The Hottest Gadgets You Wish to Have for 2010

There’s nothing better than a hot new gadget, and 2009 had plenty of them. A plethora of smartphones, laptops, netbooks and software have given technology fans enough to keep them satisfied over the past year. With new features and services released every month, it’s becoming harder and harder to keep up with the industry’s innovation.

The rise of the applications market, new smartphones, touch screens and more powerful processors have ensured our day-to-day interactions with technology is becoming faster, easier and simply more entertaining.

But tech companies are continuing to innovate, with more goods on the way over the next 12 months. Here are the top 10 gadgets of 2009, and another 10 of the hottest gadgets to look forward to in 2010.

The top must-have gadgets of 2009:

iPhone 3GS

While the iPhone 3G first debuted in Australia to a massive reception in June 2008, this year’s release of the updated 3GS model was even bigger.

The gadget had benefited from two years of strong reviews and the sustained growth of its App Store as more developers, even some Australian, got in on the action. But many users resisted, hoping Optus and Telstra would reduce their prices and offer higher-capacity download packs.

Consumers’ prayers were answered when VHA offered the iPhone 3GS on a number of plans, reducing the price of the hit device. Optus and Telstra soon followed by price reductions of their own, and the release was a hit with the device selling out even in the pre-order stage.

Apple hasn’t released detailed figures for Australia, but analysts suspect there are several hundred thousand iPhone users in the country. So why the hype?

The iPhone 3GS is the most powerful smartphone on the market. It boasts the typical features of a touchscreen, iPod media player functions, Wi-Fi, 3G capability, “push” email functions, calendar and contact integration with Exchange servers and a three megapixel camera.

Additionally, the new OS 3.0 software also released this year gives the phone a faster speed, with multimedia messaging, tethering, longer battery life and voice dialling support. Higher graphics functions have enabled developers to create high-end applications, while in-application commerce has given these creators entirely new revenue streams.

And with the huge App Store providing over 100,000 apps from games to useful everyday utilities, the iPhone craze isn’t about to die any time soon.

Kindle

Australia is beginning to catch up to the e-reader craze, which has been ongoing in the US for some time. The decision by online retail giant to release the Kindle internationally has been touted by analysts as a move that could spark Australians’ interest.

The device, which costs $US259, allows users to read books, newspapers and magazines tailored for the gadget. The Kindle connects to a 3G network in order to access Amazon’s library of over 280,000 books, with most around the $US10 range.

The best part – no subscription or data plans are needed to take advantage of the gadget’s wireless connectivity. While the Kindle is facing competition from the Barnes & Noble Nook, along with a variety of other e-readers, analysts say the Kindle remains the clear market leader.

TomTom Car Kit

TomTom’s decision to announce the creation of an iPhone App was met with applause at the World Wide Developer’s Conference in June, but its accompanying Car Kit has been the most anticipated GPS device of the year.
The device, which works in conjunction with the app, allows users to plug their iPhone into a dock mounted on a car’s windshield or dashboard.

Once plugged in, the GPS signal is amplified through the kit’s own microchip, while directions are played through the car’s own stereo system.

Users can play their iPhone’s music through the stereo system as well, while the dock automatically charges the gadget. The Car Kit even twists horizontally and vertically, allowing users to view the app’s directions in portrait or landscape mode.

It’s on the slightly expensive side – the kit and the app itself will set you back about $260 – but the quality of the device itself is as good as any standalone GPS unit.

Windows 7

Microsoft’s release of Windows Vista was attacked by analysts as premature, but there has been nothing but praise for the company’s newest operating system.
The interface looks similar to Windows Vista, but there are a number of subtle changes which only improve the software’s usability. Gadgets and widgets can now be placed anywhere on the dashboard, with no programs located in the quick-launch bar – instead, they are “pinned” to the taskbar.

Networking has changed, allowing users with multiple PCs on a network to share files and stream media content with Windows Media Player 12.

Thumbnail previews give users the option to interact with programs without actually opening them, while a new library feature allows users to create folders of content containing files strewn across the computer in different locations.
Compatibility issues have also been addresses with the addition of “XP Mode”, which allows a programs not supported by Windows 7 to be opened via a virtualised desktop system.

Best of all – it’s much, much faster.

