Top 12 Tech Trends to Watch for 2012

Tech in 2011 may have been dominated by Apple–from the company’s new MacBook Airs and the iPad 2 to the game-changing Siri–but 2012 promises to be anything but a one-player game. Whether it’s Microsoft’s radical new Windows 8 operating system or Nvidia and Qualcomm pushing the quad-core envelope, there are plenty of horses in the mobile tech race.

To say that the coming year will see plenty of hardware and software innovations is an understatement. We expect widespread adoption of mobile payment systems and Apple’s Siri inspiring a rash of voice-recognition competitors. Wearable fitness tech and apps inside cars will also be huge. Check out each of these trends to get a sneak peek of what’s in store for your mobile future.

• Ultrabooks Go Mainstream
• Windows 8 Finally Answers the iPad
• Apple’s iPad 3, iPhone 5, and iTV
• Fitness Gadget Explosion
• The Cloud Eclipses Gadgets
• Android Gets Secure?
• Apps Invade Autos
• Voice Recognition Gets Siri-ous
• NFC Goes Beyond Digital Wallets
• Quad Core Goes Mobile
• HD Screens for Tablets, Phones
• Thunderbolt Takes Off on the PC