The Most Important Technology Of 2010

Another jam-packed year is drawing to a close with hundreds of new technologies and new releases. But I'm going to focus on the main ones, the ones that matter the most.





Apple iPad
As a product that had been rumoured for months before it's release, it was hardly a suprise when Apple brought out the iPad, which ultimately is a giant iPod Touch. Currently it's too heavy and too incapable for me to show any interest in owning or recommending it.

iPhone 4 + iOS 4
Apple had kept the development of the next iPhone tight under lock and key until a tester left one of the prototypes in a bar, soon to be found and leaked all over the internet. Turns out this was the final design for the iPhone 4, which was released a few months later. Included were many excellent new features such as the beautiful Retina display, a camera flash and much more.

It was bundled with iOS 4, which introduced multitasking, an improved interface, folders and general improvements. I am an active user of iOS, and this update really boosted it's abilities.

Windows Phone 7
Well, Microsoft have never been that successful when it comes to hand-held devices. First there was Pocket PC, which turned in to Windows Mobile. These were not unsuccessful products, but not exceptionally great. Whilst all that was going on there was Windows Tablet PCs. Although a great concept, it never hit the ground and they almost disappeared completely (Tablets have actually made a comeback recently, but lets just say, they're not made by Microsoft these days!). Well, Microsoft's fourth attempt is Windows Phone 7. With an interesting new interface and an OS that actually works, Microsoft might be on to something. Only time will tell if it will be successful.

Xbox 360 S
Microsoft released a "refreshed" version of the Xbox 360 games console. Very few fundamental changes are present in the new model, although the entire design has been overhauled and the box is now black, instead of white. They made some changes to the port arrangement on the back and expanded the available hard-drive sizes. Nothing that exciting.

But then there was Kinect for the Xbox. At first, it may appear to have the same features as the Nintendo Wii, released almost five years ago. But Kinect is so much more. It enables the user to physically interact with the game, without touching any controls, or sensors. There is a Motion-Sensor that sits above your screen (just like the Wii's sensing method). This could really be big, but at the moment, only a few games are actually compatible with Kinect technology. But, give it time, and something good could be on the way.

Conclusion
2010 has seen the release of many great technologies. But in comparison to other years, 2010 has been somewhat disappointing. Think about it...

2007 was the year of the iPhone.
2008 was the release of the first Google Android phone.
2009 saw the release of Windows 7.

So nothing that huge this year, but there have been some interesting new technology, mainly things that could take years to come into their own. The road has been paved for the future of technology that is multi-touch and motion. We're entering an era of these technologies. Get ready...

Raffi