It is a beautiful morning on the start of a new year. Today we are on the search for news that will keep us busy for the next 364 days. Like we wrote in the last article, 2011 was a year full of events. While we lost some great people we saw the birth of a new generation of computers. Today we will tell you about some of the most anticipated gadgets and software that will be unveiled and the events that will be held in 2012.

As usual we will have the CES, Tech Ed, WWDC, MWC and CeBit on the regular calendar. This year we may expect to see a rise in the number of tablets, TVs and mobile phones based on Android 4.0(Ice Cream Sandwich). The ‘Ultrabook’ concept by Intel may finally take off with several manufacturers adopting the MacBook Air-like notebook(netbook). We will also see the launch of several Windows Phones from Nokia. It only depends on how they implement, since Lumia 710 and 800 both have received positive reviews. On a similar note we may also expect a WP8 release in Q4 as Tango and Apollo updates will be released this year following Mango(WP 7.5) in 2011. 

We may expect an iPad 3 launch in Q1 and iPhone 5 around Q2/Q3. While iPad 3 may have a higher screen resolution and a better processor, iPhone 5 may actually have the larger-screen design as rumoured last year before the launch of iPhone 4S. Meanwhile MacBook Pros may have a display upgrade to retina display with the resolution of 2880×1800. There will also be the rise of the number of devices compatible with the Thunderbolt technology which has immense potential to create a new market. A whole new product may also be launched by the tech giant- the Apple HDTV. Apple may finally launch its own TV with the Apple TV integrated inside and running iOS apps. It may also support Thunderbolt and have retina display.

Facebook will retain its top spot in the social sphere as Google+ tries to attract traffic. Google may try to encourage users to use G+ on the mobile devices but it needs a really new and innovative feature to stay afloat. Else it may sadly follow the fate of Google Buzz, which  buzzed into oblivion. Facebook may also release a phone to expand its user base and interaction. The smart TVs may catch up with the smartphones and may increase the competition in the social sphere too!

As Amazon’s Kindle Fire becomes a bestseller owing to the excellent content market of Amazon and great pricing, iPad finally has some serious competition. Amazon may take the chance to add some more devices to the Kindle line. Rumours also point to a Kindle phone. Google is also touted to launch a good tablet which is designed to challenge iPad and Kindle Fire. While it might be a good product but it is also possible to be a Nexus product which sells just fine(not too great)!

Apple Appstore is going strong and Google, Amazon and Microsoft are competing with it though all of them are trailing behind. This year the competition will become tighter and better as newer versions of OSes are released for better more powerful devices. Finally the biggest release would be Windows 8 which is arguably one of the best Operating Systems for a PC till date. The beta release might be as soon as in February and the final retail version may come out in Q3/Q4. We love Windows 8 already and Microsoft has done a great job by using a new and innovative interface.

We have a lot to look forward to this year and we are sure all of us will have a great year ahead, unless of course the 2012 disaster predictions become true!