So as the tinsel and baubles are being boxed up, the diets start and the festive cheer of 2009 is slowly eeking out of your body it’s time to start looking forward to 2010, and the gadget delights it has to offer.
Now, 2009 was a bit of a slow year technology wise, with many updates to various big products (iPhone 3Gs, PS3 Slim etc) and a few new product releases (HTC Hero), but no standout gadget that was new and blew our minds…. step forward 2010 with the following hotly anticipated group of gadgets to get any tech head salivating. so we present to you:
The GadgetHelpline’s top 4 gadgets to look forward to in 2010
Apple Tablet
The most hyped gadget since… well the Apple iPhone (coincidence?) is also the only gadget on our list that hasn’t officially been announced. The Apple tablet is expected to be the most radical gadget of 2010 and is also expected to smash open the eBook/netbook market and is also sure to be the must have gadget of the year. As little is officially known about the Apple Tablet which means all hardware specs are open to variation but it is reported that the unit will pack a 9.6-inch multitouch screen, long lasting battery, built in HSDPA connectivity and a Mac style computer. The Apple Tablet is also rumoured to be aiming at the eBook market as it also with reader functions.
Still its all a rumour for now but with Apple (once again) rumoured to be making an announcement on the 26th of Jan its just a case of “watch this space”.
Xbox 360 Project Natal
In 2010 the games industry is going to change. With the dominance of the Nintendo Wii and its motion controlled console the whole world of computer games has been opened up. However where Nintendo has aimed at family games and fun for all Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is looking to bring motion capture to the “Serious” gamers.
Microsoft are billing project Natal as “the birth of the next-generation of home entertainment” and the system is aimed at opening up the Xbox 360 to a whole new customer base (similar to the Nintendo Wii) but are looking to incorporate it into a whole wireless/controller free home entertainment system.
The system is based on a motion capture peripherals attachment that is compatible with any Xbox 360 unit. The motion capture aspect of Natal is down to a combination of a RGB camera, depth sensor, multi-array microphone and custom processor running proprietary software all in one device plus a face recognition system that will track your full body movements and can even detect the emotion in your voice commands.
This could truly be the future of gaming but with Sony also releasing the Playstation 3 Motion Controller wand in the second quarter of 2010, they will be getting a big head start on Natal and the motion capture market before Natal is released around November time.
Google Chrome OS
Google are huge. Massive even, and as one of the software industry giants it was only a matter of time before they would be launching a complete computer operating system (or OS for the nerdy)…. cue 2010 and the forthcoming release of Google Chrome OS, the web based computing system that aims to lower ram space and processor needs and make all of the applications online.
Currently slated to be released for netbooks and similar smaller PCs the Chrome OS will be similar in appearance to the Google Chrome browser but will also incorporate word-processing, spreadsheets and more all in one browser.
The super lightweight OS is completely open sourced and is being touted as going from a turned off state to browsing in under 10 seconds!. Now once again these are all rumours but for more info on Google Chrome OS see our “Is the new Google Chrome OS worth the wait?” article.
Google Chrome is expected to start appearing on netbooks by the second half of 2010.
TV Goes 3D with Sky 3D
HD has been the only word on peoples lips the past few years when it comes to TV, but 2010 is the year we stop talking HD and start shouting 3D!
In the past year 3D technology has been huge in cinemas around the world and the next step after cinemas is home entertainment and all the big name brands are jumping on the bandwagon fast.
The biggest player in the 3D race is currently Sky who have not just been rumoured to be looking into 3D technology but have come out and made an announcement that Sky’s 3D service will be available to customers with a Sky+ HD set-top box next year, but customers will require a new “3D-ready” TV set which are expected go on sale in the UK next year (plus the obligatory 3D Glasses).
And in the past month Sky have even been advertising the coming 3D before the biggest 3D film (so far), James Cameron’s 3D epic “AVATAR” with a 3D ad campaign.
Sky are planning on having a as-yet-unnamed 3D channel that will offer movies, entertainment and sport and will be the first 3D broadcaster in Europe.
And on top of this the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) is currently working on standardising the storage of 3D movies on Blu-ray discs so we will also be able to enjoy 3D films from the comfort of our own home.
There are currently no release dates for Sky 3D or for 3D Blu-ray disc productions but most can be expected by the middle of 2010.
So 2010 really is looking to be a big year in technology and we at the GadgetHelpline are here to help/inform/salivate as it all comes.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Tags: 2010, 360, 3d, 3DTV, Apple, best of 2010, blu, Blu-ray, Chrome, Gadget, gadgets, google, microsoft, Natal, OS, project, ray, sky, Tablet, xbox, year
