Technology predictions for 2012

Rumour has it Apple will launch a television set in 2012. Making predictions about what Apple is planning is a risky business but here goes: I think we'll see an Apple TV set with content delivered as iOS-style apps.

Catch-up TV services, streaming films from Lovefilm and Netflix and live sport from Sky could be brought together to create an a la carte television offering. Certainly, it's unlikely to deliver everything and that will put off lots of viewers. The current offering of films and TV shows for British Apple TV users, for example, is far less comprehensive than it could be.

However, releasing a TV would encourage more providers to make their content available. I feel quite sure that this is what's coming. The only thing I'm not sure about is that it's coming in 2012. Even late 2012 might be too early for such a bold product. We'll see.

2. Kindle Fire lands in Britain

 

Amazon launched the Kindle Fire in the US at the end of 2011. Despite some mixed reviews, the budget tablet has been selling well - at least, according to the limited information that the online bookseller has made available. We had to wait a long time before the Kindle ereader was released in Britain but it's a fairly safe bet that we will see the Kindle Fire here before the end of 2012.

As production ramps up, it's possible that Amazon could be ready to expand outside the US in the spring but it's more likely that the Kindle Fire will launch internationally in the autumn, ready for the Christmas boom.

There's also a good chance that there will be a new version of the Kindle Fire by then - either a second, larger tablet or an improved version of the original. Amazon has a good record of improving the Kindle with each generation, so there's a good chance that British buyers will be getting a better product than the one which has launched this year in America.

3. YouView finally launches

Next year YouView, the long-awaited internet connected TV set top box from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, BT, Arqiva, and TalkTalk, is finally expected to make its much overdue debut.

It had been billed to launch in 2010, but has been best with delays due to technical glitches.

This year Lord Alan Sugar was brought on board to ferry the process along and get the boxes onto shop shelves. The proposition, self-styled as the next generation of Freeview, is meant to be a well executed product – but it remains to be seen what consumer appetite there is for YouView.

4. Google+ fails as a social network

Google+ is unlikely to beat Facebook as the world’s leading social network anytime during 2012. Plus after Facebook’s highly anticipated $100bn float, it will have a major war chest to invest in the site and spend on improving its reach.

In 2012 Google+ is more likely to become another feature of the Google suite of web products, rather than a killer social network which can rival Facebook’s dominance.

Certain Google+ features, such as ‘Circles’, are likely to be fun additions to the way people communicate and share certain bits of information on Google-owned sites, such as YouTube. However, it is highly unlikely that Facebook will have to worry about a major rival in the form of Google+ next year.

5. Grim for RIM

The BlackBerry maker looked increasingly out of its depth through 2011 as the mobile computing revolution was advanced by Apple, Google and Microsoft.

RIM lacks the enormous cash reserves of those rivals, its smartphones are dated (with updates disastrously delayed), its tablet is a debacle and its market share is plummeting. The spike in RIM’s low share price when it was revealed that Amazon had toyed with an acquisition shows that in 2012 the firm will be a major target.

The outlook if RIM tries to turn things around on its own, as its executives say it will, is grim.

6. Google antitrust woes

In 2012 we’ll discover if Google is a dangerous monopoly. Its dominance of web search is almost complete, but the question under consideration by the European Commission is whether Google abuses that dominance to promote its sideline businesses at the expense of rivals.

The evidence that has emerged so far doesn’t look great for Google. Eric Schmidt is already making conciliatory noises in the hope of reaching a settlement and avoiding the enormously costly and distracting legal quagmire that so damaged Microsoft in the late 1990s. 

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11 Innovative Plant Shaped Vase for Plant

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15 Creative and Unusual Umbrella Designs

We need umbrellas for sure during the raining day. While how many of you gusy do enjoy the time holding them? There are so many problem related to an umbrella, like dripping problem, storing problem, can’t handle strong wind… not mention most of them are black boring and plain. But those sorry basic so-called shields can be spectacular as well! Don’t believe me? Take a look at the 15 Creative and Unusual Umbrella Designs here; they vary from structural indulgences to conceptual capabilities.

1. Coffee Loving Umbrella

How many times have you been running down the street in the rain with your umbrella in one hand, coffee in the other, and whatever else you’re carrying awkwardly stuck under your arm? Well, thanks to Jung-Woo Lee’s cup holder umbrella, those days are no more.

Basically, the cup holder umbrella takes the idea of a cup holder from a car and combines it with an umbrella. So, you have a free hand for texting, waving, or whatever else you need it for.

