What I’m Looking Forward to in 2021
What am I looking forward to in 2021? The number one for everyone is the hope that COVID-19 comes to an end. I want to get back to working with my coworkers in person. While being virtual has been okay, I don’t think it is nearly as good as being in the same room.
But there are many other things I am looking forward to in the new year.
From a Development Perspective
.NET 5 was a big release with a lot of exciting improvements. I haven’t had a chance to dive into these updates yet, but features such as the new record data type are particularly intriguing.
Blazor allows for building web UI using C# instead of JavaScript. While I do think TypeScript is a pretty good alternative to JavaScript, it is still ultimately JavaScript. Building on a more solid foundation of C# seems to make a lot of sense to me. And having a single language for the client and server would be nice as well. I haven’t had a chance to dive into this technology yet, but I hope 2021 will bring some opportunities.
A surprise to me in 2020 was the improvement to Google’s Firebase platform. I have always found the solution lacking in many regards, but as of late 2020 it is coming together nicely. I am hoping with a little more polish, it could be a great platform for lightweight applications.
I am looking forward to seeing what Microsoft does with MAUI, their single UI framework for creating user experiences. While MAUI won’t be unveiled until 2022, I hope to learn some about it before then.
The other area of software development that I think could really take off is some of the more advanced features offered by cloud providers. Things such as Azure Vision or AWS Rekognition can enable software developers to create some pretty amazing solutions without being computer vision experts.
From a Technology Perspective
I think many of us were impressed with Apple’s M1 processor. I’m excited to see what Apple can do with another year under their belt and this chip. Some of the early benchmarks we’ve been seeing are shaping up to make this one of the most impactful technology transitions ever.
I am also interested to see where gaming goes this next year. VR systems are becoming more real and more affordable all the time.
Return to Normal
I am looking forward to getting back to a lot of the little things. The eating restaurants, shopping at stores, hanging out with friends, and just being around people.