Droid

Handset manufacturers have struggled to keep up with the iPhone’s power in the market, but Motorola has come close with its Droid smartphone.

The device, powered by the Google Android mobile operating system, is a rectangular handset featuring a touchscreen that nearly fills the device to its edges, a QWERTY keyboard, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a button for the five-megapixel camera.

The Android software also features an onscreen keyboard, with Google’s marketplace now providing a number of apps to download, similar to the Apple App Store. The OS also features Facebook integration, with a number of sync adaptors soon to be released allowing more third parties to develop contact and calendar integration.

Its sleek design, along with a variety of innovative features, makes this gadget one of the most advanced smartphones on the market. No Australian release date has been announced, but some analysts suggest a 2010 release may be in the pipeline.

Girard-Perregaux Opera Three

Every tech-head and gadget-freak needs a watch, no matter how good the clock on their smartphone might be. This collector’s item features a mechanical manual wind movement feature, an hour striker with the ability to play two different melodies and a leather band.

Crafted in platinum, the watch also features a power reserve to indicate how much force is left in the mechanical spring mechanism and a sub-second counter.

Before you get too excited, there is one thing – the company has told SmartCompany the watch carries a recommended retail prices of $934,840.

Alienware Curved Monitor

No desktop computer is complete with an impressive LCD monitor. Thanks to Dell, tech-heads now have the ability to deck their kit out with one of the most technologically advanced, and largest, screens available.

The curved monitor boasts a massive 2880×900 resolution with a 48-inch diagonal, mimics peripheral vision and has an astounding .02-millisecond response time.

The LED illuminated screen uses rear-projection to obtain such a wide display. And while the monitor actually works by stitching together a number of different displays, the integration is seamless.

The screen is designed for gaming, but there’s no doubt a number of tech-savvy entrepreneurs wouldn’t mind having this $US6,000 toy to spruce up their office.

MacBook Pro

Apple’s MacBooks have been at the top of their market ever since their introduction in the late 1990s, and the new 17-inch model is no exception.

Its large screen size aside, the case itself is just as thin as the company’s other models. The device features the capability for a 256GB solid state drive, a 500GB drive, a maximum eight hour battery life, 8GB of RAM, three USB ports, faster processor options and the ability to choose a different type of screen surface.

The 17-inch model is at the top end of the market, and not designed for the mainstream – but this device caters for much more than the everyday user needs. This model will power high-end video editing and playback capabilities with its NVIDIA GeForce 9400M chipset, and is essentially a desktop in a laptop’s body.

Its price of $3,229 may deter some buyers, but the computer’s power can be matched by few rivals.

Nickon S1000PJ

Virtually all handsets come with mobile cameras in today’s market, but it’s widely accepted a stand-alone device will generally deliver a better result than a lens used within a phone’s framework.

The Nikon Coolpix S1000PJ is one of the hottest of its kind. The camera itself delivers 12.1-megapixel quality images, with a 2.7-inch viewing monitor, while the Nikon image processing technology renders these images within the camera itself.

It also comes in a silver or black casing, along with a 5x zoom lens. A new type of automode allows the camera to automatically choose the best setting based on the contents of a photograph, while five extra functions reduce blur and the effect of shaking.

But the camera’s draw card is its projection technology. The S1000PJ gives customers the ability to instantly share photos and videos by including a one-touch projection technology. Users simply point the camera towards a flat surface, and photos and images can then be shown on a screen up to 40 inches long – a feature sure to impress tech-heads.

An Australian tech company is even on the forefront of this technology. Digislide, which was recently floated on the ASX, has even struck a deal with two mobile manufacturers to include it in future devices.

Dyson Air Multiplier

Most of these gadgets have a thousand tricks and features, but the Dyson Air Multiplier’s concept is simple – it’s a bladeless fan.

Purely designed for showing off, this circular gadget rests on a cylinder and delivers an uninterrupted flow of air. The device works similar to a vacuum, routing the air up the bottom canister and through the circular barrel on top.
The result is a fan which allows curious onlookers to fit their entire hand through the device without hurting themselves.

The device costs $US300 for the 10-inch model and $330 for the 12-inch, and while the massive noise may make some gadget fans hesitant, there’s no doubt this unique device would make a great addition to any office.

Tags | device, Gadgets, hi-tech