2. Funny Umbrella – Sun Shade Hat

These umbrella hats are awesome! These are actual hats, to be worn on your head and provide shelter from sun, rain, snow, golf balls…These hats are a hoot for funny hat parties, Halloween parties, and other funny occasions. Wear one to your next golf tournament and let us know the reaction you get!

3. Goggles umbrella

The GOGGLES umbrella from 25togo is a playful parasol that is undeniably inspired by snorkeling equipment. The main feature is the see-through portion of the umbrella that is in the shape of goggles, hence the aptly titled GOGGLES umbrella

4. Knight’s Sword Handle Umbrella

A little chivalry can go a long way to make a dreary day a better one and the Knight’s Sword Handle Umbrella makes the battle a stylish one. The deceptively dangerous rain protector can be worn at the belt-line for the look of a classic rainy knight, or on the back for a more intimidating and battle-ready appearance.

No meteorological challenge is too much when you’re equipped with the Knight’s Sword Handle Umbrella. It is up to the dampening task whether that task be an irritating drizzle or a dangerous downpour.

5. Brass-Knuckle Umbrella

According to the designer, this brass knuckle inspired, Umbuster, has been “classified a Class 5 weapon by good and upright men and women of the Victorian Police. To have and to hold this accessory requires a weapons license and, or gun license.”

6. Heart Shaped Umbrella

Heart Umbrella Fill rainy days with love thanks to this funky umbrella! The Heart Umbrella is a must have for any romantic. Whilst closed, it looks like almost any other stylish brolly but once opened it takes the shape of a huge heart! Choose between a red, hot pink and candy pink umbrella to give you a lift on a cloudy day. Get noticed in any crowd and show everyone what a big softy you are with this Heart Umbrella.

7. Drip-Sealing Umbrellas – Yuento Magic Umbrella

If there is one thing I can’t stand about umbrellas (aside from the fact that I always lose mine) it’s that they get unbearably soggy after they’re useful. The Yuento Magic Umbrella solves this little problem. Instead of relying on those pointless fabric cases, it features a plastic case that converts into a handle when opened.

Although the Yuento Magic Umbrella won’t dry properly in its plastic encasement, it will certainly keep those drips away from your clothing. I mean, sometimes there’s no point of shielding yourself from the rain when you have to lug around a wet umbrella afterward.

8. Bamboo Umbrella

This rather strange looking invention is the world’s first biodegradable umbrella. The frame looks gorgeous and it is made from bamboo, which is of course, is a renewable resource. The clear canopy is a unique bio-plastic, biodegradable in less than five years.

This umbrella is called ‘The Brelli’, a 100% biodegradable umbrella. Good riddance to deflated black umbrellas littering city streets or piling up in landfills and neighborhood refuse bins. The Brelli aims to introduce us to a new era of rain gear – one where the life cycle of an umbrella is something that we can finally rely on and also factor into the seasons ahead with a clear, eco-friendly solution.

9. Helpful Umbrellas – ‘The Guide’ Shows Tourists the Way 

If you are a tourist exploring a rainy city, The Guide umbrella might be a cool alternative to GPS devices to show your around and keep you dry (or away from the scorching sun) at the same time. The creative umbrella design serves as a guide of sorts with a map of the city with highlighted cafes, restaurants and hot spots printed on the outside of the umbrella.

This particular design by Cansu Cender features a map of Istanbul, Turkey, but it can be easily adopted to any area and sold at tourism shops and bookstores in these places. 

10. Anti-Theft Umbrellas

Many offices and buildings do not allow bringing in wet umbrellas, and leaving them on the outside rack is just an invitation for someone to steal them. Mr. Funamizu solves this problem with his concept design, the Shacklie. It’s an umbrella with a handle that could be transformed into cuffs. Once you lock it, your umbrella will be a prisoner till you come back.

11. X-Ray Umbrellas

These carefully made umbrellas rock a seriously unique design (they are pictures of human bones) that is sure to grab a little extra attention. This cool umbrella concep is designed by Anastacia Spada. Composed of water-repellent sheets of skeletal film, her brilliant diy project is sure to cast rainy nights under a different shade.

12. wheel + seal umbrella

Terrible weather can make anyone easily depressed. For this reason, Taiwanese designers yu-ting cheng, yu-hsun chung and shaw-chen chen have created ‘wheel umbrella’ for children. Here the design features wheels that leave impressions of smiley faces on the floor using puddles left over from the rain.

