Terence Ronson: Reflections on 2010
14 December 2010
2010 Reflections...And a glimpse into 2011
Typically, in the world of tech we take a forward-looking approach, but just for now - let's turn our heads around, and look back along the road from whence we came.
As the old cliché goes, you can't know where you are going until you know where you have been.
In many respects - 2010 (Y2K10) has been a blast!
Economy wise - we've gone from boom to bust to boom. And as for tech - we've traversed galaxies evolving from a 2D world to one that's all about Avatar's (as suitably portrayed by the now defunct TV series Caprica) and 3D. And when we speak of mobile comms, we are immersed in the 4G era.
In this newfound augmented reality existence, everything we now touch appears to be App driven and controlled via new forms of human gesticulation - pinching-to-expand, and then through the action of flicking your index finger, you now effortlessly scroll a screen full of data either up or down, or left and right. More importantly, and with any luck, these Apps cost no more than ninety-nine US cents to legally download. For the most part, these small and inexpensively priced software chunks (as part of everyday speak "there must be an App for that"...) operate on a device that ideally fits into the palm of your hand. Honestly speaking - what did we ever do before?
Deciding which Tablet (often in slang terms referred to as "a TAB") is best for you, has, for all intent and purposes, become a size matters issue. Are you satisfied with 4" or should you upsize to a whopping 9.7"? You may also be concerned (on a fashion label level) as to whether you prefer something named after a piece of fruit, or an OS (Operating System) akin to an Alien Robot classification.
Security continues to be the eight-letter word most humans are afraid of, with justifiably heightened concerns across all sectors of life over data breaches and (Wiki)leaks. The viral nature of the web has recently been fully manipulated to graphically show us how information once believed secure on the credit card in our pocket can be fairly easily read and exploited by a passer-by equipped with a minimal amount of OTC (over the counter) tech. I really wonder how this technology became PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliant?
