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Top-5 Consumer-Rech Gadgets for 2010

by Jim Pinto | from Pinto's Archive


The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, NV. is the largest electronics trade show in the world. This year, January 7-10 2010, it featured over 2700 exhibits, with the latest software and hardware, home theater equipment and innovative gadgets - the geek idea of heaven.

Midst the plethora of products and gaggle of gadgetry, here's what caught my eye:

Tablet PCs
    PCs stripped of their keyboards and touch pads, these are essentially handheld screens that do most of what your laptop does, but with touch controls and 3G data access to stay connected. There were several versions at CES, but all tablets are debuting under the shadow of Apple's still-unannounced tablet, which the rumor mill says will be called "iSlate." Oh well, I like the name "iPad", and since I'm still enjoying my iPhone experience, I'll probably buy one, whatever it's called. But I'm also eyeing HP's new "Slate". Choices, choices...
The ebook revolution
    A tidal wave of next-generation ebook readers unleashed this week. Following the success of Amazon's Kindle, which reportedly sold 500,000 units worldwide in 2009, a slew of companies are trying to push traditional publishers towards the ebook revolution. Dozens of new ebooks were announced at the show, from electronics giants like Samsung and Sony, as well as smaller businesses that are trying to establish themselves as pioneers. Meantime, Ray Kurzweil's Blio (free software for regular PCs) is coming to show ebooks & magazines with full-color pages, showing books with their original layout, fonts, and graphics. One wonders if tablets plus software will eliminate iPaper and ebooks.
TV on Internet
    Lots of people are starting to recognize that the handheld cellphone is becoming the primary personal window for the Internet. Holding an iPhone at arms-length is the same as viewing a 35-inch screen across the room. And the sound for Youtube video or CNN broadcast is pretty good. So, where is TV going? Or rather, where will it come from? My guess is most "broadcasts" will come via the Internet, watched on your hand-held when you're alone, and linked to a large-screen when you get home. Lots of gadgets are coming to make that transition easy.
Cell phone heaven (& hell)
    Recognizing the desktop/video/TV transition, and aiming to take on Apple's iPhone, Google has announced Nexus One, a touch-screen phone that runs the Google Android operating system. Nexus' size is about the same as the iPhone, but it has a larger screen, and will sell for $179 with a T-Mobile USA contract - $529 for just the hardware, easily activated with a SIM-card. With a huge variety of features, content and downloadable "apps", the mobile phone is the latest consumer battlefield, and old leaders will likely fall.
The world's thinnest laptop
    Midst lots of cellphones, and the coming "cloud", there are lots of "netbooks" (stripped-down laptops). Dell showed the world's thinnest laptop - at 9.9 mm it's thinner than many mobile phones. Very nice unlocking system - you simply stroke the front of the lid to open it. Then, it sits up, with the keyboard tilted at a more ergonomic typing angle. The motherboard and 128GB solid-state drive are behind the screen, not beneath the keyboard. Nice, but will it save Dell?
Consumers (you and I - and hordes of Indians, Chinese and Brazilians in the global village) are scrambling for equal footing in the new tech-landscape. With these new skills and "techcabilities", the race for increased personal effectiveness is accelerating forward. Are YOU in?


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