13. Rain Brush Umbrella – Umbrella For Graffiti

Designer Liu Hsiang-Ling quite poetically brings out the relationship between an umbrella and the rain. Simple pleasures from the past that we have long forgotten; jumping into puddles or using a stick to draw in the sand! Her take is this Rain Brush Umbrella designed with a paint-brush (silicon) like tip, so that you can dip it into the nearest rain puddle and start drawing water graffiti on the sidewalk. A nice past-time if you’re waiting for a bus or something.

14. SENZ Umbrella

It is windproof in wind speeds up to 70 MPH! That means even in 70 mile an hour wind gusts this umbrella will not flip inside out! The unique patented construction and powerful, straight shapes of this umbrella will give you a new cutting edge style while effectively protecting you from the rain. SENZ umbrellas also feature Eye Savers – a tough connection between the fabric canopy and the frame specially designed with the front slanted down to protect your eyes from any possible harm.

15. Hands Free Umbrella for Stroller

My Blue BumbershootTM is the first hands-free umbrella for you, The Stroller Chauffeur.No longer must you suffer soggy strolls in the city. No longer must you sacrifice your hair, flair or footwear. Simply secure My Blue Bumbershoot to your stroller and you’re protected. My Blue Bumbershoot simply clamps onto your stroller. Attach it to virtually any type of stroller. My Blue Bumbershoot gives you the freedom to embrace the rain!

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10 Renewable Energy Sources

Energy is an inevitable requirement where we want development to take place. Many naturally occurring phenomenons contribute to producing this energy without damaging the environment. They are called renewable energy sources and they help to avoid pollution; both in urban and inaccessible locations on large and small scales. They form a sort of cycle without the deduction of any resource to generate the energy.

10. Tidal Power

The tidal power is not a very popular energy source, but has immense potential of becoming one in the near future. Tidal stream generators and barrage generation make use of tidal power. It is Eco-friendly and does not harm the environment at all. It follows the same principle as wind turbines, but instead of air, the generators rotate in water. Unlike wind and solar energy, tides can be predicted. Since time immemorial, tide mills have been driven directly from the relative motions of the Earth–Moon system and to a lesser extent from the Earth–Sun system. Lunar Energy, a British company was the first to establish a tidal farm in the coast of Pembrokshire in Wales, providing electricity to thousands of houses.

9. Wave Power

Predicting the direction of ocean and wave is a very difficult job, but is not impossible. Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy for pumping or desalinating water and generating electricity. In Europe, wave farms have been introduced, using floating Pelamis Wave Energy converters. They use a floating buoyed device and generate energy through a snaking motion, or by mechanical movement from the wave’s peaks and troughs. Wave power is not the same as the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean currents, although it is confused to be so often. We have been pursuing this technology since 1890 and the world’s first commercial wave farm is based in Portugal, at the Aguçadora Wave Park, which consists of three 750 kilowatt Pelamis devices.

8. Solar Power

Producing electricity by making use of the sun’s energy and the photovoltaic (PV) cells is called the Solar Technology. Solar cells are becoming more efficient, transportable and even flexible, allowing for easy installation. Let it be a calculator powered by a single solar cell or off-grid homes powered by photovoltaic disarray; PV can power applications of all sizes.  The 1973 oil crisis stimulated a rapid rise in the production of PV during the 1970s and early 1980s. Steadily falling oil prices during the early 1980s, however, led to a reduction in funding for photovoltaic R&D and a discontinuation of the tax credits associated with the Energy Tax Act of 1978. These factors moderated growth to approximately 15% per year from 1984 through 1996. Since the mid-1990s, leadership in the PV sector has shifted from the US to Japan and Germany.

7. Wind Power

Wind farms installed on agricultural land or grazing areas, have one of the lowest environmental impacts of all energy sources. Wind turbines are used to convert wind energy into electrical or mechanical energy. Wind energy has historically been used directly to propel sailing ships or converted into mechanical energy for pumping water or grinding grain, but the principal application of wind power today is the generation of electricity. Spain, Portugal, Germany, Ireland; Europe is leading the world in the production of offshore wind power. United States and China’s priority was on land wind resources where construction costs are lower but transmission costs are less where population centers along coastlines are near offshore wind sources.

6. Hydroelectricity

This is the most widely used form of renewable energy. The gravitation force of falling water is the key point in hydroelectricity generation. In remote areas, small scale hydro plants are installed in rivers and streams with little effect to the fish or environment. Instead of dams to diverge the water, water wheels generate energy for specific industrial purposes. Dedicated hydroelectric projects are often built to provide the substantial amounts of electricity needed for aluminium electrolytic plants, for example. In Suriname, the Brokopondo Reservoir was constructed to provide electricity for the Alcoa aluminium industry. New Zealand’s Manapouri Power Station was constructed to supply electricity to the aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point.

