New Transforming Technology

Why do you think that the lives of the average person will be transformed because of technology?

The direction that some technology is moving in strongly suggests that there are certain reoccurring themes. Those themes revolving around networking the entire house and networking your life. These life networking measures are predicated on the average person having more than one computer, laptop, cell phone, and an internet connection at home. I think that there are at least three devices that you can expect to see as a staple in most homes.

What is the first device that you think that we will see in homes?

I think that that a networked media center will become a mainstay in most homes. For those that don’t know, a networked media center is similar to a TiVo or DVR with the exception that there is no monthly service charge and it can be independent yet integrated with satellite and cable services. A good example of this is the WD TV Live. This device is networked with your home network and allows you to load your own videos, music files, and photos to the hard drive on the TV Live. Also, you have access to apps as you would on your phone.


How does the WD TV Live differ from the next device?

The second device is Google TV, and although they share some of the same features, their differences are noteworthy. Google TV has similar audio, video, and app features as the WD TV Live. What it doesn’t have is a hard drive installed. It is dependent upon your home network to provide the necessary media files. The difference is that Google TV has added features like picture in picture which allows you to either watch two shows simultaneously or go online while still watching your show. Also, because it from Google you have the added functionality of Google TV integrating with all of the other Google products including Google Plus, your Android operating system phone and tablet.

What is the final device?

The final device is a home network attached storage. A network attached storage device is essentially a hard drive that anyone on your home network can save and access files. Devices like the Pogoplug allow you to use any USB external storage device as not only as network storage device, but also to set up a personal or family cloud. This will allow you to access your files, photos, videos, and music anywhere in the world as long as you have internet access.

What will this devices cost?

You can expect these items to range in cost from $99-$150.


Websites

WD TV Live
Google TV
PogoPlug