Five ways tech will shape your life in 2018

Is the outlook for technology in 2018 exciting or slightly terrifying?

As I look into my crystal ball at what new technologies are most likely to shape our lives in the next 12 months, I see science-fiction dreams coming to life: glasses that mix reality and imagination, an electric car in my driveway and gadgets that charge without plugs.

But coming out of a year where most Americans were hacked and Silicon Valley got scolded by Congress, there's plenty to worry about. How many ways will artificial intelligence make decisions without us? And how long should we remain panicked about cybersecurity lapses?

Tech's not just about shiny new gadgets anymore. But here are five reasons to be excited:

1 Tesla moves the car forward

Whether you're an Elon Musk skeptic or true believer, it's hard to deny the Tesla Model 3 has generated iPhone-level buzz about electric cars. Since this 'affordable luxury” $35,000-and-up sedan was unveiled in 2016, roughly 450,000 people have ordered one. Now if only Tesla could make them.

Significant manufacturing issues keep pushing back the Model 3 delivery timeline, but there's a good chance you'll see some on the road in 2018.

What's the big deal? Tesla is forcing all car companies to act more like consumer tech companies, pushing into electric and making standard such capabilities as accident prevention and connectivity. My favorite Model 3 idea: it comes with the cameras, sensors and computing power it needs to eventually allow the car to drive itself.

2 HomePod gets Apple talking

First introduced in summer 2017 and then delayed, the $350 HomePod is Apple's first talking speaker. For people who buy Apple everything, the HomePod has the potential to tie together music, the TV and the smart home in a way that the iPhone alone hasn't.

But there are huge doubts: Apple missed two holiday seasons that ushered competing Amazon Echo and Google Home products into many homes. Apple mostly has been touting the HomePod's sound quality, but in my experience many people can't actually tell the difference - or at least aren't willing to pay extra for it.

3 Augmented reality is going places

Pokemon Go introduced the general public to augmented reality, a fancy term for mixing the real world with digital information. In the year ahead, we'll test whether that idea is more than a gimmick.

Thanks to new AR-enabling tech in smartphones, the camera can be a search engine, interior design tool or teacher.

We'll also finally get our hands on an AR headset from Magic Leap, a much-hyped startup that has raised $1.9 billion in funding. They call their forthcoming Magic Leap One gadget a 'lightweight, wearable computer that enriches your experience in the real world with digital content.”

4 Wireless charging gets a much-needed jolt

Soon you might be able to leave the house without a rat's nest of power cords. The tech to charge gadgets without plugs has been a non-starter for years because one very important brand was missing - Apple. But the iPhone maker just added wireless charging to the X and 8, putting its stamp of approval on a charging standard called Qi.

Now coffee shops, furniture makers and car companies might be more confident about building wireless charging pads into everyday things. Let's hope they do because phone battery life isn't improving nearly fast enough to keep up with how much we use them.

5 Digital subscriptions as the new norm

In 2018, paying for online video, music, games and news subscriptions will feel as normal as a $4 latte. Deloitte predicts that by the end of the year, 50 percent of adults in developed countries will have at least two online-only media subscriptions.

Expect Apple to redouble its subscription video efforts, as well as big battles over streaming rights for sports. The shift to subscriptions is good for high-quality content creators who can't make it with advertising alone, but consumers may start to feel the pain of too many $10-per-month subscriptions. Here's to hoping we see more bundle options, similar to a recent $5-a-month combo deal of Hulu and Spotify for college students.