Click@2010

This promises to be an exciting year as far as technology is concerned. A look at what you can expect
3G in India
As the world moves towards 4G, let us hope India finally resolves the battle for 3G spectrum. We are all hassled by speed issues on our mobile phones, with the only good option now being the Tata Photon+ and Reliance NetConnect which manage about 1 megabit in the metros. It is about time we too got high-speed Internet on phones which will enable us to pull attachments as well as use value-added services and essential business apps with location specific data applications. Though 3G is unlikely to penetrate many sections of the Indian market, let us hope we still get the option this year.

Number portability
Most of us are unhappy with our service providers and are waiting for the day number portability will allow us to move on to another company with better services. Number portability will not only give you the liberty of choosing the right plan, but even the service provider that you feel suits your requirements. The move could open a Pandora’s box of problems for service providers — they will have a tough time retaining customers. Expect a price and features war across companies.

Multi-core processors
Users have always been a bit apprehensive about the processing power of netbook — whether the Atom has the speed to handle your daily usage compared to a Core2Duo? However, this cannot be answered without a long technical discussion. For those of us who are looking at power higher than an Atom processor, the new multi-core processors like the Atom dual core from Intel are likely to change that forever. But will we be calling them netbooks anymore?

Chrome OS
Till recently, Linux, Mac OS X and Windows were the only options on which to run your PC. But that was till Google announced its Google Chrome OS. For some people Chrome will be the best available option, but with Jolicloud already available for download, a lot of companies will move to cloud services. On it, your PC will no longer crash, get attacked by a virus or need to be backed up. As you live your life online, both paid and free services will ensure that your computer is actually a computer, and not your master. Chrome will run on both X86 as well as ARM chips and Google is working with multiple manufacturers to bring a number of netbooks to the international markets next year. The software architecture is simple — Google Chrome running within a new windowing system on top of a Linux kernel. All web-based applications will automatically work and application developers can develop and write new applications using their favorite web technologies. And of course, these apps will run not only on Google Chrome OS, thereby giving developers the largest user base of any platform.

Boxee Hardware
The biggest news last month was the partnership between Boxee and D-link to manufacture Boxee hardware. This January, when the hardware becomes available, it is expected to change the way we look at television, enabling the idiot box to become an interactive social media platform. Though a lot of plug-in mediaplayers are available now, the simplistic interface of Boxee, with the integrated social media applications, will transform television into an interactive family entertainment centre.

Personal TV
REMEMBER the hugely popular Casio personal TVs that could catch Doordarshan signals. With newer technologies and full-fledged 3G on the anvil, personal TVs like FLO are sure to make it to the gadget wishlist, making sure your PMP now has live TV along with stored media feeds — so that you could watch what you want, where and when you want it.

Que e-reader
Sadly, the Nook and Kindle, which revolutionised the way we saw books, were designed for retail consumers. The needs of the business market to view presentations, graphics, Word documents and spreadsheets on a touch interface with e-ink capabilities were forgotten. On January 7, Plastic Logic will launch its Que ebook reader, the first for the business e-reader. With a 8.5x11” layout, 1/3” thickness and looks similar to an A4 sheet, the Que will have Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Plastic Logic has also tied up with Barnes and Nobles to have their library of free and paid books available on the Que, but you can always download and read your own documents.

Dual-screen laptops
Those of us who have learnt that multiple monitors mean higher productivity miss the advantage of having an additional monitor when working on laptops. But various vendors are expected to release laptops with dual screens this year, making more ‘real estate’ available for high-end professional designers, filmmakers, programmers and just about anyone who feels the second screen is a much needed accessory even on the move.

Fujitsu LifeBook UH 900
While Fujitsu have already unveiled their LifeBook U1010UMPC for a fat Rs 85,000, what remains to be seen is when the recently launched LifeBook UH 900 makes its presence felt here. Along with a super sleek design, the UH900 boasts of full-fledged Windows 7 capability, a multi-touch support and a host of eye-popping features. The unit weighs less than 500 g and features a 62 GB solid-state drive storage, a sunlight readable WXGA display, an Intel Atom Z530 processor, ThinkFree Mobile software for easy editing of slides and word documents.