5. Radiant Energy

99% of the cost of normal electricity can be saved by the use of radiant energy. It performs the same functions, but does not possess behavior identical to electricity. The Methernitha Community in Switzerland currently has 5 or 6 working models of fuel less, self-running devices that tap this energy. Nikola Tesla’s magnifying transmitter, T. Henry Moray’s radiant energy device, Edwin Gray’s EMA motor, and Paul Baumann’s Testatika machine all run on radiant energy. Fractionation is a method of collecting natural energy from surroundings or extracting it from electricity. Nikola Tesla built one of the earliest wireless telephones to be based on radiant energy. The resonances of the transmitters and receivers of the device were tuned to the same frequency, allowing them to communicate.

4. Geothermal Power

Geothermal power extracts earthly energy through natural processes providing heat to either a single residential unit or producing energy through a geothermal power plant. Its cost effectiveness, reliability, and environmental friendliness has no longer limited it to areas near tectonic plate boundaries. Home heating has encouraged the range and size of viable resources to expand considerably. The largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California, United States. Most of the cost of electrical plants goes to drilling since it does not require any fuel. At present 24 countries are making use of this technology and potential sites are into consideration.

3. Biomass

Living and recently dead biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production can be classified as biomass. Dead trees, branches, yard clippings, woodchips bio-fuel, biodegradable wastes, many types of plants including miscanthus, switch grass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow, sorghum, sugarcane, and a variety of tree species, ranging from eucalyptus to oil palm (palm oil), all come under the flag of biomass. The type of plant affects the process, although the end products are pretty much the same. This industry is growing, reducing the reliance on oil by more than one million barrels per year, and by recycling sugar cane and wood waste, preserves landfill space in urban communities. 0.5 percent of the U.S. electricity supply comes from biomass power generating establishments.

2. Compressed Natural Gas

If you need fossil fuel replacement for gasoline, diesel, or propane, Compressed Natural Gas is the solution for you. It is cleaner and safer to use as it diffuses easily into the surroundings if leaked. However, burning it does release a few greenhouse gases in the air. CNG is used in traditional gasoline internal combustion engine cars that have been converted into bi-fuel vehicles (gasoline/CNG).  These are becoming widely known in Europe and South America due to increasing gasoline costs. Light-duty passenger vehicles and pickup trucks, medium-duty delivery trucks, transit and school buses, and trains are also making use of CNG as a result of high fuel prices and environmental concerns.

1. Nuclear Power

Nuclear fission is used to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. Utility scale reactors are use to produce steam which is then converted into mechanical work for the purpose of generating electricity or propulsion. Some say that Nuclear power reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil while others argue that nuclear power is a potentially dangerous energy source. Much debate is going on about its usage although in 2007 14% of the world’s electricity came from nuclear power; US, France and Japan playing a major role in this. France reprocesses its nuclear waste to reduce its mass and make more energy. Reprocessing can potentially recover up to 95% of the remaining uranium and plutonium in spent nuclear fuel, putting it into new mixed oxide fuel.

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10 Things Apple Accomplished Under Steve Jobs

With 320 Million iPods, 135 Million iPhones, 35 Million iPads and counting, Steve Jobs is a man who is least likely to be forgotten for generations. The world lost a visionary, a genius on October 5^th, 2011; the founder of the greatest companies; Apple, NeXT and Pixar.

Last week has been the saddest week in the tech. world and even more for the most valuable company in the world, Apple announced Jobs’ death, saying, “Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

Steve Jobs died at the age of 56, he had been suffering from pancreatic cancer. His death was widely grieved and his absence will be felt by people all across the globe, and even more by the fruit company. Following are Apple’s accomplishments with the greatest innovator our time has seen.

1.    Apple Computers

In 1975, Steve Jobs along with co-founder and engineer Steve Wozniak started assembly of Apple I, under the supervision of industry vet Ronald Wayne. Just a year later on April 1, 1976, they laid the foundations of Apple Inc., a company that none knew then would revolutionize the tech. world.

 The first computer, the Apple I was released a year later 1976 was a little more than a circuit board and was sold for $666.66. The Apple I was a major attraction to the DIY hackers of the time since it came without a keyboard, monitor and even a power supply. The first Apple computer was released at the Homebrew Computer Club. With only 200 computers produced, Apple I was showcased at the Personal Computing Festival.

Apple Inc. hit the jackpot through the production of the first mass-market personal computer, the Apple II in 1977. The computer became a huge success in the US and came as a fully dressed desktop with a handsome case. The Apple II had a slimmer version released in 1984, which was friendlier and aesthetically appealing, looking equally attractive at homes and in the office.

