10 Most Hyped Tech Offerings of 2012

Tech marketers often reveal that change is the only constant in the field of technology. That may be true. But they conceal the fact that hype is also a regular constant in the tech markets.

What you can’t sell with conventional marketing tools, hype and hoopla help you sell that to buyers. The year 2012 was no different. Marketers went all out to create hype around their products and woo the consumers.

With its eyes wide open, RMN Digital has picked out these 10 tech offers that used exaggerated promotions to find a place in the market, though they have yet to demonstrate their true utility for the buyers.

RMN Digital is a Web property of RMN Company, which is working in diversified content creation, management, and distribution businesses on a global scale.

According to RMN Digital, here are the 10 most hyped tech offerings of 2012:

1.     Microsoft Surface

Microsoft always tries to do things differently. With surface, the company is offering a PC-tablet hybrid, though it calls the product its new PC – Microsoft Surface.

Designed to be the ultimate stage for Windows RT, Surface provides an immersive entertainment experience and comes with a starting price of US$499. Read More

2.     Apple iPad mini

Apple’s infatuation with “i” devices gets extended with the launch of iPad mini, a new iPad design that is said to be 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the third generation iPad.

The new iPad mini features a 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display, FaceTime HD and iSight cameras, ultrafast wireless performance and 10 hours of battery life. Read More

3.     Toshiba Excite

Toshiba’s Digital Products Division introduced the Excite 10 LE tablet. Previously introduced as the Excite X10, the Excite 10 LE is claimed to be the world’s thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet measuring 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing 1.18 pounds (535g).

Powered by Android, it carries a starting price tag of $529.99 for the 16GB model and $599.99 for the 32GB model. Read More

4.     Microsoft Windows 8

Microsoft is not bothered if consumers want an upgraded version of Windows operating system or keep using the older one. The company takes it as its responsibility to thrust a new Windows version in the market at regular intervals.

That’s what it did by introducing Windows 8 that comes with some cosmetic changes while the market is already glutted with Windows of different shapes and sizes.

The company says Windows 8 has a new user interface and it offers a wide range of applications with the opening of the Windows Store. Read More

5.     LG Touch-Screens

The LG touch-screens aim to revitalize existing phone kiosks and engage passersby in new ways. LG is demonstrating the power of touch-screen technology to connect with locals and tourists alike.

Users will see content that is geo-targeted and relevant to where they are standing, including real-time information, local events, restaurant and entertainment (with reservation and ticketing options), shopping and transport information. Read More

6.     Yahoo! Broadcast Interactivity

Yahoo!’s Broadcast Interactivity is an addition to new technologies that are supposed to usher in a paradigm shift in the way people consume content on TVs.

Yahoo! and Samsung have planned to integrate Yahoo!’s Broadcast Interactivity platform into Samsung 2012 Smart TVs.

So, Samsung Smart TV owners will receive real-time, actionable content that runs alongside and complements TV shows and commercials. Read More

7.     Facebook Timeline

Even after eight years of its existence in the cyberspace, social hangout Facebook still seems to be tottering in the beta stage. It keeps making frequent changes in its user interface to attract users so that they should stay with it.

The latest headache for users came from Facebook in the form of its Timeline. It was so repulsive that the cyberspace went meme with complaints against Facebook’s design sense. An analysis of over 138,000 social media comments revealed overwhelmingly negative user backlash. Read More

8.     Invisible Watermark Technology

Using invisible watermark technology, a new platform enables smartphones and other sensor-equipped devices to “see and hear” media content using built-in cameras and microphones.

Consumers simply direct their phone at content they are interested in and are presented with a range of associated network services such as purchase a product, view a video, save for later, download a coupon, or share with a friend, for example. Read More

9.     Big Data

Big data is so small that today it does not even appear on the world tech map. But companies like IBM, HP, and others are making whole lot of noise around Big Data offerings mainly to entice enterprise buyers.

“The Human Face of Big Data” is the latest globally crowdsourced initiative from Rick Smolan, the creator of the “Day in the Life” series. Read More

10.  Cloud Gaming

While cloud itself is surrounded by fog, vendors are building allied tech offerings around cloud. Cloud gaming is one such offering.

G-cluster, a fully featured white label service, is introducing its Game Machine platform allowing operators to bring premium and casual games to the TV without the need for a gaming console.

Also, Sony has planned to establish a new cloud service after the acquisition of Gaikai, a leading interactive cloud-based gaming company. Read More

Although these technologies are available on the sales shelves, they are still waiting to earn some meaningful bucks for the tech vendors. Will they? You decide.

[ Also Read: Top 10 Online Stories of 2012 from the Entertainment World ]

[ Also Read: Top 20 Global Digital Brand Campaigns of 2012 ]