New year, New Tech - Tech Trends 2009 as per Me

It is the end of the year, the time for so-called Gadget Gurus like me to tell our readers what to look forward to and what to buy in the new year. Here is my take on how techworld would look like in 2009.

BIG SCREENS: There was a time when we thought a 21” television was the ultimate in home entertainment, a time when a 14” portable TV was considered cool for they saved space, a time when most conversation revolved around the colour TV in the drawing room. Then size took over. Bada hai toh behtar hai replaced everything else. From 25, 29, 32 to 70 inches, we were all spending on the bigger TVs, at times dishing out more than you would on a 1-bedroom flat to acquire a rather large screen. My first prediction for 2009 is that bigger will become cheaper and you will see 40” screens going for as low as Rs 30,000. The obscenely big 52” screen could also come within your grasp. So whether it is playing games on the latest console or cutting costs by watching DVD movies, in 2009 the big TV will be the next big thing.

PVRs: No, I am not talking of Mr Bijli’s chain of cinemas, but personal video recorders. Things have already started moving in 2008. Though Zee has been talking of it for a couple of years now, Tata Sky took the leap with its Plus model. Though still in its infancy, Tata Sky Plus has taken PVRs to Indian homes, and to people who have always dreamt of owning a Tivo Box some day. Anil Gupte of K.E.E.N Inc, has been developing a digital recorder out of his Pune office, and you should soon see every major player jump onto it. Soon, it would be like the good old days of the VCR, though this time around the magnetic tape would be replaced by a Hard Disk, making it a personal video recorder. Though the prices of recorders are not fully unjustified, in 2009 we should see them become cheaper. There are already about five major players in the market, and with more joining the fray it’s only going to get better for the buyer.

PERSONAL ASSISTANTS: Cellphones are becoming smaller and lighter by the day and can already do much more than what they were originally designed for. Our greed for the lightest and the latest has always led us to cellphones which claim to be user-friendly but end up as being a pain to use. But with time the cellphone has also become the assistant that we all yearned for, making us reachable on voice, e-mail and text, making sure our contacts and calendars are synchronised, and that we are up to date with what is happening around the world. Though most new age phones come with browsers, the next level would be automated concierge services, what I would call personal assistants. A few start-ups are already on the job, creating applications like Around Me on the iPhone that tell you what cultural events are happening in town, how to get tickets for them, or suggesting a place to go out for dinner. The technology will let you manage your vacation, business, office, work and even leisure, all intelligently. If you have a larger task to do, you could always place a call to a service provider which will do it on demand. These services could be available in India by next year.

BLU-RAY DVD PLAYERS: The glass wall has finally been broken and Blu-rays have started appearing in India, though at costs which will make you think twice, even thrice. Moreover, not many movies are available on Blu-ray. But, in 2009, we are likely to see DVD’s enter the lower end of the market with players having built-in upscalers. More and more content will soon be available on Blu-ray discs, and yes, you should also see Blu-ray movies available at your movie rental shop.

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The Above article appeared in the Indian Express dated 21st December 2008.