Christmas 2007 – The Year of Sharing, Sharing Gadgetry that is!

I thought it was a great time to write a post about something that everyone loves. Sharing. In 2007, the spirit of cooperation is alive and well in technology and I am loving it.

Gadgets of every kind talk to each other in new and exciting ways from WiFi to Bluetooth to good old fashioned USB and Ethernet. So in that spirit, let’s take a break from all that is proprietary, and talk about some of the hottest ways that our gadgets are talking to each other this Christmas season.

WiFi is everywhere. If you are tech friendly, odds are you have at least one thing that speaks WiFi. In my geekbag I have five! My Laptop uses WiFi for Internet access at hot spots and creating Ad Hoc networks with my Cell modem. My Zune can share music with other local Zunes via WiFi. My Nintendo DS and PSP allow me to game with friends and strangers all over the world via WiFi and my iPod Touch lets me browse the web and use tons of web applications completely un tethered. Beyond that new digital cameras are allowing wireless syncing, digital photo frames allow your family to view your favorite moments, media extenders share movies, music and more….all over a convenient standard that nearly every new device speaks. I love it.

Bluetooth has been around for years but until recently it was most commonly used for cell phone headsets. Yesterday, I used it to share my cell phone’s Internet connection with my GPS to get weather and traffic information real time. Wireless headphones use it for music and many gadgets use it for printers, keyboards and mice. The technology has found it’s place and again, it’s standard enough that in most cases, if it says Bluetooth, it talks.

It seems like everything has USB these days. I am very happy that most cell phone companies have adopted the small USB connection as the standard for charging and syncing cell phones. Maybe soon we won’t have to juggle dozens of DC adapters for our devices. Think about some of the devices laying around your house that have USB capabilities…

• My Cable Box has USB and Firewire
• My Remote Control syncs with USB to stay up to date
• DVD players and TV’s allow firmware updates with USB or SD Memory
• The Nintendo DS and PSP both have USB

It’s a great time for gadgetry folks. These are just a few examples. I bet if you look around your house you will find gadgets you didn’t even know you could use this way. And it’s only getting better…

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