2010: What Lies Ahead

As 2009 concludes we look back at a year - and a decade - with mixed feelings. With the economic downturn it seemed the world turned a bit slower than usual, and "progress" would hardly be a fitting attribute of the past year. But now it is time to wake up from your economic slumber as the year 2010 has a lot to offer. So before you get the champagne ready and have your toast (along with the resolutions you won't keep), let's make sure we all know what great things are heading our way in 2010. In the following article I have put together some of the things that I am most looking forward to. After reading this I hope that you too will be excited about the year that lies ahead. Of course, leave anything I may have missed in the comments.

The Apple Tablet

With rumors dating back to 2002 and disappointment when it wasn't announced at the Keynote in 2003, it seems the dream of an Apple tablet Mac may finally be materializing. Some predict it will be announced as early as January, even though this will be the first year without a January MacWorld Keynote. Others believe we won't be hearing of it until the end of 2010, but we can be fairly certain that a tablet Mac is coming. Already the speculation is running high, and Apple-heads are wondering whether we will see a miniature Mac with a touch display, or rather a giant iPod. While most seem to be hoping for the first, I will count myself in to the minority of people who would like to see a ginormous version of the iPhone OS. The reason is that I believe this is the missing link in computing: I love my iPod and iPhone because they are so easy to use and are (generally) always on. No waiting for the device to boot or even come out of sleep mode: Push the button and you're ready to go. Apps launch almost instantaneously and the simplicity over their desktop counterparts give you what you want quickly - no more and no less. The only real downside I often feel is the size of the device. Nowadays, I often find myself using my iPod instead of my MacBook to browse the web simply because it is so easy to pick up and use. If I could get that in jumbo size - without too much extra weight please - then I'll be all over it. (Feel free to disagree with me in the comments).

Of course Apple is not the only one working on tablets, and if recent tech history teaches us anything, it's that Apple can start major trends that other companies will want to hop on quickly. So given all the Apple tablet speculation, some companies are trying to get ahead of Apple before they have even started. Newcomers Fusion Garage are just about to release the JooJoo, a tablet PC which has been causing headlines more absurd than its name. The video here shows how it works (and that Fusion Garage is in desperate need of graphic artists):

And not only the menu design has been raising eyebrows. The ongoing legal dispute with TechCrunch makes it questionable just when this device will see the light of day. As if that wasn't enough the JooJoo pre-order website violates the PayPal sales agreement. Until then we can feast our eyes on the upcoming Smartpad from Notion Ink, a 10.1 inch tablet PC with a yet unconfirmed release date.

Immersive Gaming

I recently purchased a Wii console with MotionPlus and Wii-Fit Balance Board so that I could combine video games with a bit of fitness (or so I tell myself). Aside from the fitness aspect, it was also the first console after a long time that I took interest in again. The games are simple but fun, and the motion sensitive control makes you feel more part of the game than ever before. It seems I am not the only one who feels this way, and in the past years the Wii has seen constant demand, with Nintendo being the only one of the big three to turn a profit off their console. That said, Sony and Microsoft have been busy working on their own version of immersive gaming and in 2010 things are about to get much, much more interesting.

First up in early 2010, Sony will release their Playstation motion controller which consists of a camera and a glowing orb. The idea is simple and used often in the movie and animation industry: The camera tracks the glowing the orb's position and size to determine its coordinates in 3D space. The controller itself has inertia sensors to determine its rotation and movement. On a side note, some time ago I implemented a similar program for the Mac, which I describe in this video here. But my meager demo does not compare to the cool ideas that the Sony devleopers show off in this video:

Though quite astonishing, I personally do not think this technology is all too much better than what the Wii offers now. Remember that the WIi can also determine the position of the Wiimote in the room (though I am not sure if the precision matches that of the orb). Neither the Sony nor the Wii can solve the problem of distinguishing between arm movements and movement of the entire body. Thus in many sports games such as tennis, the on-screen player usually does the walking automatically and cannot accurately mimic the players position in the room. The only real addition the Sony controller offers is the video aspect, so that the player can see him or herself on screen (and thus the actual position of the player in the room could be considered accurate). This augmented reality layer may be cool at first, but we'll have to see how quickly it wears off.

And if Microsoft delivers on its promises, both the Wii and Playstation will look like a thing from the stone age. The MS marketing folks have been busy getting gaming fans hyped up for the upcoming Project Natal, which should be released by the end of 2010. This technological marvel, consisting of a camera, microphone and depth scanner can detect and interpret full body motion - even of multiple people (if the videos can be trusted), detect faces and emotions, and understand spoken commands. This promotional video should give you a good idea of what is planned, and just how unbelievable this technology looks:

We will have to wait and see if Microsoft can deliver, but if they do, I think it is safe to say it will be a game changer for the video game industry.

Sports Highlights

After a rather lazy year of 2009, the upcoming twelve months will deliver some great sporting events. The first thing that comes to mind is the FIFA World Cup 2010, held in South Africa. While some believe preparations are not as far along as they should be, I am confident that we will see a great World Cup leaving people talking about little else (and most likely slowing productivity to a crawl). However, we will have to wait until June until the event kicks off (pun intended).

But there is enough going on until then. In February the Winter Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada. And whether you're into winter sports or not, with enough friends (and beer) even curling is a blast to watch. (Actually, with enough beer curling is the BEST sport to watch).

At the same time, Schumacher will be returning back to Formula One. His first official drive of the 2010 Mercedes car is due to occur on February 1st, 2010.

A New Era in Space Travel

At the end of the 1960s NASA revolutonized space travel by introucing the Space Shuttle program. The introduction of the winged manned spacecraft allowed astronauts to achieve orbit and glide back to earth and land like an airplane - all in a reusable spacecraft. Now, 40 years later the space shuttle is about to be retired. While good at carrying payloads to orbit and essential for the construction of the International Space Station, the shuttle program was never meant for carrying man beyond Earth's orbit. This is about ot change with the introduction of the Constellation program which will begin to materialize next year after the shuttle has been retired, and see the introduction of new space crafts in the following decade. These will allow NASA to bring men and women back to the Moon by the end of the decade, and later even to Mars.

However, if you are expecting the new space-crafts to resemble something you have seen in science fiction movies, you will be disappointed. NASA is building upon the knowledge and technology they obtained through the Apollo space program. The first space craft, Orion, looks much like the Apollo crafts of the Moon missions, where the crew is confined to a small capsule sitting on top of the boosters. Each Orion spacecraft will carry a crew of four to six astronauts. The capsule will be launched by the new Ares I vehicle.

There are still many ongoing debates, and some scientists believe it would make more sense to do planet and satellite fly-bys rather than landings, as costs for remote landings and take-offs outweigh their scientific benefits. Expect more answers and details to follow on this exciting topic in the coming year.

The Dawn of a New Decade

Last but not least: 2010 marks the beginning of a new decade. And in this case, that is a good thing, as even with my relentless habit of trying to find a bright side to everything, the last decade was definitely not full of good memories for mankind. Starting with terrorist attacks and war, and ending in financial disaster, the 2000's, noughties, one-ders or however you want to call them will surely not go down in history as a golden decade. But after rain, there comes sun, and now as we are reaching the end of these ten years, things are starting to look hopeful: The world is less divided and there is an overall feeling of hope in the air. The next decade will show if our hopes will be fulfilled, but turning back to my optimism, I have the feeling we may have learned a thing or two from the past years and will try to make things right in the years to come.