2023 Year in Review
Twelve months, one noteworthy story from each one that may prove important in the months or years ahead
KOSTAS FARKONAS
PublishED:
KOSTAS FARKONAS
PublishED: January 1, 2024
Another year coming to an end, another chance to take a look at what happened during these last 12 months in the world of tech and entertainment. Come to think of it, maybe there is a reason those “year in review” pieces keep getting published every December, despite being such a journalistic cliché: see, recalling how some of the events that took place earlier in the year turned out to be (or not be) as important as they first seemed can be helpful, no?
Well then, here are 12 stories that yours truly handpicked among those published in each of the last 12 months. They are not the most read ones based on stats, but they might be the ones that – put together – describe in broad strokes what 2023 was about in tech and entertainment. Without further ado…
CES 2024: LG promises four years of WebOS upgrades
The company finally committing to a support roadmap for its new TVs, but what does this actually mean for consumers?
WHY IT MATTERED
Modern Smart TVs not being regularly updated by their manufacturers is a decade-old issue that needs to be addressed at some point. More importantly, though, consumer Smart TVs being forcibly turned into digital advertisement billboards for paid content or services is an issue that needs to be brought to the attention of market regulators sooner. Whether they’ll actually do anything about it is a different discussion.
The new OpenAI has a lot of explaining to do
The show is over but the company’s ethics and mission are even more in question than before. Here’s why.
WHY IT MATTERED
It’s a given that AI will remain a hot conversation topic in 2024 and beyond, so what becomes of the most widely-known AI research company is of great importance to everyone. The matter of ethics is always crucial, but close ties to specific companies and integration with mainstream products without the necessary safety measures are also a concern. Is OpenAI actually interested in all of that, though? Time will tell.
Windows 11 entering Year 3: Still incomplete, still unnecessary
Microsoft’s latest operating system on track to become one of the least popular Windows versions ever
WHY IT MATTERED
Consumer computer operating systems are becoming important again, as AI and integrated network services of all kinds are built into them – something especially true when it comes to Windows. It’s fair to say, though, that Windows 11 failed to impress most people owning Windows 10-based PCs, and late 2024 might even mark the launch of Windows 12. A work-in-progress that might never be completed? It sure looks that way.
Sony has already won this Console War – so now what?
The company has a unique opportunity, this is how it could take full advantage of it in the years to come
WHY IT MATTERED
The video games market is huge and PlayStation has already claimed this console generation’s dominant position in it, outselling Xbox 3-to-1 across the world. Microsoft has largely accepted that (work on the next Xbox seems to have already begun), but what should Sony do in order to make the most out of this early lead? Well, let’s give the company some obvious and some not-so-obvious pointers, shall we?
It’s high time the PS5 ushered in the next generation of gaming. Wait, what?
Sony’s home entertainment system will now have to deliver on a 2020 promise and it better do it in style from here on out
WHY IT MATTERED
The “next generation of gaming” may mean different things to different people, but the PS5 offered a lot of games also available on the PS4 for three years – so the truly “next-gen” ones can’t have been that many. Fifty million PS5 owners rightly expect more, though, and – come 2024 – Sony will have to deliver. The question is, does the company accept this responsibility?
Will 8K TVs be popular with consumers… ever?
Marketing-based potential and promises don’t seem to impress anyone, here’s where things are probably heading
WHY IT MATTERED
Promoted as the next step in TV set evolution a few years back, 8K failed so spectacularly to attract serious consumer interest that most manufacturers – save Samsung – are reluctant to even talk about it. Should it already be considered a commercial flop like 3D TVs or curved TVs? If not, what would it take for 8K to make a comeback? This is how things will play out in the long run… probably.
Apple Vision Pro: a lot to like, some cause for concern
Apple’s first VR/AR headset makes a compelling case for the future of these products… assuming consumers show enough patience – why?
WHY IT MATTERED
It’s no secret that it’s one of the most anticipated products of 2024 because, well, Apple – but it’s also one that may very well change the course of the AR/VR market. It will not sell in large numbers because of its high price anyway, but if it also fails to impress the media and early adopters it could spell doom for “the metaverse” concept as a whole, setting back everyone’s efforts in that space. Fingers crossed, then?
Microsoft is tricking consumers into becoming beta testers
That new Windows 11 toggle switch is not as innocent as it looks, here’s what needs to be done
WHY IT MATTERED
The quality of Windows updates or upgrades has been questionable for years, which is obviously a problem in and of itself. But Microsoft trying to save money by actively using consumers’ PCs for testing purposes – instead of working harder to improve said quality using its own considerable resources – really is a new low. The lack of transparency about the whole thing is also unacceptable. Come Windows 12, Microsoft simply must do better.
The Super Mario Bros Movie: brand power is as important as ever
Astonishing box office success a stark reminder of Nintendo’s greatest weapon – but are game adaptations really having a moment?
WHY IT MATTERED
Video games have often made the jump to the big screen with mixed results, but The Super Mario Bros Movie exceeded expectations both commercially and critically without actually being that amazing a film: just a quality production that respected its source material and made sure it offered fun aplenty, thus proving that brand power remains important and that great game-to-film adaptations are perfectly doable. Nice.
Samsung stamping fake moons over your photos is pure Samsung
This is a company that will do anything for marketing points, it’s time it stopped embarrassing itself
WHY IT MATTERED
The hotly debated matter of “what a digital photograph actually is” – in this age of real-time, AI-supported adjustments and enhancements applied to what ends up being quite a different shot to the one previewed on our smartphone screens – will not be settled anytime soon. Still, Samsung pushing the concept of post-processing to practically fake composition heights sets a rather alarming precedent, no?
Microsoft is desperate with Windows 11 and it could prove disastrous
The company is bringing the ChatGPT AI chatbot to hundreds of millions of desktop taskbars, what could possibly go wrong?
WHY IT MATTERED
Microsoft made its intentions clear early in the year, announcing what would eventually become Copilot and moving unusually fast to build this ChatGPT variant into its most recent operating system in just a few months. It was a sight fascinating and alarming to behold. As for any future complications or repercussions? Not Microsoft’s problem, apparently.
CES 2023: LG opens up about its MLA-OLED tech, questions remain
The company promises an impressive leap forward in picture quality – so what can we actually expect?
WHY IT MATTERED
After marginally improving the brightness of its OLED screens for almost half a decade, in 2023 LG felt threatened enough by Samsung’s QD-OLED tech to offer a true upgrade in that area. MLA-OLED screens can get much brighter, broadening the gamut of OLED TV use cases considerably. LG’s TV sets using MLA-OLED screens are still no match for the best 2nd-gen QD-OLED TVs out there, so… roll on 2024?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Veteran reporter and business consultant with over 30 years of industry experience in various media and roles, focusing on consumer tech, modern entertainment and digital culture.
Kostas Farkonas
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