THIS YEAR, look forward to gadgets which are friendlier to users and to each other, a World Wide Web that offers more audio-video possibilities, and a big tech scandal or two. Plus, there’s the question of whether you should upgrade to Vista.
Vista, the latest software wonder from Microsoft, is scheduled to be launched this February, which is big news not only to Microsoft, but to the business community as well.
Big computer manufacturers will get to release special Vista models at the same time, while software developers will release Vista versions of their products.
PS3 At approximately $600 for the top model, the Sony PlayStation 3 is more expensive than some mid-range laptops. When it comes to gaming gear, it’s also harder to beat.
While the Xbox has more games and the Nintendo Wii is cheaper, the PS3 offers Blue Ray movies, high-definition games, backward compatibility with older models and is plain easy to use.
Wireless connectivity. Wires are so early 2000s. While Bluetooth or Wi-Fi has been around for some time, technology will go even further this year with digital cameras and cell phones that automatically detect and connect with each other, with your PC or with your laptop, quickly and without wires. Common problems of slow connection speeds and limited range are expected to be ironed out this year.
DSL Since everyone has cell phones, the landline telephone is definitely kaput. So why would one still want to apply for a landline? Because for some telecom companies, it’s the only way to get DSL. DSL is arguably still the fastest, most reliable and practical broadband solution for the home user, and is much preferred over cable and Wi-Fi.
Telecoms which offer DSL without need for a landline will eventually enjoy greater customer patronage, which is just right.
Movie blogs. As blogs are mostly text-driven, writers with wit and personality have a natural advantage. However, they’re not the only ones who want to voice out opinions. Fortunately, faster, more accessible broadband, cheaper video and image recorders, bigger file storage, and easier blogging tools are helping bloggers express themselves with more variety through graphics, images, video and audio. Prepare for a more exciting online experience.
Scandals No thanks to camphones and cheap webcams, people’s private moments called “scandals” have been broadcast over Internet mailing lists and websites at a volume unlike any before 2006.
If Time Magazine considers the content-generating user as the Person of the Year, then it’s obviously to the benefit of the voyeur. This being an election year, not only will we have more scandals, but someone really famous and/or influential may just be caught on-cam doing something nasty.
Paypal. Isn’t it ironic that the Philippines, which is heavily dependent on Overseas Filipino Workers’ money, doesn’t have PayPal support? PayPal will allow us to market services and compete internationally without leaving our shores, thus empowering hundreds of thousands of businesses. This is something we should have had yesterday. Let it come true this year.
