are, celebrate the progress they make, and serve up motivating challenges that encourage them to reach further than they thought they could go." – Betsy Parker, Vice President, Global Strategy and Business Development, Weight Watchers International, Inc. Speaker, FitnessTech Summit

Advances in Education
"Technology will make learning more adaptive, more social, and more compelling. If we are thoughtful about the metrics and the transparency of the marketplace, we will give students, parents, and educators increasingly powerful tools to pursue their interests and professional growth." - John Katzman, CEO of The Noodle Companies, LLC. Speaker, TransformingEDU Summit

"Education needs to accelerate its transformation though the development of a vast array of #edTech applications that ensure access, quality, voice of the students, and connection with the relevant human topics (inequality, gender, caring about the planet, skills for the XXI century, etc). The #edtech ecosystem needs to mature and expand its impact. To do so, the many stakeholders of education need a balanced influence and the roles of students, teachers and leaders have to evolve to ensure the right balance between technology and pedagogy." -Fernando Valenzuela, President, Cengage Learning. Moderator, TransformingEDU Summit

"We know that there is a high demand for an educated workforce with science skills.  Hands-on learning is a proven way to engage students in this type of learning. We have to create excitement within younger students today and allow them to develop their natural curiosity to explore, create and share their scientific ideas. It's not just student's technical skills that benefit from this approach to learning. The spillover is that students develop better ways to approach and think about problems, which is just as valuable as the technical skills themselves." -Steven Mackenzie, Educational Concept Developer, LEGO Education. Speaker, TransformingEDU Summit

Advances in Kids Tech
"Technology is evolving at a more rapid pace than ever before, and new innovations in tech will reach children earlier in its development cycle than ever before. We are going to see this with VR in the coming years. The biggest impact that connected technology will have on the toy industry is that every product will need to be thought out as a more immersive experience, with as much or more emphasis on software and content, as on the physical product itself. Innovations powered by software and constantly updating content are going to raise the bar on what children and parents expect from products they buy and play with." -Vikas Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Wonder Workshop. Panelist, Family Tech and Kids@Play Summit

Advances in Beauty Tech
"Many women crave technology that is utilitarian, yet hi-tech and chic. Tech companies are catching on and starting to deliver. In regard to the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry, augmented and virtual reality will launch us into a new world of possibilities when it comes to editorial coverage and marketing." -Jenna Blaha, Technology Editor, Marie Claire. Moderator, Beauty Tech Summit

"Who says technology in oral care can't address health benefits and aesthetics?  A white bright healthy smile is more important than ever, and the high tech world continues to push our industry forward." -Stacey Levine, Co-Founder CMO." -Stacey Levine, Co-Founder CMO, GLO Science. Panelist, Beauty Tech Summit

Advances in Baby Tech
"We will continue to see a slew of products for digital parents that will make it easier to do everything from track newborn growth to monitor kids' Internet usage at home. Everything will become even more interconnected and seamless, as part our everyday existence as opposed to gadgets we need to 'manage.' There will also be more of a focus on design, since a lot of technology for parents is used in the home." -Jeana Lee Tahnk, Top Tech Mom. Panelist, Baby Tech Summit

"The future is a place where connectivity, mobility, and interoperability intersect. The Internet of Everything will have you at the epicenter, simplifying your life by acting as an extension of your consciousness.  Think products speaking to one another seamlessly and intuitively, adjusting not only based upon your habits and needs, but predictively in an anticipatory fashion. Tech will take its rightful position as a facilitator, not mediator of your day to day interactions." - Rachel Rothman, Technical and Engineering Director, Good Housekeeping. Moderator, Baby Tech Summit

For a complete list of speakers and conference agendas, please visit here.

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About Living in Digital Times:
Founded by veteran technology journalist Robin Raskin, Living in Digital Times brings together the most knowledgeable leaders and the latest innovations impacting both technology and lifestyle.  It helps companies identify and act on emerging trends, create compelling company narratives, and do better business through strong network connections.  Living in Digital Times produces technology conferences, exhibits and events at CES and other locations throughout the year by lifestyle verticals.  Core brands include Digital Health Summit, Digital Money Forum, FitnessTech, Baby Tech, Kids@Play, Family Tech Summit, TransformingEDU, MommyTech TV, Beauty Tech, Wearables and FashionWare runway show, Mobile Apps Showdown, Last Gadget Standing, Robots on the Runway and the KAPi Awards.  The company also works with various foundations and manages the Appreneur Scholar awards program for budding mobile entrepreneurs, as well as the 10 Under 20: Young Innovators to Watch awards recognizing student STEAM innovations in New York City.  For more information, visit www.LivinginDigitalTimes.com and keep up with our latest news on Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.

About CES:
CES is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for almost 50 years—the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. And because it is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^TM – formerly the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® – the technology trade association representing the $285 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers to a forum where the industry's most relevant issues are addressed. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at www.CESweb.org and on social.               

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LKPR, Inc. for Living in Digital Times 
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