Recalling tech-imbued episodes of the year which seem to slip like sand in an hourglass have ushered an adrenaline pumping rush into our workspace. This time around, the 2010 show concludes not only a year but an entire decade that was termed as ‘futuristic.’ So, as curtains fall on this marvelous technological era, we run through some memorable gadget snapshots which left us spellbound. Here we traverse back in time on a reminiscent journey with top tech gadgets that made this year a stage full of excitement and innovation.
This trendy route gleamed with an upright start as the Consumer Electronics Show kicked off in January to offer a glimpse of several innovations in the offing. While we thought this was one of the biggest events, Sony astonished us with two dazzling creations. We guess the company already had a premonition of a startling time ahead and so decided to unveil the W and T series digital cameras. The manufacturer also strengthened its footprint in the mobile phone front with the Sony Ericsson Vivaz. The opening ceremony also witnessed the presence of My Book 3.0 desktop external hard drive from the house of Western Digital.
As festivities in the air seemed to settle with each passing day, the technological sphere was stamped with vivid offerings. With the advent of fashion weeks around classic locales, we not only spotted prêt and couture fabrics but also chic technological devices in February. Joby set new benchmarks with its stylish Gorilla Magnetic tripod stand to allure photography enthusiasts. While this 6-inch product glimmered as it rendered support to cameras, Asus Eee PC Seashell Karim Rashid 1080P netbook proved quite a temptation for many. In this very month, the mobile phone segment expanded further with the LG Ice Cream and Samsung’s Jet 2 touchscreen handset.
The month of March strode in with snazzy and hi-end products as Samsung unleashed its range of Blu-ray home theater systems namely the HT-C6930W and the HT-C7530W. It also uncovered the entry level HT-C6500 and HT-C5500 models with enhanced 1080p graphics and 7.1-channel 3D surround sound. During the same period, LG bragged about its first Android-enabled GW620 smartphone while Vodafone and Airtel brought the highly anticipated iPhone 3GS into the Indian terrain. This feature-dripping handset from Apple easily managed to cast a spell with its enhanced performance, augmented battery life and 3MP camera.
The Apple wizardry continued to wheedle its spark over the next months as well. The coveted iPad made a startling debut amidst a lukewarm atmosphere which finally turned affectionate. Registering a shimmering sales figure, the device set a benchmark in the arena as more than 300,000 units departed from store shelves on the very first day of its launch. In this misty air created by the product, LG came forward with its GD580 Lollipop as BenQ marked its presence with a range of sleek LED monitors embracing the V920, V2220H and V2420H this April.
By the time May arrived, the haze of newly launched solutions tendered soothing bliss through the extreme heat. As users routed towards hill stations, Kenwood decided to energize their rides with 12 new car entertainment systems, rendering refined acoustics on the fly. Expanding the mobile phone connectivity sphere, Wynncom stepped into the Indian terrain with seven Dual SIM handsets. At the same time, Dell Streak stood firmly on the nebulous path between a conventional smartphone and large-screen tablet. Powered by Google’s Android 2.2, this creation runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and ensures enormous storage in its 32GB capacity. Lastly, we also saw Canon lobbying with its imageFormula P-150M ‘Scan-tini’ personal scanner for Mac-based, small office environments.
As the first few raindrops swamped the land, the smell of wet earth breathed a new lease of life in the orb. Samsung refurbished its act with the ‘now’ celebrated Galaxy and Galaxy S series in June. Lugging competition in the backdrop, the company gushed in with a stream of handsets including the Fascinate, Acclaim, Captivate and even the Android-based Epic 4G. The latter created enough ripples to come into our notice and has successfully carved out a place amongst this year’s outstanding performers. Up ahead, Apple accomplished two remarkable feats as 3 million iPad units found their proud owners within 80 days from its release whereas the iPhone lineup was amplified with a new iteration. Freezing these moments into still images, Fujifilm unfurled 14 HD-enabled camera models to serve the needs of people with assorted tastes and criteria across the Indian landscape.