Asus T91MT NetBook
From the guys who gave the world its first small PC comes the Eee PC T91MT, a netbook that features multi-touch gestures and a Windows 7 platform. While the netbook, thanks to its slate form, is a wonderfully easy to use e-book reader, in the normal version it will be handy enough to be used for everyday presentations. The 8.9-inch screen features a highly responsive handwriting recognition touch screen which will also support tap, drag, pinch and flick. The T91MT also has a solid 32 GB hard drive and is compatible with the 500 GB Asus Web Storage programme. The best part is the swivel screen that can accommodate multiple users at the same time and the bundle of touch sensitive software that can be used to the user's satisfaction.

Asus AiGuru SV1T
Skype has given us a lot of liberty, the liberating ability to conference with family and friends across the globe. The Skype phone enables us to run the application anywhere in a Wi-Fi zone. But using Skype on iPod, iPhone or Skype phone means you can talk on it like on a regular phone. The Asus AiGuru SV1T available which is expected to hit Indian shores this month will enable video calls to any Skype-enabled PC or phone. Soon, at the touch of a button, you could have a virtual dinner with your family, wherever they are.

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The above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday, Jan 03, 2010. It was co-authored with Rohan Swamy and Shawan Sen

2009: When the PC changed

The new Mac OSX snow leopard and windows 7, along with the chrome OS, are sure to change the way all of us use computers
Wow, what a year! When you look back at 2009, you will see how technology has moved towards a world that is free from the clutches of old corporations, letting you do things the way you like to. 2009 was a year in which the alternatives became the mainstream.

There are thousands of things that come out each year, but two major releases and a major announcement this year changed the PC world like never before. Apple announced its OSX Snow Leopard while Microsoft moved on to Windows 7, by far the best Windows yet, optimised for speed even on the slowest of Atom machines and full of eye candy. The Mac OSX Snow Leopard took all Apple machines to the world of 64bit. Though there were teething troubles, this was truly a move that allowed use of the latest dual core and quad core processors. Windows, though still available as both 32bit and 64bit, also became a bit cheaper making its 7 the fastest adopted Microsoft OS till date. Though there is always a debate about who stole what from whom, both the operating systems are without doubt friendlier to the user. Meanwhile, Google jumped into the OS war announcing that its Chrome would be available in 2010.

Along with the operating systems, 2009 also changed the way we looked at PCs. People finally came to terms with the fact that a fast processor was not always what they wanted, but something that worked. Atom laptops, popular as netbooks, took over and everyone wanted to own one. While Lenovo and HP came out with stylish but slightly pricey Atom netbooks, Samsung followed with multiple colours and Dell with its own Mini.

Atoms made big sense; you could buy a laptop for as little as Rs 18,000 and get up to six hours of battery life with screens that started off at six inches. But that was before the 10 and 12 inch models started appearing on the scene, bridging the gap between notebooks and netbooks. Sony came up with the icing on the cake, its ViaoX, the thinnest and lightest laptop I have ever come across, though at a fat price of Rs 65,000

Finally, Amazon launched the international edition of their bestseller Kindle. However, Kindle still ships from the US and you still have to buy it using a credit card on the website and not at a store. But the launch definitely made the world flatter, with all serious technology players looking at India as a big market.

I think the most looked forward launch of this year was the Blackberry 8520 which you could buy own for under Rs 15,000 — you no longer had to get a home loan to buy a Blackberry. With service providers also making it cheaper by offering e-mail only plans at Rs 250 a month, more and more people were seen sporting Blackberries.
The other big thing was the aluminium body laptops. The war was started by Apple, before HP, ViewSonic and Dell followed suit with their own aluminium avatars. However, only Dell thought of a lighted keyboard while others are still wondering how they can manage the increased heat of the light under the keyboard.

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The above article appeared in the Indian Express, on Sunday 20th December 2009
Now, to see what 2010 holds for us.