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Business News/ News / Business Of Life/  Gadgets to look forward to in 2014
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Gadgets to look forward to in 2014

We find out what technology has in store for us this year

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Google Glass

NEW DELHI :

Across phones and televisions to wearable computers—we saw a lot of new developments throughout 2013 which couldn’t really gain traction. In the new year, some of these categories should really perform. Aside from this, we can probably hope for new devices such as hybrid PCs and ultra HD TVs, and more networked devices. A look at the trends gives us an idea of what to expect this year. Seven gadgets caught our eye, and we have examined these in detail.

Google Glass

With a proposed May launch for the general public, all eyes are on Google—can it actually pull this off? Aside from a number of issues with the technology, there is also no precedent here. Google doesn’t have a road map to follow because it is creating a new category.

It’s safe to say that an India launch will probably happen only after a significant delay—look at the Nexus launch schedule for an indication. Couple that with the high price of the Explorer Edition units and there is a small chance that we might not see the first version of Glass launch in India at all.

Today: Google Glass Explorer Edition, $1,500 (around 93,000)—the Explorer Edition is like a beta test, and an expensive one at that, but it places you right at the cutting edge.

Fitness bands

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We’re going to see plenty of new devices that will be announced at next week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, US, and they should be available in a few months. We’re hoping the price of these devices goes down. Hopefully, Apple and other smartwatch-making brands are also looking at ways to incorporate the technology used in these fitness devices.

Today: Fitbit One, 14,999—the current generation is limited in functionality, but is otherwise rugged, portable and has a good battery life.

iWatch

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While many were expecting the iWatch announcement around October, it’s likely that we will see the new device by March-April. There are a lot of things Apple needs to do to make this a success, such as battery life, design, display, apps and user interface—existing products get a few, but not all, of these things right. Given the high expectations from Apple, the company might even delay the launch to later in the year.

Today: Galaxy Gear, 22,990—its design and app support needs a helping hand, but it’s a good start for smartwatches.

Flexible screens

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We can probably expect to see these devices around summer, and expect only the high-end, expensive flagships to use this technology
at first.

Today: LG G Flex, around 60,000—the current technology isn’t flexible, but the curved Flex has an amazing display and any scratches on the back disappear automatically, thanks to its surface material.

Bigger screens

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Today: Lumia 1520, 45,999—future devices might make better use of big screens, but today, if you want a big screen, then the 1520 gives it to you with a great camera and power.

iPhone

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Based on the trends we’ve been seeing, we expect a new iPad by summer, and believe that a new iPhone will, as usual, come around October. The price of both the devices will probably not change significantly. Given the success of the iPhone 5s, it’s safe to assume both the devices will include the TouchID fingerprint sensor.

Today: iPhone 5s, 53,500—the latest iPhone is the best one, but only till the next one.

3D printers

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Sure, we’re a long way from downloading and printing a shoe, but newer printers like the CubeX are starting to let you print in more colours and materials, without requiring a commercial budget. In the next couple of years, this could become a huge segment of users.

3D printing is a small niche globally, and barely present in India. There is a definite interest in the concept though, and we’re seeing MakerBots and RepRaps being sold on bulletin boards among enthusiasts. We’re going to see that increase, and designs like the CubeX are lowering the bar for entry, so we can expect a few devices to become more readily available in 2014.

Today: MakerBot Replicator 2x, $2,399 (around 1.5 lakh)—this is already cutting-edge technology; future versions will be higher resolution, allow use of more materials, and most importantly, will be cheaper.

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Published: 31 Dec 2013, 07:27 PM IST
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