The Future of Electronics in Media

As mentioned in my first blog entry, I really wanted to focus on convergence, as well as some piracy concerns, and I think that was covered pretty well. Electronics in media become more and more technologically advanced with every passing day. More devices will converge in the future as various technologies become faster, smaller, and more efficient, and the number of people using dedicated devices will decrease greatly if the converged devices can manage to handle their tasks well enough. Professionals however will most likely still use higher-end dedicated devices, but I believe the general public will be more than happy with what comes in a small, convenient little package. This would include all the features of cell and smart phones, digital cameras, electronic reading devices, mp3 players, pocket PC’s, flash drives, and other things.

Of course, there are problems with such convergence, such as possible monopolies or oligopolies in some of the industries. Warranties and device insurance would surely be a must, assuming a high price tag for the devices, and perhaps some sort of built-in Lo-Jack system to track it if it becomes lost or stolen. Regardless of all this, I feel there will always be separate devices for home and on-the-go. No matter how much technology advances, at least in our lifetimes, things like home computers and entertainment centers will always be things for the house.

There are already cables, adapters and other devices that allow one to watch TV and play console video games on a computer monitor, use your home entertainment system as a computer’s monitor and speakers, among several other things. It’s only a matter of time until you plug a tiny device in at home to link up all the information and data you’ve collected outside your home or on a separate computer, and use it in your house. It's only a matter of time till we get some sort of universal screen or something that will stream various data from the internet, such as from news sites and television stations. Hopefully advertising won't invade the home too much, though.

I feel it’s also worth mentioning the increasing numbers of older generations getting involved with the newer technologies. Things like video games and social networking sites are no longer just for kids, teenagers and young adults. Nintendo has done well appealing to a much wider, more casual audience with it’s Wii, and maybe cell phone game developers have done the same. The Sony PS3 not only provides the ability to play it’s video games, but also functions as a Blu-Ray disc player, so for parents not interested in the video game aspect can use it as a cheaper alternative to getting a Blu-Ray disc player and a separate video game system for their children, much like the PS2 when DVD technology was still new.

It would’ve been hard to predict 50 years ago where we would be today, with giant advances in electronics and technology. I can only hope that the future holds exponentially greater surprises and advances in the field. It’s an exciting time for technology and media.