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Technology Trends in 2010

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eReaders and eBook Players

eReaders and eBook Players

The year 2009 was witness to the rise and fall of technology and gadget trends. It was characterized by intensified video gaming blow outs, a new approach to mobile phone use and computer portability, and an endless quest to create better and more advanced gizmos.

As the New Year unfolds, video game expert and technology analyst Scott Steinberg unveils at Digitaltrends.com a sneak peek on the "what’s what" in technology for 2010.

1. The year 2010 may be the time for eReaders and eBook Players — digital tablets designed to simulate the customary reading-on-paper experience — to come into their own. Expected innovations in 2010 include selections powered by Android OS, more affordable models and full-color eReaders with touch screen and wireless 3G support.

2. Smartphones will continue to shine in 2010, but with added surprises. Android-run and Windows Mobile-powered smartphones will create an established market. Cell phones will likely be run by applications that offer more power and flexibility, allowing these devices to evolve and potentially replace laptops. Adapting to lifestyles, Smartphones will be must-haves in 2010, and Google’s Nexus One Smartphone is to watch out for.

3D TV

3D TV

3. The household names in television manufacturing are keen at beginning a new era of TV viewership. Shops filled with a display of cutting-edge three-dimensional TVs, as well as Blu-ray players that power 3D flicks, will be anything but extraordinary in 2010.

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2009′s Top 10 Moneymakers (USA Edition)

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Google's Founders: Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Google Founders: Larry Page and Sergey Brin

The year 2009 underscored an enormous economic meltdown that brought many United States businesses to their knees. But for some of America’s most famous moneymakers, the year brought enormous luck and vast gains. America’s top 25 stock gainers — composed of large stakeholders in publicly traded companies — made a combined $81.5 billion in 2009, Forbes.com reports.

Check out Forbes’ esteemed list of the ten biggest gainers in 2009:

  1. The founder of Google, Inc., Larry Page raked in a whooping $8.4 billion between January and mid-December 2009. At 36, Mr. Page is ranked as the 26th billionaire in the world and the 11th wealthiest person in the United States. Technology stocks are enjoying broad boost with the economic rebooting, according to Forbes. As such, Google made a rise of 90% since January 2009.

  2. Sergey Brin, the Russian-born American co-founder of Google, Inc. gained $8.2 billion in 2009. The 36-year old Internet titan gets a rebound after losing $11.7 billion in 2008 amid the collapse of Internet companies’ shares.

  3. Oracle Corporation and NetSuite gave 65-year-old founder Larry Ellison a $7.9 billion gain in 2009. He made it to fourth spot of Forbes’ list of richest persons as of September 30, 2009.

  4. Microsoft magnate Bill Gates generated $7.6 billion in 2009. The computer software company he founded with Paul Allen consistently places him on the list of the world’s richest. Over half of Mr. Gates’ fortune, however, is held outside of Microsoft. At 54, Mr. Gates grabbed the top spot overall as the wealthiest person in 2009.

  5. At barely 46 years old, Jeffrey Bezos has made Amazon a household name. The online retail company gained $7.3 billion in 2009 amid a 175% surge during the past 12 months. Amazon’s shares hit an all-time high in early December 2009.

    Microsoft's CEO - Steve Ballmer

    Microsoft’s CEO – Steve Ballmer

  6. In 2009, Steven Ballmer had $4.4 billion in gains based on stock options as Microsoft shares rose 55%. The 54-year-old billionaire derived his fortune as CEO of Microsoft, of which he was neither a founder nor a relative of a founder. In 2008, Mr. Ballmer was 43rd richest person in the world, with an estimated wealth of $11 billion.

  7. With shares of Las Vegas Sands Corp. climbing 1000% since March 2009, CEO Sheldon Adelson raked in $3.9 billion. Mr. Adelson’s stake plunged $24 billion in 2008 amid the recession that battered gaming industry, which made him the biggest loser in 2008. Las Vegas Sands is parent company to Venetian Macao Limited, which operates The Sands Expo and Convention Center and The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.

