5 emerging technologies that may soon become part of everyday life

5 emerging technologies poised to enter everyday life

Google's Chrome browser has been incorporating ML-KEM, a post-quantum key exchange, since late 2024, offering enhanced security against potential future quantum computer attacks. Apple has protected iMessage users with the PQ3 protocol since iOS 17.4, another form of post-quantum encryption. This urgency stems from concerns about "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks, where encrypted data could be stored and decrypted later when quantum computers become powerful enough.

Google's Willow chip, currently containing 105 qubits, is expected to power the transition to post-quantum encryption by 2029. Meanwhile, the open-source, encrypted messaging service Signal has extended its post-quantum layer to chats, with Cloudflare's protection covering around 70 percent of browser traffic by late 2026. NIST has finalized guidance deprecating RSA and elliptic-curve algorithms after 2030, including a federal ban in 2035.

T-Mobile's T-Satellite service, operating on SpaceX's Starlink Direct to Cell network, allows most smartphones from the last four years to transmit texts, photos, and messages to 911 even without cell signal. SpaceX acquired EchoStar's wireless spectrum in May 2026 for a deal worth approximately $20 billion, with Amazon set to acquire Globalstar, the creator of iPhone's satellite SOS feature, with its own direct-to-phone system following in 2028.

Meanwhile, Waymo, the driverless ride-hailing service, has expanded to 14 US cities, completing over 500,000 paid rides per week and reducing injury crashes by 82 percent compared to human drivers. Waymo's cars have logged 271 million rider-only miles through June 2026, with some incidents of driving onto closed freeways during testing.

In July, Waymo's cars started carrying passengers in Madrid, with Toronto set to follow in 2028. The company also recalled around 4,000 cars in June 2026 after some experienced issues with freeway navigation.