Pocket-lint's favourite tech moments of 2013

 

 

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Pocket-lint's favourite tech moments of 2013
12/31/2013 9:00:00 AM

The year is almost over and we've had an amazing year all round. There have been so many products, especially phones, tablets and other mobile devices in the last 12 months that we've been very busy bunnies here on Pocket-lint, and we've enjoyed every minute of it.

Our team has grown considerably and so has the site, with a record amount of readers coming to us over the year for their daily dose of tech news, reviews, features and more recently excellent video content. So, before we look forward to an even bigger year for the Lint, let's have one last look back at the year in gadgets, gizmos and games, with each Pocket-linter's favourite tech moment of 2013.

Stuart Miles, CEO and founder

"My moment of 2013 was celebrating the site's 10th birthday. I started the site with £15 10 years ago on my own, and looking at what the amazing team and I have achieved in the time since the site's inception makes me very proud. Here's to 2014."

Chris Hall, editor

"My tech moment of the year was the launch of the BMW i3. The new BMW isn't the first electric vehicle to be launched, but it felt like a groundbreaking moment, listening to a big car company outlining a future that included electric vehicles.

"Not only does the BMW i3 use some innovative techniques and employ futuristic design, but it's well considered. The connectivity options are impressive, the option for a range extender addresses one of the practical concerns about electric vehicles.

"Most importantly however, the BMW i3 drives well and delivers the quality you'd expect from the German company. It looks, drives and feels like a car of the future that's arrived early."

Rik Henderson, senior editor of news & features

"The further rise of Netflix, Amazon's Lovefilm, Spotify and the entire media streaming concept in 2013 has been a joy to behold. Having been an advocate of digital media for the last five or so years, it's reassuring to know that I'm not just on my own thinking that this is a really cool thing.

"Perhaps the biggest break through in the video side though is the wider adoption of 5.1 and even 7.1 surround sound tracks on streamed content, plus sharper, more refined Full HD visuals. Without them both, it was hard to see internet-provided TV shows and movies replacing physical media, but having cracked that nut the service providers have started to sway the old school as well as the new.

"Another massive element in helping to further the home entertainment network concept is Sonos. The company can seemingly do no wrong. Although there are worthy competitors, such as Pure with its Jongos and Bose, Sonos components, whether they be speaker solutions or amplified boxes, are the easiest to set up and the most joy to own. The company is the Apple of wireless music streaming and goes from strength to strength each year."

Ian Morris, head of video

"This year was a good 'un, because it was when the focus shifted away from 3D TVs, and to 4K sets. Any TV lover will tell you, resolution is more important than faux 3D and 4K adds a lot of extra detail that's important, especially as we move to larger and larger TV sets.

"Most cinema production is in 4K now, and that will translate well when we work out how to get it into people's homes. Netflix will be one way, and Blu-ray might get some sort of update, but it seems certain that the internet will play a huge part in this revolution. Watch out next year too, as we're sure to see more from Sky about broadcasting in the format."

Mike Lowe, reviews editor

"PS4 vs Xbox One. Who doesn't love a bit of rivalry? For me this had all the makings of Megadrive vs SNES from back in the day.

"Both Microsoft and Sony made questionable decisions in the run-up to respective launches and it was quite incredible sitting back and watching the internet pretty much explode and burn.

"But at the end of it all we weren't left sifting through a pile if ash - even if launch titles were a bit thin. And we now have two consoles that look set to make the future of gaming more exciting than ever."

Luke Edwards, news editor (UK)

"My tech highlight of 2013 was the realisation that electric transport really is the future and it really is going to take over soon. Riding the Stealth electric bicycle at 50mph, apart from scaring the testicles in me, was akin to that feeling you got when first driving a car - superhuman power. 

"Then riding the Zero DS electric motorcycle for a week really hit home the point that electric is the future. I had all the power of petrol but without removing my wallet once - I was commuting for free. Waking up and seeing the bike had charged was almost magical, like I'd uncovered a secret way to get free travel. Yet anyone can do it right now. 

"Yup, the electric revolution is here and it whizzed me away to a tech high point in 2013."

Jake Smith, news editor (US)

"Tesla had an explosive year - literally in some cases - carving itself a place in the luxury car market and becoming a serious competitor with its all-electric Model S. It posted its first profit during the first quarter of 2013, saw record sales with its Model S, and won awards like best and safest vehicle on the road.

"And investors began believing in the Tesla too. Growth on the stock market went from $33 per share to $145 per share towards the end of the year. Now Elon Musk and co just need to get their supply under control into the new year."

Elyse Betters, contributing editor

"When the Explorer Edition of Google Glass exploded onto the scene in February 2013, it ignited an exciting conversation that extended beyond developers and all the way to consumers. That conversation was not solely about Glass; it was about wearable technology. 

"The idea of ubiquitous computing isn't new, but technologies have advanced so much in the last few years alone that concepts for wearable technology can actually come to fruition. It became clear in 2013 that developers and consumers alike want to compute everywhere and anywhere, even if that means using an optical head-mounted display to browse the internet, wearing a virtual reality head-mounted display to game, or donning a smartwatch to place calls from the wrist.

"Wearables represent something humans haven't quite mastered yet. It's a delicate tango between fashion and design and hardware and software. It'll definitely be hard for companies - whether big or small - to tackle successfully, but at least the conversation has been started and consumers are excited. That's half the battle, right?"

Britta Boyle, contributing editor

"My tech moment would be the launch of the Tesco Hudl. Although it might not bring with it the best specs in the 7-inch tablet market, it did make technology more affordable for a wider audience.

"Since its launch there have been several cheaper alternatives introduced to the market and price reductions of some more advanced tablets such as the Advent Vega Tegra Note 7. So, the Tesco Hudl seems to have opened a number of new doors, offering those with less disposable income, the opportunity to get on board with the latest technology."

 

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