Five technology trends that will define 2009

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We are nearing the end of the first quarter of 2009, and we think that based on what we’ve seen happen already this year, combined with some announcements of things to come, that we can start to make sense of what 2009 will look like when we look back on it. For instance, we think consumers will see a number of technological advancements in the devices they buy—the laptops, media players, gaming systems, and televisions. That’s always the case. However, we think there are a handful of trends that will dominate the consumer technology market, and we thought we’d take a look at five of them here. Let’s get started:

GPS Everything
It seems that mobile phones and GPS can’t be kept apart these days. With the release of Apple’s wildly successful iPhone 3G, GPS has become a standard feature on many of today’s advanced mobile devices.

While GPS used to be reserved for geeky standalone gadgets, like that of a Garmin or Tom Tom, being able to locate yourself wirelessly is now firmly in the realm of cell phones. And that’s just the start. Expect to see GPS penetrating a greater number of tech devices in 2009.

High Definition
2009 is the year that the United States will switch entirely over to digital television signals. High Definition imaging is poised to capture its biggest chunk yet of the TV and displays market.

The introduction of Blu-ray in the past few years has meant that many newer laptops, desktops and, of course, gaming consoles (PS3) now come equipped with Blu-ray readers and writers, at little to no cost above the average prices or such devices. With the huge HDTV sales of the 2008 holiday shopping season, expect prices to stay low and demand for HD programming to increase.

Fingerprint Security
As more of our daily lives are stored digitally by some form of technology, digital security for our sensitive information is rapidly becoming an issue. Some new laptops and cell phones are equipped with a track pad capable of fingerprint recognition. This technology is quick and effective, and it can be scaled down for use on a variety of technologies. So as our digital privacy needs soar in 2009, look to built-in fingerprint scanning to help limit the risk.

Open Source
Open source software is nothing new. However, for years it has been useful only to those with technological savvy and a keen desire to seek such third-party programs out for use on their digital devices.

With the release of the G1 Google/T-Mobile phone and the popularity of Linux-based netbooks, expect Open Source software to boom in numbers and power during 2009, as creative computing becomes truly communal. Expect to see a lot of mapping tools, finance programs, local search applications and games created by people all over the world.

Ubiquitous Touch Screen
Buttons are so early-2000s! Touch-screen technology started to gain a real foothold in personal electronics devices over the last couple of years, with the advent of the iPhone and other touchy-feely devices. The Blackberry soon followed suit, releasing its own touch-screen model in late 2008.

Both models forgo the traditional arrangement of physical buttons, opting instead for simulated touch-screen buttons. This saves space, looks good and leaves open the option to add other functions.

Multi-finger touch recognition is more advanced, and in 2009, we can expect to see touch screens slowly but surely replace buttons and knobs on our laptops, cell phones, iPods and other devices.