Summing-up 2010 Technologies

By: Mohamed Al Jneibi (@maljunaibi)

So it is that time again, the time we sit back and reflect the year that had come and gone. Like many historical moments that are scattered in our memories, there were moments that will make 2010 a special year, well, at least for me.

There is no denying to the power of social media. 2010 was a strong year for social media, both literally and in the box office with the critically acclaimed drama movie: “The Social Network”. Twitter became a force to be reckoned with, Facebook launched an email service, and outlets around the world started understanding the power behind social forms of communications.

It was also the year where multi-touch technology (epitomized in the form of Apple’s iPad) became mainstream. An area that was still in much development, and where there were “simple and honest” tries in making it latch on to the market. In 2011, we will start to see the concept of “NUI” (Natural User Interface) catch on to our lives too. The way we interact with our computer systems will also start to change, while it may take more than a year to see this vision become a bit of reality, we would have a head start with the iPad, Galaxy Tab (which I am currently using), Playbook, Streak, and others guide us slowly to this new technology revolution.

Another interesting phenomenon caught on during 2010 (even though it had been around for 4 years), and that was the rise of the whistle blowing site: WikilLeaks. Information suddenly became mainstream news, and the topic of much debate. It is obvious that websites like WikilLeaks can stir up public emotions and debate. As a key learned lesson, governments and organizations are now coming to grips with the importance and necessity of being a transparent entity. Businesses today have a lot to learn from the various events happening in the Geo-political sphere.

Another area of advancement this year was the way we do charities and bring awareness to causes around the world. Social media websites have pushed causes to the right demographics. Thanks to the social media, people were able to globally mobilize resources for two very devastating disasters: the earthquake in Haiti, and the floods in Pakistan. With the ability to transfer funds to the charity groups being done by the click of a mouse, we are now able to see the full holistic efforts being taken to ensure that our help is reaching the disaster stricken areas of the world.

World Cup 2010 was the first World Cup held in Africa, and where certain games were broadcasted in 3D, which is another interesting trend that had been catching on within the film industry. Today, we are constantly seeing movies that offer the 3D experience to moviegoers. On a side note, I was extremely delighted at the remake of the A-Team, do not ask me why. Another movie that was worth the wait was Iron Man 2, and Tron Legacy (which is also in 3D).

YouTube continues to empower people around the world, and become the site that everyone loves. Year 2010 was the year of rising virals such as Antoinne Dodson and that lady from the “Backin’ up” video as well.

And finally, on to video games, the one industry that never disappoints. With new online gaming releases like Aion Online, another mammoth release (well at least for me that is) was the new World of Warcraft expansion: Cataclysm. Gaming consoles fully embraced the concept that made the Nintendo Wii such a success, and that is the use of your physical body in your gaming experience. Microsoft released the long awaited Kenetic (formerly known as Natal) for the X-Box 360, and Sony released the “Move” for their Playstation 3 platform. If anything can be said here, it would be that our video gaming experiences are becoming “healthier”, and maybe that is a good thing.

If I can end the year with a quote that defines the year 2010 (at least to me) it would probably be this: “True intellectual heritage cannot be bound up in intellectual property.” – Julian Assange (speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald).

Technology is going to lead that way of thinking.

Wishing everyone a fruitful 2011 to come.

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