There is no doubt that in the last few years, Apple has been the bench mark for mobile phone innovations. However, this year offers a lot of promising cell phones which are of course, inspired by the thought of staging a serious competition against Apple. Touch screen phones will continue to dominate the market and new players such as Samsung, Nokia and HTC are geared up to etch their own names in the tech industry.

Mobile Phones Will Get Better This Year

As promised by mobile phone manufacturers, 2012 will be a great year for smartphones because of the following improved and new features:

• Memory - Internal memory of phones can stretch up to 128GB. This means that you will be able to store more songs, apps, photos, videos, documents, movies and many more.
• Touch technology - This will be the main technology mobile phones will use this year.
• Battery - A large increase in power awaits mobile phones.
• Maps and GPS - This will enable you to access locations with ease via your mobile phone.
• Faster internet connection - The new phones this year will provide you with faster browsing and improved processors.

Highly-Anticipated Mobile Phones in 2012

With the increasing reliance on mobile devices for Internet browsing, companies are now doing everything to come up with the ideal smartphones consumers will rave about and purchase. Here are some of the newest cell phone models that will make other people envious once you purchased your own piece:

1. Windows OS - improved web, battery, good widgets and totally wireless phone.
2. Blackberry Storm 3 - has better touch interface and equipped with more BB apps.
3. Nokia E7 - features an improved web, memory and interaction.
4. Acer Liquid - runs on Android and has a 5 megapixel camera.
5. HTC Evo 3D - offers free internet with free minutes and unlimited texts on different plans.
6. White iPhone 4S - has 1GB web and great touch interface.
7. Blackberry 9360 Black – features unlimited BB mail and unlimited Internet.
8. Prada Phone by LG – deemed as the world’s most stylish smartphone. It is 8.5mm thin and has dual core processor, 8 MP camera and 4.3” touchscreen.
9. Samsung Galaxy Note white - combines the benefits of a smartphone and a notebook.
10. Sony Xperia S - has 12.1 MP camera, 4.3 HD touchscreen and 1.5 GHz dual core processor.
11. Samsung Galaxy S Advance - a sleek smartphone with 1GHz dual core processor, 4” touchscreen and Android 2.3 Gingerbread with Touchwiz.

A lot of great mobile phones are slated to be released this year and the ones mentioned here are not even the half of it. Big players in the mobile market will continue to come up with better and powerful mobile phone ideas to satisfy the market’s craving for continuous technological advancements.

In the past decades, people can only imagine doing almost everything with their cell phones. Using mobile phones with a tap of the finger only existed in the realm of dreams and connecting to wireless Internet was just wishful thinking. Many companies have attempted to translate these things into reality, but only a few have succeeded. First, there is Apple. And now, there is Samsung – Apple’s toughest competition.

Unlike Apple which have been confined to the iPod, iTunes, Mac and iPad, Samsung has become a major player in the mobile market and the white goods as well. The big question now is this: is Samsung geared up to become the next Apple?

Of course, a gamut of different reactions will come up. Some experts claim that as long as the company competes against itself, Samsung will not succeed in creating an encompassing and compelling environment. The release of numerous iterations of the same laptop concept, the repeated and unnecessary television updates and selling so many cell phone models are just some of the critiques being thrown at Samsung. Others say that the company is “mercenary” because it drives its own products into obsolescence. It does not have control, consistency and thought on its product lines.

On the other hand, Samsung garners praises because of its leading status when it comes to television unit and cell phone sales. In 2011, Samsung was able to sell around 60 million units of their mobile device—a feat that nobody can deny. These skyrocketing sales can be attributed to that “mercenary” quality of the company because it is fine to use anybody’s operating system as long as they put the Samsung phones into boxes and the customers buy those phones.

Aside from being the biggest TV and phone manufacturer, Samsung also rolls out some washing machines, tablets, and software. Samsung’s triumph is not certain as the tech market is fluid. Apple and other companies can still find their way to topple down Samsung in the next few years.

Apple is set to outsource their manufacture, which means that they won’t be able to compete on price especially in cases when they are purchasing panels from Samsung. However, extending support, limiting product release cycles and developing an ecosystem of complimentary software and media are the things Samsung has opted to avoid and will continue to ignore. There is no definite answer to the posed question, but one thing is for sure—Samsung possesses a winning model but it has to pave its own path and not just aspire to become the next Apple.

Solid –state drives (SSD) provide faster transfer and quieter operation than hard-disk drives. Since it has no moving parts, an SSD is also less fragile. SSD is increasingly becoming popular in ultraportable laptops because of its light weight.

Experts recommend the shift to SSD because of the many benefits that you can get from using it. If you are planning to make the big switch to SSD, here are some useful tips that can help you install your SSD properly.

Before you decide to upgrade, identify first whether an SSD is perfect for your needs. If your computer runs on Windows XP, the upgrade is not worth it. Search for the laptop models that are SSD-compatible to spare yourself from doing the mistake.

Installing a SSD to Your Laptop – The Steps

• If your laptop is compatible with an SSD, you are ready to install the upgrade. Removing the existing hard drive will vary among different laptop models.
• Check your computer’s manual to know how the drive is connected. This way, you will know the proper method of removing the old hard drive.
• Before replacing the boot drive, make sure to create a backup of the existing hard disk onto the SSD.
• When the drive is ready to install, shut down your laptop or computer and unplug it.
• Turn the gadget upside down and remove its battery to ensure that all power leading to the motherboard and all the components attached to it is switched off.
• Have yourself grounded by touching anything that is metal each time before you touch the device or buy a grounding wrist strap from your local electronics store.
• Check the mounting arrangement of your laptop. A plate or some straps that connect to the frame and to the mounting holes are the most common. In side-mounted drives, the mounting just slip in or out with a push or tug. Segregate the screws according to location and sizes.
• Once you have removed the old drive, reverse all the steps and install the SSD.
• Replace the battery and put the device into its upright position.
• Boot up the laptop. If there is nothing unusual that you hear, see or smell, the upgrade is okay.
• Allow it to boot and load drivers that it needs. If needed, reboot the laptop.

The steps provided above are only meant for those who wish to install an SSD to their laptops. So if you want to install an SSD in a desktop system, make sure to acquire a drive bay adapter. This is required to be able to perform the upgrade.

Every year, expect to see some of the freshest, hottest and newest gadgets from the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Hailed as the world’s largest technology show, CES is where you will find everything that you want to have. Before creating your own wish list, take a sneak peek at some of the highly-anticipated devices for 2012.

1. Laptop that comes with built-in Kinect - The Kinect is a controller that follows the body’s movements to let you control games just by moving. Who said you need a controller to play your favorite video game these days?
2. iPad 3 – With its amazingly crisp display, Apple is all set to remain at the top of the tablet charts in the market.
3. 3D printer - Gone is the days of the old printers. The 3d printer can help revolutionize the way businesses create models, mockups and prototypes.
4. Super light and super thin ultrabook - If you are familiar with Apple’s MacBook Air, brace yourself for the release of other ultrabooks. These are very light and very thin laptops inspired by Apple’s baby and these have enough power to become your best buddy.
5. 4G mobile phones - These devices are geared to deliver super -fast internet access from our cell phones. You will really forget about the patchy 3G once you lay your hands on these gadgets.
6. Car compass - Designed to help car owners from wasting time and getting embarrassed. This discrete device uses arrows and pointers to help you find your car with just a touch of a button.
7. Nike Fuelband - If you have included a healthier and fitter body as one of your goals this year, you might consider having a Nike Fuelband. For people who promised to exercise regularly and eat healthier, this bracelet will allow them to set and monitor fitness goals on a daily basis. It has a built-in three-axis accelerometer that tracks movement.
8. Innergie PocketCell - This is ideal for smartphone users who need to charge their devices anywhere they go, anytime the battery drains up. This gadget has a built-in 2.1 Amp rechargeable battery to ensure that your smartphone gets charged.
9. Polaroid SC1630 - If you want to upload pictures to Facebook in a timely manner, use this smart camera. It has 3x optical zoom and the capacity to take 16MP photos. It also operates like a smartphone to allow you to access the Internet via Wi-Fi.
10. Sky Go Android - This will allow users to enjoy Sky Sports, Sky News, Sky Movies and other features.

Now that you know what gadgets are expected to grace the market this year, I’m sure you have already come up with a list in your mind. Know that more amazing technological creations are expected to come out this year so you might want to put off your plans of buying for now and see first what other technological goodies will catch your attention.

In the past few years, people all around the world have witnessed a number of great technological innovations. Since there is no other way but forward in the field of technology, we are sure to expect many more advancements this coming year. Brace yourself as we enumerate all the exciting technology trends worthy to watch out for this 2012.

• The mobile usage will increase - Mobile usage is set to offer a new set of data gathering possibilities via location awareness, tracking software and quick responses. Mobile commerce will also continue to grow as businesses capitalize on it.
• The Cloud will continue to rise – This year it is expected that web data storage will grow in popularity and will likely to the storage of choice for many.
• Platforms integration - Different media will be used to effectively engage in market research.
• All things will become portable - A plethora of gadgets such as tablets, smartphones and ultrabooks will continue to flood and dominate the market.
• Touch capabilities of gadgets will be ubiquitous - In the recent years, the touch-screen interfaces have revolutionized how millions of users interact with technology. Since there will be more touch interface devices in the market this year, expect ubiquitous presence of these amazing gadgetry.
• The concept of Augmented Reality (AR) will go mainstream - AR is no longer confined to science fiction. Tablets and smartphones are set to deliver a daily dose of augmented reality this year.
• Thick will be the new “thin”- Portable computing usage along with the AppStore Model will be bringing locally installed apps back in style.
• The use of voice will become more rampant - Touch capability is a great improvement but voice-based interactions are the way to go to free our hands.
• The Cloud will become the new norm - This year, cloud computing will no longer be an “edge market” because it will be widely adopted by huge businesses and even public sector organizations.
• The issue on location-based privacy will finally be addressed - During the past two years, location-based services were on the hot seat because privacy based on location generated a number of problems. Good news is that companies will adopt safer location-based privacy policies this year.
• 2012 is the year for “The Big Data”- There will be around 40% increase in data that needs to be managed and so the technology industry will start adapting the enterprise-ready high scale NoSQL products.
• Twitter will continue to become more useful and powerful - The social networking site’s use will be accelerated for a number of various uses.