  8. Enterprise Products Partners and Enterprise GP Holdings co-founder, chairman and majority shareholder Dan Duncan gained $3.9 billion in 2009. At 76, the energy mogul became the wealthiest person in Houston and the 3rd richest person in Texas as of 2007.

  9. Another Google, Inc. titan, Eric Schmidt, made $2.7 billion, with his shares soaring 90% since January 2009. Like Microsoft’s Ballmer, 54-year-old Schmidt’s wealth is generated from stock options he received as chairman and CEO of Google, and not as its founder or its founder’s relative. In 2006, Mr. Schmidt was ranked 129th in Forbes’ "World’s Richest People" list, with an estimated fortune valued at $6.2 billion.

  10. Sixty three-year-old Harold Hamm gained $2.7 billion in 2009, thanks to Continental Resources’ 100% surge amid a recovery in energy prices. The energy company’s earnings, however, are still at a 50% low, compared to its overall income in July 2008.

    Top 5 Most Buzzed PS3 Games This Holiday

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    James Cameron’s Avatar the Game

    James Cameron’s Avatar the Game

    One of the hottest gaming consoles out on the market today is the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3). As of March 2009, more than 170 million PS3 games have reportedly been sold.

    With the recent release of the PS3 slim model last September 2009, even more games have made its way into the market. Here are 5 of the most recent and yet-to-be released PS3 games:

    1. James Cameron’s Avatar
    One of the most-awaited films of the year, Avatar promises to be a huge hit. The film breaks into cinemas worldwide on December 18th. However, its videogame adaptation, released earlier on December 1st, has proven to be a disappointment. Set as a prequel to the film, the game’s rich graphics and cool 3D environments suffer greatly from a thin plot and weak gameplay elements. Avatar: The Game is reportedly bland and mediocre, where you run around a beautiful world, meet characters that deliver boring dialogues, and shoot weird, unexciting enemies. IGN gives it a 6.8 rating, while GameSpot gives it a 5.5. The verdict? Don’t play the game before watching the movie!

    Assassin’s Creed II

    Assassin’s Creed II


    2. Assassin’s Creed II
    One of the best games to come out for the PS3, the sequel to Assassin’s Creed not only addresses most of the issues and glitches of the original game but also offers some great new elements. The game features a beautifully rendered environment that makes you feel like you’re really walking around Renaissance Italy. It presents a compelling, detailed storyline that merges historical facts seamlessly into the game, and introduces an extremely appealing character in Ezio Auditore di Firenze. New missions, an economy system, and additional character abilities complete the sequel. Some gameplay and video glitches may occur. Released last November, Assassin’s Creed II has a general rating of 9.0 and above.

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    4 Ways to Enjoy a Risk-free Online Social Networking Experience

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    4 Ways to enjoy a risk-free online social networking experience

    4 Ways to enjoy a risk-free online social networking experience

    Perpetrators of phishing, scamming and identity theft have found a veritable gold mine in social networking sites. All too often, users of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter inadvertently make themselves easy targets for these kinds of activities.

    Here are four ways to protect yourself and your information online.

    1. Always check your privacy settings.
    While Facebook sets your privacy setting to your contacts by default, other social networking sites do not. In fact, some display your profile to the general public. Make sure that you make use of a site’s privacy settings to allow only your friends, family, loved ones and contacts to view your profile.

    In line with this, do not add just anybody as your contact. If you are keeping a personal profile, then make sure that you only have people you personally know in your contact list. If you are on social networking sites to play online games, or to market your brand, it might help to create a separate account for this purpose. You can limit the amount of personal information you have on these accounts.

    2. Think twice before you post something.
    For one, do not post your hometown if this has been set as your secret password question. Make sure that your post does not have personal information in it, or other identifiers like a landmark near where you work.

    In no circumstances should you announce where you would be at a particular time. This way, lurkers would not be able to pinpoint where you are at any time.

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