2.    Macintosh

Launched on January 24, 1984, at the Apple’s annual shareholder meeting. The fruit company became the pioneers of modern computers by integrating two things that are now common, a graphical user interface (GUI) and a mouse with one button.

Steve Jobs was truly a visionary when he took over the Macintosh project and launched it with a massive media campaign with a minute long TV commercial that seems more amazing now than ever.

3.    LaserWriter

It wasn’t the first desktop laser printer to hit the market, but the LaserWriter was created for the Macintosh in 1985. The $7,000 USD machine was bigger than your average microwave. The LaserWriter could even print out newspapers if connected to the desktop and primarily used the PostScript language giving users an edge over the page layout, text options and graphics

The LaserWriter was launched on the same day as the application that brought it down, the Aldus PageMaker.

4.    iMac

Steve Jobs resigned from Apple in 1985 and created NeXT and Pixar, and came back to Apple in 1997. He marked his return with the release of the new revolutionary Mac, the iMac on May 6, 1998. The new refined desktop PC kicked the previous PC box out of the market. The colored desktop spread the technology market like a wildfire.

The iMac used the updated technology and became a laudable successor of the original Macintosh desktop computers. The iMac’s all-in-one design is still used by iMac and is still copied by other PC manufacturing companies.

5.    Power Mac G4 Cube

Steve Jobs had first carried out his dream, designing this cube-shaped computer at NeXT. Although that failed at NeXT, Jobs accomplished his dream at Apple. On January 5, 1999, he introduced the new Power Mac G3 and the color iMacs at Macworld San Francisco.

Jobs worked with Apple designer Jonathan Ive to shape the new Power Mac line. In 2000, they finally managed to achieve an eight inch acrylic cube but the Power Mac G4 Cube failed. The $1,800 disk drive had multiple problems along with the case developed stress cracking easily. The Power Mac G4 Cube was discontinued a year later.

6.    iPod

Released in 2001, the $400 USD MP3 player came out creating a new era of digital music players. With a 5 GB hard drive, the early iPod had one slight problem – it wasn’t synchronized with the Windows machines. The problem was later fixed.

Steve Jobs unveiled the first Windows compatible iPod on July 17, 2002. The iPod paved a new path to the way we bought and listened to our music. The gadget with its compact size and a large music store has, till now, evolved in various colors and models, and has dominated the sales in US.

7.    Mac OS X 10.0

In 2001, Steve Jobs ordered a more refined form of the Mac operating system and eventually on March 24, 2001, Mac OS X was released with a retail price of $129 and version number 10.0. Jobs promised the newer version 10.0 of the Mac OS as a true “next generation” OS.

It would be an understatement of the century to say that Mac OS X was eagerly awaited by users. Apple had been trying to come up with the perfect successor to the previous classic version of the Mac OS for 15 years prior its release.

8.    Intel MacBook Pro

In 2005, Jobs announced that Apple will be switching from PowerPc processors to the Intel processors in the future Macs. In 2006, Steve Jobs introduced the first two Macs at MacWorld – the iMac and the MacBook Pro. So the first MacBook in the series was the Intel MacBook Pro released in January 10, 2006.

The transformation to Intel’s Core Duo Chips showed drastic improvements in the Macs, especially in the MacBooks. Sales soared as the clocking speed of the Mac improved.In 2008, Apple came up with their MacBook Air known to be as the “world’s thinnest notebook”.

9.    iPhone

The first iPhone was showcased at the MacWorld 2007, where Jobs announced the three products Apple would release the following year, “A widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough internet communications device. An iPod, a phone and an internet communicator.”

The first smartphone by Apple went on sale on July 29, 2007 for $499 USD with an AT&T contract. The secret to the massive success of the iPhone was its touch-screen. With the coming year Apple has rolled out with many advanced versions of the iPhone. The latest being the iPhone 4S, which was launched just a day before Steve Jobs’ death.

Since the release of the first Apple iPhone in June 2007, Apple has sold nearly 100 million iPhones so far.

10. iPad

The much anticipated tablet by Apple was unveiled on January 27, 2010. The Apple iPad became the pioneer of the other tablet computers, a device many people scoffed at saying that only early adopters would own it. Apple proved them all wrong.

When the iPad was presented by Steve Jobs, he called it a “magical device”. The iPad proved at the critics wrong when the sales went up and many Apple outlets went short on the device.

Even with all the competitors coming up with their own tablets, the iPad has still managed to stay on top becoming the most popular tablet in the world. In 2010 only, Apple sold up to 15 million iPad units.

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