Gadget Frenzy

There was a time when owning the latest DVD player or the latest television was considered as some divine gift bestowed only upon some fortunate ones.The corporations introduced new techonologies as quickly as the blink of an eye,and people would readily empty their pockets to be called as proud owners of these technological innovations.

A few years back,one would say,beaming with utmost ebullience, “look at my new stereo system!”.Today,the stereo system has been replaced with a much fancier looking gadget: The Apple Ipod.

An analysis would show that the affinity of people towards the new swanky gadgets has augmented to a large extent.When the scenario of our exuberant industrial world was writhing in pain due to the famous(or rather ‘infamous’) recession,the consumer electronic industry seemed completely apathetic.It seemed to ask the others “Where is the recession?”

The consumer electronic companies are banking heavily on their massive popularity with people.A whole plethora of manufacturers,making all sorts of electronic gadgets are out in their full strength.The recently held Consumer Electronic Shows(CES) in Las Vegas and Shanghai provided a clear cut evidence to this fact. The show in Las Vegas saw a massive pouring in of people to appreciate some of the most splendid electronic gadets the world had ever seen.It included the giants such as Sony,Samsung,Panasonic and many more.A whole variety of products was displayed.Some of the main attractions were:

· The new hybrid 56 inch 3D LCD panel was the highlight of the show.Just imagining the sheer magnificence of James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ in full 3D,in the comfort of one’s home, can bring the whole concept of TV viewing crashing down to pieces.

· Companies like Kodak showcased consumer cameras and video recorders that can be dunked and even fully submerged in water.

· A few products like the MSI Dual screen color e-book and the LG Wi-Max USB dongle were not only real beauties but also quite useful in terms of their applications.

It had products with prices starting as low as one dollar and going as high as thousands of dollars.The show,thus,rightly earned the title of the ‘Gadget Mecca’.

But the important question still persists-Do we really need to shell out such huge bucks for gadets that,within a few months,will be as banal as the stack of the previous week’s newspapapers,? One wise option would be to spend only a moderate amount at one time and save the rest for the next change.But, living in a gadget frenzied world has its benefits too.Today,we can actually use ‘things’; the functions of which can transform our most miniscule figments of imagination into ideas of gigantic magnitude.