BLACK GADGET

It’s 2010 people. We might not have jetpacks and Jupiter hasn’t yet collapsed into a star but holy shit IT’S THE FUCKING FUTURE. Electric cars, touchscreens, smartphones, personal GPS, augmented reality, people literally hooking themselves up to machines, space tourism and in case you have a hard time remembering, there’s always Boing Boing.

In any case, it’s time to get with the program. What follows is a short list of some essential technologies you’re going to want to familiarize yourself with in 2010, not including any Apple products that resemble a tablet. Maybe next year we’ll finally get those jetpacks.

1. Your own wireless Internet connection

I’m surprised at how many people still don’t have one. It’s kind of like stealing cable, but no. Just pay for it. Trying to steal a weak wifi signal using the crane kick position from on top of the kitchen sink isn’t worth the trouble and sooner or later your neighbor’s going to wise up and slap some encryption on it anyway.

2. Smartphones

I used to be careless with my phones, because well… They were just phones. These days my iPhone3G might as well be wired directly into my palm. It might sound hokey, but when I first held it, I knew things would never be the same. My expectations would change. Information would come at me fast, whenever I wanted it, and it would be difficult to go back to not having music, video, the Web, a digital camera, GPS, and a virtual Zippo lighter all at the swipe of a fingertip.

Owning a smartphone forced me to focus how I interact with the Web; I filter my information through RSS readers and social networking apps that work much better in a mobile environment (Twitter, Facebook, Yelp). I almost never aimlessly surf anymore, and tend to find the best stuff in links on sites I regularly visit.

For the record, I’m not tied to the Apple brand. In fact I’m very attracted to the open-sourciness of the Android platform, but aside from the DROID, there hasn’t been a lot of hardware slyly functional enough (form isn’t so much of an issue) to tease me away.

3. Pocket video

In the late 1960s and early 70s a kind of cultural underground movement began to form around the use of videotape, VCRs and affordable video cameras. The early adopters of this new medium – like the Raindance and Videofreex collectives – saw the ability to create their own video imagery for broadcast via alternative channels (such as art galleries and public access) as a subversive form of creative expression. Suddenly what used to be the new opiate was turning people on in a whole new way.

Having a video camera is a powerful thing. You can use it to capture the most innocuous, most personal moments of your private life, or you can use it to reveal the most basic hidden truths about the world we all share.

Now I take my Flip Mino HD camera with me wherever I go. I haven’t yet gotten completely comfortable with recording everything I see (and I don’t always remember that it’s there), but I’m growing more accustomed to the idea of just knowing I have the ability to capture all the innocuous moments and hidden truths like this:

4. Streaming media

I live in New York. I share a 500-square foot apartment with my girlfriend and a 50-pound dog. I don’t have the room for CDs, DVDs, or a huge bookshelf for all the books that I don’t even read any more. This is why in 2010 I’m going almost completely digital. I listen only to MP3s, I try to only stream movies and television over Netflix, iTunes, or Hulu (I haven’t tried Boxee yet, but plan to), and I only buy physical books if they’re not available to read on my e-reader.

The only way to live like this is to not be a snob about music or video quality. High or low rez (and it will always continue to get better), I still achieve the same emotional effect as I would if I were using physical media. Yes, vinyl records and paper books do offer a tangible experience, but it’s an experience I’m willing to do without.

And on the topic of books…

5. E-Readers

Let’s give the haters some credit, because they do have a point. There’s nothing like holding a book. There’s nothing like the smell of a book (I’m a fan of the ancient, crinkly plastic-wrapped library variety). Dog-earing a book, writing in the margins, and admiring them upon a shelf… You can’t do any of these things with an e-reader. All of these things are true.

Out of all the essential technologies, the e-reader is the one I find myself the least philosophical about, probably because the progression from print feels so practical. When you’re walking around all day, or in class, or flying on a long trip, or commuting to work, having a convenient way to consolidate your favorite reads isn’t such a bad idea. Maybe the book you want is out of print but there’s a PDF of it online. Maybe you want to keep getting The New Yorker every week and even though you want to keep them around you hate they way they pile up so quickly. There are so many reasons an e-reader is a good idea, it becomes less of an argument and more of a matter of preference. It’s not like those smelly, dog-eared, scribbled-in books we all love so much are going to go away any time soon. I for one, am glad to have the choice.

(I chose the nook.)

What are your essential technologies for 2010? Let us know in the comments.

[All images used under Creative Commons.]