The Emmy’s aired on Sunday night, and as all Hollywood hooplas do, the awards show captured some bling, some comedy, and some enchanting ensembles, but, most of all, the awards show showcased acting talent.
Whether its the Emmy’s, the Oscar’s, the Tony’s, the Grammy’s, or any of the other mega-spectacular awards shows, the amount of attention and buzz surrounding these events and Hollywood’s talent surprises us every time.
We love watching the red carpet, envying the aesthetic of some and mocking the fashion faux pas of others, of that there is no doubt. Similarly, as much as we hate to admit it, we get the chills when actors like Melissa McCarthy and Kyle Chandler finally get recognized for their acting prowess.
So, in honor of Sunday night’s Emmy Awards, we would like to recognize some of our favorite tech visions and achievements, starting with:
Best Vision for the Future of Smartphones
Nominees:
Mashable – If Moore’s Law is correct, technology will continue to evolve and improve, giving us the ability to shrink the size of our computers while increasing their speed, performance and overall capabilities. The future of the smartphone? A watch-like PMC (personal mobile computer) that will simultaneously influence your decisions while giving you constant access to both your digital and physical worlds.
Human Media Lab – A group of researchers from the Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada just released a prototype for a paper-thin smartphone with the same capabilities as an Apple iPhone! Head researcher, Roel Vertegaal, hypothesizes that within 5-10 years, all smartphones will be paper-thin, bendable appliances that will also enable people to draw and write directly on their surfaces. With their Paperphone prototype, maybe the researchers at Human Media Lab are right!
IDC Mobile Devices Technology and Trends – Smartphones won’t change all that much in the next 5-10 years. While smartphones might be thinner and lighter, they will maintain their 3.7 – 4.3 inch display size, but, in order to maximize the screen’s real estate, both sides of the phone will be functional. One possible vision is that one side of the phone will be a LCD or OLED display while the other side will be an electronic ink display.
Best Mobile Payment Option
Nominees:
Visa’s Digital Wallet System – Scheduled to be released Fall, 2011, Visa’s digital wallet system will use NFC, a short range wireless technology to complete transactions using smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. Instead of swiping a credit or debit card, consumes can use their smartphones, or other mobile devices instead. Visa’s end goal is for their technology to be open to all credit cards, not solely Visa cards, and to give consumers one place in which to store all sorts of personal information, including frequent-flier accounts, medical benefits, and even appliance warranty information.
Google Wallet – Also scheduled to be released in the near future, Google Wallet uses NFC technology to enable consumers to tap and pay with their smartphones instead of with credit or debit cards. As a mobile app, Google Wallet will also enable consumers to manage and utilize loyalty cards, gift cards, special offers, and Google Offers. in addition to standard credit cards. Initially, Google Wallet will support Citi MasterCards and Google prepaid cards
Paypal Mobile – Is introducing a new mobile payment option that does not use NFC (a
technology used by MasterCard and Visa’s digital payment options). Instead, Paypals system will enable smartphones to scan product bar codes and authorize payments through users’ Paypal accounts. As an alternative, users will also be able to input their phone numbers and Paylpal pin numbers on a terminal keypad instead of using a credit or debit card.
Best App Still Gaining in Popularity
Nominees:
Bump – Having just crossed the 50 million download barrier, Bump is a burgeoning application that makes it simple for users to share and exchange information. The app’s technology enables two users to “bump” phones (iPhones and Andriods) and immediately exchange information, such as songs, contact information, and games. Friends can also follow each other on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter using Bump.
Instagram – With Instagram, “photo sharing is reinvented!” This app has been downloaded over 10 million times, and has been used to capture over 150 million photos. This app makes it quick and easy to improve and customize the look of photos taken with mobile devices. Instagram also makes photo sharing a faster process and the distributing of photos across various platforms easy. Also, while only currently available for iPhones, there has been talk about Instagram for Androids being released in the very near future.
Angry Birds – Since Angry Birds was first introduced to the public, this game has gone viral! With an approximate 108 million users and counting, there seems to be no end to the growth and popularity of this pig fighting game. Considered by some to the the Solitaire of the mobile era, the popularity of Angry Birds does not seem to be abating. Guessing that means the next edition will be more exciting as a way of keeping us all coming back for more!
Best Space App
Nominees:
Eye on the Solar System – Created by NASA, this app enables Web users to explore the cosmos with a real-time, 3D application that lets users explore our solar system and the spacecrafts in it. With Eye on the Solar System, space travel is no longer out of reach!
Starmap – This mobile app lets iPhone users navigate space by providing users with access to our universe and enabling users to travel through our solar system, exploring the a various planets, galaxies, nebulae , comets and asteroids in a full 3D view.
StarWalk – Starwalk helps users discover what celestial bodies they are looking at by providing information on over 20,000 bodies in the night sky. Equipped with satellite tracking and a calender of celestial events, this app is build to educate the public about space, and the constellations, planets, starts and satellites within it.
With the myriad of technological developments that have been unveiled at a rapid pace, it would be impossible to rate, compare and cover the full scope of the industry’s accomplishments and advancements.
Keeping this in mind, we hope that you have enjoyed exploring some of the industry’s leading contributions. After you have had the chance to take a minute to review the nominees in the various categories, please feel free to weigh in on which nominees you think deserve to win in each category. You can share your feedback with a comment below or email us directly at Support @ .
Until next time!
Success Team