TOP 10 MUST-HAVE gadgets for 2009

With the improvements in technology reaching a new heights each year, it’s not surprising that one of the biggest events of the year is normally when a list is drawn made up of the technological gadgets predicted to be paving the way for the following year. The time has come and the list has been published! Technologically savvy business people have come up with a list of the ‘must-have’ technological gadgets for the home in 2009. While some might not agree with some of the products in the list, I feel that some will be very helpful, while others may just be what they are: a prediction!

Top 10 must-have gadgets for the home in 2009 (compiled by CMS Watch analysts):

1. A Home Theatre or Media Room:
They predict that this will be the year in which most households will want or have a room dedicated to relaxing at home. The room will consist of a large plasma flat screen TV (in HD if you can afford it), speakers and all the other software that comes with the system package. This is supposed to give cinema experience a run for its money, all the comfort and luxury of going to the cinema, just add the comfy sofa and snack makers and you are sorted. BUT, and this is a big but, the cost of having all this luxury is not cheap! It costs thousands of pounds for the television alone, plus all the accessories and the multiple speakers…

2. Home Health-care Products and Installation:
These gadgets are supposed to give caregivers the convenience and peace of mind of looking after their elderly or disabled loved ones. With the new gadgets such as biometric monitoring devices, it’s easier to check on their health signs and be informed straight away if something goes wrong…a much appreciated useful product investment!

3. Media Centre (MCE)Edition Computers:
These little gadgets will not be cheap and will be a far outcry by the multi-management remote controls of the past. With these computers, you can manage media sources such as internet radios, surround sound systems and even record TV shows with one touch! For people who use (and have) multi-system components in their homes, this will be very welcomed…still costly!

4. Micro-display based televisions:
Includes LCDs and DLPs…The list of acronyms goes on! But the prediction is that this will be the year that households finally put away that TV set from the 90s and prepare for the digital switchover. Perhaps adding fuel to the flame of the bizarre male TV size competition/obsession!

5. Lighting and Automation:
Now, we’ve all heard about clapping your hands and tapping the lamp shade to switch the lights on and off (I personally feel this is amazing!), however not many people are aware that there are now systems you can use to control the lighting in your home from anywhere around the world! You can now have lighting schemes which co-ordinate with the use of the DVD player so that when you switch the DVD player to play, the lights change to your desired mood and the curtains also close! If it wasn’t for the price, I would be one of the first to have this system…but sadly they are a couple of thousand pounds out of reach (credit crunch!!!).

6. Security systems:
This one actually had my jaw drop in amazement! This system mimics the use of lighting all around your house for two weeks so that when you go on holiday, it just replays the past two weeks for however long you want! Talk about peace of mind! No more giving the keys to neighbours or family members to keep an eye on the house because everyone will still think you’re there!

7. Intelligent sofas:
Couch potatoes could soon be turning on their TVs, activating their answering machines and automatically ordering takeaways - simply by settling down on “smart sofas”. Can you imagine!?

8. The iPod revolution:
This device will basically be an upgrade to the home docking station because it now means that you can connect your iPod to a computer, TV or stereo effortlessly…yawn! Plus I thought the main purpose of an iPod was so you can listen to your music/watch films/look at pictures etc. on-the-go, not at home?!

9. Smart sound systems:
Again, this is another upgraded product. These are systems which will allow homeowners to control different sound systems with a keypad.

10. game rooms:
It is predicted to be the year is the year for Gaming! Apparently people will go back to having a room specifically dedicated to gaming. Games are set to become less traditional and much more advanced.

So there we have it! The top ten technologically advanced inventions in 2009, and I’m sure most of us will have at least one of these little gadgets in our home by the end of the year (in my case it might take a lot longer than a year to save up!!).