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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.

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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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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With the advent of poker online, the craze is fast spreading in many parts of the world. More and more aficionados are content with playing poker over the Internet, at the comforts of their own game room, perhaps at the attic, away from crowd of the casinos and heavily-decked function rooms.

Give the credit to some, if not many, of the Internet poker gaming hosts for putting lots of ingenuity into their sites attracting more poker fans. Even, there are online poker sites that offer deposit bonuses for new members who sign-up for an online poker account. Also there are many poker sites that offer free versions of poker tutorial lessons straight from professional poker players. This is one way of testing your skills and developing your strategies. Some of the most exciting poker games at the Internet are happening at online poker Australia.

There are ways to win a poker game. But there are much, much better ways to end up amassing large amounts of money. Yes, online poker can give the same, if not better chances of winning as would having to play it in a poker table. What’s a bit confusing at first is betting. In a poker game, the money you put in the table is different from the money you bet. The terms in betting for poker are “small blinds” and “big blinds.” The best way to learn the process of betting is to actually play the game.

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Over the past decade the online gaming industry has emerged as one of the fastest growing segments of internet commerce today. In 2006 online gamblers wagered a total of twelve billion dollars via the World Wide Web. Experts project an estimated twenty four billion dollars will be wagered via online gaming sites during 2015.

Online Sportsbooks and Casinos were first to introduce their product to the public during late 90’s. 2002-03 ESPN began televising the World Series of Poker showing pro player’s hidden cards which sparked the online poker boom. Millions of recreational players logged on to become the next televised world champion. By 2005, bingo made its official entrance and has proven to be one of the most profitable sectors for gaming operators. The United Kingdom has experienced a growth rate in excess of 400% with new bingo players over the last four years.

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Your MAC is a bundle of many joys if you take the time to explore its many features. To save on that effort, here’s an updated list of the best features and add-ons that are sure to help you enjoy your MAC to the fullest.

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You already have your monitor, your CPU (the Central Processing Unit), your keyboard, mouse and printer. The recent Windows Microsoft’s OS (Operating System) is already installed, as well as other basic office programs. Your PC seems to be complete yet you find yourself bored with it. Here are 10 easy steps to liven up your PC:

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I’ve heard about claims that the video game industry, along with healthcare, is recession-proof. Well, these claims might be proven to be true, especially when you take into consideration the gaming industry’s February 2009 sales in the United States, which involved a double-digit growth year-on-year at a time when overall retail sales growth was sluggish. That is made even more special when you take note of the industry’s consistently growing sales for the past few months, while the rest of the world was experiencing recession blues.

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iPhone has touted it as the next generation of the world’s most advanced operating system. On March 17, Apple gave the world a preview of the iPhone 3.0 OS.

The new OS promises to bring 100 new features to iPhones worldwide, including the following:

- the ability to search or “spotlight” the whole phone
- cut, copy and paste functions, even between apps
-you can also send photos, contacts, audio files and location via multimedia messaging
- read and compose SMS and e-mail in landscape orientation

All these are just the official ones. Unsurprisingly, various blogs and tech journals have come out with their own versions of what features would be included in the new 100 list. Some are unimaginative, while others say that the new iPhone 3.0 would enable you to use your iPhone to predict when the Second Coming would take place.

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When news first came out about a new version of the Nintendo DS, gamers were abuzz with curiosity. With the original DS, Nintendo revolutionized the handheld gaming industry and paved the way for stylus-based gameplay. The second installment, the Nintendo DS Lite, was a simple redesign and didn’t really offer anything unique.

After its release in Japan last November, the DSi already boasts of more than one million units sold. It is scheduled for release in the US, Europe, and Australia this April. Now, gamers all over the world are asking themselves whether it’s worth their money to upgrade to Nintendo’s latest handheld.

If you’re one of them, here’s some info on the new DSi features that, hopefully, may help you to decide.

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Amazon has long been known as the Internet’s largest book seller. Since its launch in the 1990s, it has seen the rise of international sites in the United Kingdom, Japan, France and Canada, among other countries. It has also since branched out from books to other products like e-books, electronics, music, and even clothing and video games.

Amazon has recently added direct-download video games that cost $10 each. The game download service allows the player to play for 30 minutes free before buying the game. Amazon has said that it is aiming at casual gamers with its array of at least 600 downloadable PC games.

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Call it the battle of the consoles. For years, Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft have been trying to beat one another as to who can come up with the slicker console and with the better controls that would attract more than its share of game developers. Even to the point of incorporating miscellaneous add-ons that have nothing (well, almost nothing) to do with gaming – like having virtual worlds, supporting Wi-Fi connections, or having the ability to stream movies.

Nintendo Wii is by far the most family-friendly of the three: its games are not all gore and you do not have to wait to have the living room all to yourself to play your favorite shoot-me-up. Also, I find the Wii Remote a great innovaton, getting sedentary gamers off the couch and flailing about in some freaky exercise routine. This console is just great when you play with your family or a group of friends.

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Below is the first batch of the coolest and rockiest top 6 old school games. And why 6? Coz we can’t get enough out of 5.

6.) Zone of the Enders for the Playstation 2

Personal rating: 5/5

I admit it. I am a mecha freak. I practically go braindead as I wait for the next episode of Gundam 00 to come out. The thrill of having to fend off scores of enemy mechs while evading hundreds of missiles heading your way while trying to reach the command ship of an armada is every mecha fanboy’s dream. Hideo Kojima-sama has done just that when he gave the world Zone of the Enders for the Playstation 2. Featuring stunning graphics, fast-paced gameplay, and great story telling — this game is a must have. Nuff said.

 

5.) The Suikoden Series for the Playstation

Personal Rating: 4/5

At the time of its release Suikoden was considered to be one of the best RPGs on the Sony PlayStation. It was not groundbreaking in any way, however, the gameplay was very much enjoyable and there was never one moment that I was ever bored. What I loved about it was that the game centered around the political intrigue of this world’s fictional empire and how the struggles of individual people might affect that. This comes with emphasis on how having the right support group can make the difference between (the game boasted of over 90 playable characters) life and imminent bankruptcy. What I found funny was how you were often given choices by some NPCs, only to find out that you are only allowed to make one choice to get the story moving.

 

4.) Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation

Personal Rating: 5/5

There probably isn’t any hardcore gamer in the world that has not played Metal Gear Solid. This stealth action video game directed and written by Hideo Kojima is the third canonical title in the Metal Gear series, and the direct sequel to Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (which was for the great Nintendo Entertainment System or Famicom to some of you). Although, looking back, the game did have a copious amount of cinematic cut scenes (which was rendered using the in-game engine and graphics); it was a welcome addition to how plots and sub-plots are weaved into a video game. What’s so good about MGS is that it was the first game of its kind that made the gamer truly feel like he was a part of a big-budget action movie — Think: Mission Impossible, without Tom cruise, with bigger explosions, greater thrills, and a better hero (I did say "without Tom Cruise" right?).

TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW…