Geek Accessories
Top 10 Gadgets for 2009

If you missed it I did my top
gadgets and electronics for 2008 in
a previous post last weekend, check it out for some good
Christmas gadget ideas. However this post is about some of the
gadgets and electronics we have to look forward to in 2009 and
are not yet available but which should be big sellers. (there
are a few more gadgets at the end of the top 10 which will be
released before 2009, hence not making the list, but will no
doubt be massive next year).
Nokia 5800

Nokia have been the top seller of mobile phones for a long time
now and want to revive the market with their Nokia 5800 / N97
touch screen phone - their effective iPhone killers (Nokia
N97 N-series
touch phone has already been announced and released this year).
From Q3 2007 to Q3 2008 they lost 15.4% of the market share, dropping to 35%, due mainly to the iPhone. With the release of the Apple iPhone it has caused a ripple in the market and mobile phone manufacturers have realised that they need to raise their game. Blackberry have out their Storm 9500 (bottom of top 10) which will be a hot gadget of 2009 (once it gets the firmware it needs to speed up navigation) and will be available before the end of the year. Sony have their X1 touch phone out which, if it was running Google Android, would probably be my number 1 - as it is gorgeous to look at. But since the X1 has Windows Mobile 6 and is therefore rather slow and clunky, it’s not. HTC have release their G1 which albeit has the best mobile OS in my opinion, Android, doesn’t leverage it and certainly isn’t attractive - no where near the iPhone killer it was marketed as.more information…
Specification - The 5800 has all that you would expect from Nokia including finally support for flash:
- Symbian 9.4 Series 60 5th Edition
- Quad-Band 850/900/1800/1900MHz
- HSDPA (3.6 Mbits) / GPRS Class 32 / Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11g)
- Bluetooth (2.0)
- 3.2 mega-pixel Carl Zeiss Optics camera
- microSDHC card slot
- 640 x 320 pixels - 3.2 inch touch screen display
- 30fps Video Recording
- Supported formats: MP4, 3GP, H.264, Flash, H.263 WMV & Real Player
- E-mail (POP3, SMTP, IMAP4, MS Exchange)
- Battery: Talk Time: 528 mins - Standby Time: 406 hrs
Sony Rolly

The Rolly from Sony is all about fun. It is essentially a
robotic MP3 playing robot that dances to the music you play. It
comes with Rolly Choreographer software to create your own
motions and even share them online with others. But if you don’t
want to create your own it comes with an Auto and Self Motion
modes which will analyse the music and create the type of style
dance you request. It also comes with Bluetooth streaming
(A2DP), 5 hour battery life, 2GB of storage, high quality
speakers with 180 degree baffle effect. - more
info…
40″ OLED TV

Currently your best bet for an OLED is the Sony
XEL-1 which
I also included in my top Christmas gadgets list. It’s not the
best price screen per inch but certainly is the best looking on
the market. But as with all good technology the price will start
to come down and screen sizes will go up. Samsung
have already prototypedearly
this year a 40″ Full HD OLED display with 1920 x 1080
resolution, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and is under 1cm thick.
Samsung therefore have proved it can all be done so it just a
case of making them at a consumer friendly price and I think
next year they will we will see these large sized OLEDs
appearing. - more
info…
New Google Android Phones

Not long ago Google announced that the source code at the core
of its Android platform would be available for free to anyone
wanting to use it and develop with. This open source approach
has opened up the market to more phones manufacturers and
developers able to make Android based phones but it also means
there will be a host of application to download for it - and I
suspect we will see more useful applications than the mainly
games ridden App Store on iTunes (I want a good Exchange Mail
client). It looks like Asus, Motorola andSamsung will
be the next to follow Kogan and
the rather averagely designed HTC
G1 with
a Google Android phone early next year, hopefully making the
most of the Android platform finally. - more
info…
Also look out for the new Palm iphone killer - the Pre. It looks to be a top contender in the touch screen phone market and I’m pleased that as with all the other iphone killers they have included a slide out keyboard.
Touch Screen Eee PC & Eee Keyboard PC

Again the Eee PC was mentioned in my top gadgets of 2008 and due
to it’s success, 4 million sales to date, and Asus have some new
devices planned for next year. One of the most innovative
devices is the Eee
Keyboard PC which
will be featured at CES 09. The CEO of Asus, Jerry Shen, has
also apparently announced a
touch screen Eee PC laptop early 2009 capable of running Windows
7 (below) - but I’m not holding my breath. However something
that is more promising is the Eee Top All-in-one touch screen
desktop which should be available this year and I think this
will make it big next year. Currently launched in white only
with 1.6GHz Intel Atom, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive, 15.6″ screen,
Window XP, 1.3 megapixel camera, Wi-fi, built in speakers and
enough ports to keep you more than happy - look out for this
one, prices will be around £450. - more
info…
Resident Evil 5 (PS3)

Resident Evil 5 is
the most anticipated game of 2009 for me (I have some others Heavy
Rain, Streetfighter
IVand Gran
Turismo 5 -
but just not as excited about these. 1up.com has an excellent
list of 25
of the hottest video games of for 2009 -
that is worth checking out, albeit I think they have missed a
few like Resident Evil 5).
This game from the Toyko Game Show looks so polished already that I just know it is going to come out as a real eye popping next gen game. Most of RE5 remains under wraps at the moment: there’s no word yet on how the weapons purchasing or upgrading will work, no details on which flavours of co-op will be available, and the long-hinted-at cover system hasn’t been revealed yet too. But given the release date of March 2009 with the game’s already looking solid: the AI seems smart, and the levels I have seen were filled with details and strategic options. With the controls they have opted to refine RE4’s revolution, and, if the game isn’t quite as good as scaring you in the hard African daylight as it was in the misty half-darkness of previous titles, it’s still able to bring on a visceral thrill as the crowd gets closer. It’s more about tension and full-on panic that the sudden shock approach from previous incarnations and I think this is a clever evolution. - don’t miss out pre-order today…
New Intel Chip - Codename Nehalem

This is the next generation of chip sets from Intel - codenamed
Nehalem. It brings a critical change not just to the processor
but also in the way it communicates with memory and other
processors. Intel have branded this as the QuickPath
Interconnect (or QPI). QuickPath involves two main ingredients -
one is a built-in component called a memory controller that is
separate on today’s Intel chips; integrating this memory
controller reduces communication delays in transferring data to
and from memory. All in all this should mean a dramatic increase
in memory latency and bandwidth improvements with initial
reports of as much as 3 times performance increases on today
chipsets. They are expecting to sell “Nehalem” processors with 8
cores on a single slice of silicon in 2009. - more
info…
Nintendo DSi

I only actually got a DS lite this year but one thing that I
like over the Sony PSP is that it is very much built on the more
is less approach. Everything is very simple and works well. This
new DSi from Nintendo builds on the DS with some good and bad
features:
- 12% thinner than the DS lite
- 0.3 megapixel camera
- Larger 3.25″ screen (DS lite has 3″)
- SDHC slot - which can be used to playback audio
- 256MB of internal flash memory
- New DSi shop
- Upgradable firmware
However due to the smaller design the battery is not quite as good and the Guitar hero on tour grip isn’t compatible due to the GBA slot being removed. Otherwise it’s a great new handheld console that will no doubt be as successful. The DSi has recently been released in Japan and will hit the UK and US in Spring 2009 - find out more…
2009 BMW M3 Convertible

A little bit more pricey than any of the other gadgets here but
the 2009 BMW M3 is certainly one to look out for. With 15
impressive years in the world of motoring, the straight-six
power unit is now giving way to a truly worthy successor. The
new BMW M3 comes for the first time with an eight-cylinder power
unit. This new V8 muscle engine offers 414 bhp and a peak torque
of 295 lb-ft at 3,900 RPM with 85% available throughout the
speed range of 6,500 RPM (revving all the way to 8,400 RPM). The
exterior of the new BMW M3 was designed and developed from the
start to give this M3 a truly unique and very traditionally
sporting look. One of the best gadgets in the M3 is the MDrive
which is the hub of the car and offers technophiles a host of
customisation and engine management features. Start drooling in
2009 for this one. - more
info…
Transparent Toaster

This transparent toaster allows you to see your bread while it
is toasting so you can make sure you never burn toast again.
This idea is based on a transparent heating glass technology.
Although the glass unfortunately does not currently get hot
enough to toast bread, the vendor explained with some research
and development this appliance will be hitting the shelves by
2009. The concept was developed by the Inventables Concept
Studio. - more
info…
USB 3.0 (Universal Serial Bus 3.0)

All you speed freaks out there look out for USB 3.0 coming soon.
Apparently the connector, although looking very different, are
back compatible - which is great news. The speeds we are looking
at for this bad boy is 4.8 Gbit/s (600MB/s) which will make it
the fastest consumer connector (Firewire
S800T is
a long way off). How does this compare to USB 2.0 that you will
no doubt be using now? Well USB 2.0 can manage a rate of just
480 Mbit/s (60MB/s) - that is a 10 fold increase to USB 3.0.
This isn’t quite as much as the jump from USB 1.0 to USB 2.0
which took speeds from 1.5 Mbit/s to 480 Mbit/s. Some other
benefits to the USB 3.0 update is a much improved and more
intelligent powering system. This isn’t likely to be available
till the tail end of the year though. - more
info…
Microsoft Window 7

Vista didn’t really do Windows brand any justice and Microsoft
have responded with promising a release or a new operating
system in 2009 - Microsoft Window 7. There are loads of
benefits to this new system and from looking at the Beta it
seems to fix a lot of the problems with Vista. Some of the new
functions to look out for:
-
Improved task bar with full screen preview.
This has always been a problem with users who open on average of 7 - 15 windows at once. I love the invisible window option. -
Jump Lists
A nice convenient way to reach recent files or files you want to access often. -
New User Interface
There is a bunch of new copy and paste features, more open, re-size, close, maximise, arrange windows options - but it still has the familiar windows style (in fact it does look branding wise just like Vista). -
Internet Explorer 8
Mozilla 3 is currently my choice of browser having lost my patience with IE7 and memory issues. IE7 is still much quick at opening that Mozilla but the overall experience isn’t as good. IE8 plans to fixs this and pull back some of the market share it is losing. Some new functions to look out for with this release are;-
Accelerators
Highlight text or info from a page and select from a number of online services like address look up and -
Webslices
Which monitors changes to websites like weather, sport scores etc.
-
Accelerators
-
Improved Device Management
A single device windows to manage all devices on a computer and Device Stage which allows you to interact better with devices seeing it’s status and run common tasks. -
Home Group
Home groups is a easy way to setup a home network. Microsoft has managed to make this extremely simple to share files, videos or music but with more security. - Faster and increased performance
- Extended battery life for laptops and portable devices
- Action Center to sort problems easier
-
Windows Touch
After all Microsoft’s work on their touchscreen devices and tables of recent this should be a great feature albeit I think devices that start using this will take a while to appear. The problems with touch screens like the Eee PC is that your arms starts to ache after extended use - but it is great for quick tasks like selecting a film, sending an email or checking some news. - Improved Voice and Handwriting recognition
This should start appearing mid 2009 and I hope to see Windows 7 SP1 (Service Pack) out by the end of the year - just in time for Christmas when gadget and electronics sales are up again. - more info…
BMW MINI - E

Now I have had a couple of the new BMW Mini and I am in anticipation of the next Mini Cooper S Works Clubman but there is also another new Mini to look out for - The Mini-E. It is first going to hit the US in 2009 with 500 of these first electric powered Mini’s. Powered by a 100% electric powered motor, 0 - 62 mph in 8.5 secs and a top speed of 95 mph - it’s not a bad performer. With much more environmentally conscious buyers this is a smart move from BMW who have generally sold petrol hungry cars. There is a field trial scheme available now where you can pay a fixed amount each month on a trial lease. - more info…
Wii Sports Resort

Nintendo Wii’s, as you will see below, big release near the end of 2008 has been the Wii Music. In 2009 it will Wii Sports Resort that you need to keep an eye out for - who isn’t a fan of Wii Sports and wants more activities? This game will make use of the Wii MotionPlus accessory, making gestures and movement even more precise. It will come with many more games including new sword play, power cruising, disc dog and a host of others. - more info…
Gadgets released this year but big in 2009
Wii Music

The Wii, Wii Fit and Wii Sports have been a big success and
Nintendo are hoping to further that with Wii Music. Wii Music is
a music video game for the Wii that simulates playing musical
instruments using the Wii Remote and the Wii Balance Board and
definitely looks like bags of fun but not sure what market they
are aiming it at. Wii Music was originally suggested as a Wii
launch title, but was not released at launch and received little
coverage until recently. It will have a job to take the “Simon
says” type game crown from Rockband and Guitar Hero, which are
recognised as the king of the genre, but if any platform can do
it - Wii can. Wii Music will be available in 2008. - more
info and prices (UK) / (US)
Blackberry Storm 9500

The Blackberry Bold 9000 made it to my top gadgets for Christmas
and 2008 and the Storm 9500 sees RIM taking it further by adding
a full touch screen (the first Blackberry without keys and their
attempt at an iPhone killer). It also has more multimedia
emphasis than usual for a Blackberry - with a fantastic 480 x
360 pixel display, 3.2 Mega pixel camera, 1GB on board storage
and video support for MPEG4 H.263, MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile,
H.264, WMV. The Blackberry Storm should make a release at the
end of 2008 and after a firmware upgrade it should be a top
gadget phone in 2009. - more
info…
Sony Bravia Z4500 with Motionflow 200Hz

Usually this is something I would of expected from Philips but it’s a world first for Sony. They have taken their already excellent Motionflow 100Hz technology (doubling the number of frames you see on screen) and doubled that technology again. This results in a tremendous 200 frames per second – quadruple the standard frame rate of other no 100Hz TVs. It certainly removes the blurring you can get on fast moving films and sports and is a lot easier on the eyes, but it is reaching the critical point at what frame rate our eyes can actually achieve.
Intelligently adding new frames, Motionflow 200Hz takes every high speed scene and plays it back in silky-smooth, crisp detail – even cutting out blur effects. The technology works by multiplying the number of frames you see on screen. New ones are inserted into fast-moving sequences, like the flight of a ball for instance, to smooth out the motion. Based on information it gets from the before and after frames in every sequence, Motionflow predicts motion in all directions and cleverly creates brand new pictures based on this information. So existing frames aren’t just copied - find out more (UK)…
True 3D Satellite Navigation

True 3D satellite navigaion units have started to surface at the
end of this year but none of them as yet have impressed as
promised. However the concept of seeing your surroundings in a
much more 3 dimensional space is definitely something is going
to keep sat nav sales up. Tomtom, who for me make the best sat
navs currently on the market, will be releasing a new 3D range
in 2009. It will be interesting to see how well they they stack
up to the current 3D
NavMan S50 sat
navs which already offer 3D landmarks of more than 1,000
European buildings.
Further Reading
- Time’s Best Inventions of 2008
-
Gizmodo’s Best Gadgets to come in 2009
(Their list includes hints of another new 2009 iPhone). - Tech Crunch - 2009: Products I can’t live without
- Wired 2009 Predictions
What would you say are the best Gadgets to look forward in 2009?
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