Top Ten Gadget Trends 2011

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by Lisa Zhou

As the end of the year approaches, it's time to take a look at what's in store for the future of technology.

The following are predictions and trends for what 2011 has in store for the electronics/gadgets buyer:

Prediction #1: Blu-ray will slowly but steadily get closer to becoming mainstream in the home theater market. More and more catalogue titles are being released every day, and price reductions have enabled unit shipments to increase rapidly. 2011 will finally be the year when Blu-ray will take the place of DVDs in the mainstream market.

Prediction #2: HD gadgets will grow in popularity. These days you can buy a 720p television for under $500. Camcorders with 1080p capability are becoming the new standard for home video. Trends indicate that most consumer video gadgets will soon be high-def.
Prediction #3: The advent of 3D television will not gain as much traction as their developers would like; since manufacturers are pushing for it more than consumers. With very little 3D content currently available, and given that only a handful of 3D TV's are on the market, it's better to wait and decide whether 3D will go down in history as a gimmick, or rise up as the wave of the future.

Prediction #4: Projectors will continue to grow in popularity. Technology for projectors has made it preferable to choose a home theater projector over a television, when it comes to filling up space. Despite the economic downturn, projectors have been selling hotter than ever. The reason? Probably because no one wants to spend 10 dollars on a movie ticket anymore!

Projectors are also getting smaller. Something that can fit in your front pocket can now display your business presentation on the wall.

Prediction #5: Google Android, the internet search giant's foray into the mobile device operating systems market, has been steadily gaining momentum, and will continue to rise in popularity.

Google's Nexus One smartphone is one of the most iconic consumer electronics launches of the year, as its integration with Google software services freed internet shoppers from wireless carriers' service contract stranglehold. Many other devices that use Google's Android OS are being released, helping Google get closer to the top of the mobile OS market.

Prediction #6: Tablet Computers will gain in popularity- many large manufacturers are already coming out with their own take on Apple's iPad, which has already sold 60 million units.

There is already a market for dedicated eReaders, and people are realizing that a tablet PC is more practical for browsing digital literature than dedicated devices. Apple's iPad has already taken a chunk out of this market, with competitors seeking to emulate Apple's success to follow.

Prediction #7: Solid State Drives will increase in prominence. This technological trend is accompanied by an annual 50% decline in raw flash material costs, while capacities continue to double at the same rate. As a result, flash-based solid-state drives are becoming increasingly popular in markets such as notebook PCs and sub-notebooks for enterprises, Ultra-Mobile PCs (UMPC), and Tablet PCs for the healthcare and consumer electronics sectors. Major PC companies have now started to offer such technology.

Prediction #8: Consumers will be going after energy-efficient gadgets. As people become more concerned about the environment, and technology for such products increases, the proliferation of energy-efficient and green products will increase tenfold. Solar technology has been growing by leaps and bounds lately, with such products as solar-powered battery chargers, and solar cell phone batteries. Solar panels can even be seen on bags, or the windows of buildings!

There have also been more eco-friendly items turn up like wooden casings for iPods and cell phones. Consumers are demanding these items and it's a sure bet that we'll see more like them in the coming year.

Prediction #9: Apps! In 2011, you won't be able to turn the corner without bumping into a device that supports apps. More and more smartphones, eReaders, televisions, Blu-ray players, and other consumer products are utilizing apps. What started out as an iPhone gimmick will soon change the way we perform most electronic tasks.
Prediction #10: Streaming multimedia and interconnected devices will be ever-present throughout 2011, from wireless-enabled home theater components to DVD players that support mobile TV broadcasts. As such, dozens more potential distribution channels just opened up to businesses, as did the opportunity to extend the life and reach of any viral video marketing piece.