The iPhone 4 fervor sashayed throughout July but this time it set the alarm bells ringing for Apple. Though many praised this latest iteration, its reception issues stained the company’s shimmering rosy image. At this juncture, we also saw the unveiling of My Passport Essential range of 500GB HDDs from Western Digital. Slipped into fashionable Fuschia Leaf, Wave flavors, Black Hole, Boom Box and CityScape covers, this innovation has been developed to work seamless with the Windows OS. During this period, we were also enamored by HP’s stylish dm4 and dv6 notebooks while Panasonic came out with a roster of products in its Lumix camera portfolio – LX5, FZ40 and FX700.
As the clouds burst for an impactful monsoon, the thundering sky was complemented with flickering celebrations in August. New products poured in like cats and dogs while Razer upgraded one of its previous creations namely the Lachesis and suffused the mouse with advanced features. Unleashing the 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor, it drenched the gaming domain with over 16 million paints while the tech market also witnessed the Openmoko WikiReader linguistic upgrade. After readers and gamers got their bouts of novelties, Samsung heaved cheerful rumbles with the Android-enabled Samsung Galaxy 3 (I5801) and 5 (I5503) handsets in India. This month, the digital camera space was inflated with Canon’s PowerShot S95, SD4500 IS and SX130 IS. In the interim, the Indian economy was fortified with the overture of a new Rupee symbol which was delivered to the arena by TVS’ Gold Bharat keyboard.
The downpour of superior devices persistently helmed into September as well. Rendering crystal clear acoustics, Creative Sound Blaster Wireless Rock speaker chipped in yet another leaf in the audio solution segment with its simple connectivity factor. Samsung popped up again this time with the Android 2.2 Froyo-enabled Galaxy Tab. Talking about tablets, BlackBerry also announced the PlayBook with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 WSVGA capacitive touchscreen, expected to release sometime in early 2011. Seeing the nitrous-powered rush in the circuit, Apple bounced back with the next generations of the iPod Touch, the iPod shuffle and the iPod nano. Unlocking a new dimension in the gaming world, Sony joined the motion sensing league with the PlayStation Move motion and navigation controllers.
The October dawn gaited with a lowdown on this season’s preparations for upcoming holidays. Razer marched alongside the Naga Maelstorm and Molten Special Edition gaming mice as StarCraft II gaming specials sailed in the form of the Spectre mouse, Marauder keyboard and Banshee headset. The gaming terrain further jolted with joy as the 4GB Xbox 360 graced the place with its Wi-Fi connectivity options and Kinect compatibility. RIM unboxed the Torch while Nokia pushed forward its new N8 smartphone, enhancing the glittering sparks of the mobile phone domain. We were also flattered with the flashes gleamed by the release of the Dell Streak tablet and Apple’s MacBook Air. A major release of this month also accounts for the Windows Phone 7 which was grappled by several mobile phone manufacturers to toss out offerings including the Dell Venue Pro, HTC HD7 and others.
As families pondered over gifting options for the year-end holiday season, Microsoft stepped into the motion sensing precinct with their controller-free device, Kinect for the Xbox 360, in November. Razer brushed the PC gaming pole with the Nostromo gaming keypad which propelled many to notice its 16 fully-programmable Hyperesponse buttons and eight-way directional thumb pad. Music aficionados grooved to melodies along with Sony’s swanky Walkman E-Series of music players dipped in gold, red and black hues. In the midst of Diwali celebrations, Nokia released another product from its Symbian assortment with the X5. Samsung too rendered a range of handsets such as the Wave 525, 533 and 723, backed by its proprietary bada platform while the Omnia 652 has been engineered to run on the Windows Phone 7 OS. In addition, TouchMagix Media unveiled two dazzling gadgets, MagixTable and MagixFone infused with advanced multi-touch features in their sleek avatars.
The wintry breeze of December reminds us that it is time to dole out the last few tidbits of the year. This month, Google and Samsung teamed up to unleash the next member in the Nexus family. Dubbed Nexus S, this successor of the One has been packed with the Internet giant’s latest Gingerbread OS. We were also pleased to see the PSPgo across retail stores in India while Asus crafted two gaming notebooks namely the G53 and G73 for alluring enthusiasts. Lastly, tech fiends received another dessert to relish as the pre-order season for Notion Ink Adam got a green signal.
Running through such a wide galaxy of techno-glints has been quite exhilarating. As the 2011 daybreak stretches out the sunshine into the tech realm, we look forward to a glistening spread of innovative gadgets. Till then, we offer our greetings to the passing year while keeping our fingers crossed for the upcoming time.
