As technology gets another update for the new year, technophiles are keeping an eye out for the hottest new releases expected for 2011. Meanwhile, for those of us who are living in the digital past, there are a few sure signs that you're due for an upgrade in the near future.
What's Hot
Tablet Toshiba
Tablet PCs
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is known for being one of the best indicators of emerging trends in the consumer electronics market. This year, the CES was all about tablets and creating an "iPad killer", with RIM (the makers of Blackberry), Motorola, Toshiba and Asus all debuting their tablets at the show. Experts are predicting some competitive pricing for these machines once they enter the market, so consumers will be able to take advantage of a number of different price points to get their hands on one.
Apps
Meanwhile, the rise of tablets and smart phones is changing the way we compute with application based computing replacing "bulky software packages" on our PCs. Applications are becoming more and more specific to handle a particular need or task, which opens up the software game to many small time developers - the great software giant, Microsoft is finally facing some stiff competition.
Wireless
As more and more niche electronic gadgets become must-have mainstream items, the ability for these devices to "talk" to each other via wireless or Bluetooth will be essential. Our home theatre systems and entertainment equipment will no longer be lost in a tangle of wires with remote access and wireless communication.
What's not -Technology Fading Fast (and signs you need to upgrade!)
Minidiscs players - harking back to the first days of digital music and the mp3, the MiniDisc and Laser Disc had been touted as the new way to listen to music, but are now quickly becoming obsolete. Launched in 1992, the ability to record up to 45 hours of audio on a single disc seemed incredible. However, with the release of hard drive based music players, most importantly the Rio and the iPod, MiniDisc players can now officially be retired into obscurity.
Google's Nexus One - Google's own Android based mobile phone was noted as one biggest technology flops of 2010. Vodafone started carrying the mobile phone in 2010 and was offering it free with a per month, 24 month contract. Meanwhile, Google's own Nexus One store officially closed but a Nexus S successor, manufactured by Samsung was released in the US in late December. This model is available for sale in the US and UK.
Stay up to date with the latest technology for 2011 - hire a computer and get the flexibility to upgrade at the end of your lease term, instead of holding on to your machine until it becomes obsolete - you're not still running Windows 95 are you?