TechReview
Tech attractions: 2010
Two weeks into the new year and tech enthusiasts are already sniffing around for a whiff of what to look out for in 2010. Technology progresses so fast, it is sometimes just too tough to keep up. You buy the latest 3G mobile phone and are all set to show it off to your friends when your ego just comes crashing down as you find that it's already passé and that 4G mobile phones are the new best thing in the market. Even then technology can be such an enticer, the rushed progress doesn't stop many from pining for the latest gadget on the block, even if it means that your pockets are not going to like the sound of that. Mark Ecko's complex.com featured five of the top technology trends to look out for in the year 2010 based on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas. From the looks of it, the tech future seems bright, and mostly 3-Dimensional. Following were the top rating technologies: E-Readers
With the advantage of being portable, highly readable in bright sunlight long battery life and crisp quality display, E-Readers have already become a favorite among travelers and book lovers. Amazon's Kindle and Sony's reader are just a start. But 2010 promises them a lot of competition, with E-Readers from a variety of companies that suit each and every type of consumer need. With a 6" EPD (Electronic Paper Display) screen, and a 3.5" touchscreen LCD screen powered by a power 624Mhz processor running Android, the Alex by Spring Design may be just the e-reader for us. You can browse the web in full color using the touchscreen like you were using your phone. You could even watch video clips and listen to music on it. If most e-readers are just too small for you, the Skiff Reader should be perfect. Clocking in with an 11in screen, the Skiff is big enough for you to hold comfortably as though you were reading a real newspaper. They plan to introduce the Skiff Service which will allow users to directly download magazine issues, books, newspapers and blogs from a variety of sources. 4G Powered Devices
The 4G technology is supposed to allow data transfer upto 100Mbps outdoor and 1Gbps indoor. Moreover, it is said to support interactive services like Video Conferencing (with more than 2 sites simultaneously), wireless internet, etc. The bandwidth would be much wider (100 MHz) and data would be transferred at much higher rates. The cost of the data transfer would be comparatively very less and global mobility would be possible. What's more, the security features are claimed to be much better. Many refer to WiMax as a 4G technology. However, WiMax can deliver only upto 70 Mbps over a 50Km radius, as opposed to the requirement for a 10 Gbps. Mobile phones are getting faster and more complex while wireless connectivity innovation seems to creep along quite slowly. But it is hoped that WiMax can deliver on the promise and potential of these new devices soon. While Intel shows off its developments with WiMax, Sprint steals the show with their Overdrive router. The little black box gives off a WiFi signal, based on a Sprint 3G or 4G signal, usable by up to five computer for instant internet anywhere. 1 Ghz Smartphones
Tech companies say it time and time again that there will come a day when your phone will cease to be your phone. It will become your ultimate mobile workstation. However, that sounds far-fetched, given the current speed of phones and the current screen size limiting the amount of work you can actually accomplish on the go. Hopefully that should change this year, with more and more companies introducing phones with faster and faster processors. Google introduced its Android Smartphones. The debut of Google's official Nexus One "superphone" generated a lot of pre-launch hype with many heralding it as an "iPhone killer" before even seeing it. Fast forward to today. The phone is out and the reviews are in. Sleek, and nice to hold, this phone has everything- a 3.7" WVGA (800 x 480) widescreen AMOLED, accelerometer, 5 MP camera, a microSD slot (32GB limit), digital compass, WiFi and everything else you'd need out of a phone. The HTC HD2 Smartphone is another one termed as an 'iPhone killer". It is possibly the best Windows Mobile phone ever. Powered by the new 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the HD2 sports a gigantic 4.3 inch screen. Making it even more attractive is HTC Sense, a special user interface that, according to HTC is "a holistic experience that focuses on making phones work in the most intuitive way." All that means is it makes Windows Mobile nearly as easy to use as an iPhone, which is an outstanding achievement. Tablets
While Apple's much talked about tablet is being anticipated, other companies have already released their own latest versions. HP and Microsoft teamed up on a tablet that they're dubbing a Slate. It looks like a color Kindle that's supposed to have the portability of a mobile phone with the power of a PC Lenovo's IdeaPad U1 Hybrid Notebook is quite an interesting two-in-one. At first glance, it looks like a regular notebook with an 11.6? screen. And it is, it runs Windows 7 and is powered by an Intel Core Duo processor. But remove the screen and it transforms into a tablet that runs Linux and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor. That's two computing experiences in one. 3D Technology
2010 is going to be the year of 3D. Whether it is televisions, cameras, or video games, all the big manufactures (Sony, Samsung, LG, etc.) are showing off their vision of the three dimensional future. Panasonic grabbed CNET's Best of CES award for their TC-PVT25 series plasma TVs. The set is basically a 3D capable version of their TC-PV10 TVs. You will need a set of 3D glasses to enjoy, however. They also previewed their upcoming 3D Blu-Ray player as well as their dual lens 3D camera. Whatever it is you want to do in 3D, if you got the dough, you can do it. So the future has been put before you. It will now be up to you to take your pick… when it comes, that is. Get ready for some pocket shuffling this year.
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