4 Tech Breakthroughs that affect you.

In all the gloom and doom that has hit every industry including tech, you might have missed some important developments and advances that will in 2009 become a bigger part of your vocabulary. I believe that the following technologies have the potential to make the work we love more efficient and fun.


4. Flash Memory
Many mp3 players and other devices have flash drives. These drives are responsible for the ability of your iPod, digital camera to be thin and light. Tech giants like Intel are now working to make flash drives more widespread in business systems. Big name support is great for this technology - as this will drive widespread adoption and thus lower prices. Otherwise known as solid state drives, flash memory offers faster response and lower power requirements than conventional hard disk drives.

3. USB 3.0
Expected out in the middle of 2009, this currently ubiquitous standard for data transfer will get a speed bump of about 10 times. It will also get an increase in the amount of electrical current that can be delivered through the USB cable. You will now have less reason to carry around multiple chargers and will be able to charge more devices directly from your computer. Also, the charge time will be shortened.

2. Flexible Displays
Imagine a thin paperlike display that you can fold or have sewn onto a pocket of your favorite shirt. While this sounds like science fiction, you may be using it sooner than you think. Researchers and engineers from the U.S. Army, Arizona State University, Hewlett Packard (HP) and other startups have all made various breakthroughs that bring this closer to plausible reality.

1. Android (Google Phone)
Google Inc. may one day rule the world. An important step along the way will be the release of Google Android, the search giant's entrance into the mobile phone market. Android is the software (Operating System) that will provide the functionality - touchscreen, contacts, dialing etc to the so called "gPhone" . Android is free, i.e ordinary Joe and Motorola have equal access to its use without having to pay royalty. has has a growing developer community and at least six phone manufactures are planning to release Android phones next year (2009). While this won't supplant iPhone as number one for a while, look for many more carriers besides AT&T to have this offering.