The year that is about to end has seen some of the most exciting devices sporting unrivaled technical wizardry since the turn of the 21st century. Here are some of the notable ones that should be in every tech geek’s collection before the end of the year, in no particular order.
– 3D viewing in the home has started to make waves two years after high-definition Blu-ray became the new home theater standard. The first 3D TVs hit store shelves at the last minute, and new models with amazing features from consumer electronics giants like Panasonic, Sony, and Samsung strive to lead what will become the next-generation visual phenomenon. decade. Still nascent, 3D content is starting to grow with blockbuster Hollywood titles shot in 3D like Cameron’s Avatar, but more importantly, video players and monitors are ready for it. There’s no clear winner, but it’s safe to say that both Samsung’s 55-inch 3D LED TV (UN55C8000) and Panasonic’s 58-inch 3D plasma (TC-P58VT25) lead the pack. Pricey for now, but wait for this tech home theater gear. to come don in price in the next couple of years.
– The iPhone created a historic sensation in 2007 and repeats itself this year with its fourth generation iPhone 4. With its highest-resolution retina display and unmatched dot size—the first with a 4-dot gyro motion sensor—the new iPhone 4 goes beyond the magic of smartphone devices, as it did with the multi-touch capacitive screen of its iconic first release. Never mind that, at 9.3mm, it’s still the world’s slimmest smartphone to date.
– The motion and gesture sensing game consoles kicked off by Nintendo’s Wii were improved upon earlier this year, but they were bettered by Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox 360. The next generation Xbox can be equipped with an optional Kinect that allows you to control games using gestures. The technological cogs of game consoles have never had it so good.
– Tablet computers have been around since the 1990s, but they never really caught on with consumers until this year. Thanks to media centrality and multi-touch screens, you’ve got the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab and Archos 7 taking consumer tech by storm. It goes without saying that the iPad is the supreme king in this niche market.
When it comes to technological equipment, the digital camera sits at the top and point-and-shoot cameras remain placed there among the most popular consumer devices. You now have 10- to 12-megapixel resolution cameras with 10x optical zoom with slow-motion video as a standard offering with snap-in features that make them no less feature-rich than professional digital SLRs. Canon and Casio lead the pack, such as the Casio Exilim FC100 with a 1000 fps trigger speed for ultra-fast capture that can take your breath away.