Five technologies you loved in 2012
Once upon a time, Icrontic was all about cutting-edge hardware. These days it's more gaming-centric (communities always evolve!), but gaming has always played second-fiddle to technology with me. So, without ado, I'm going to discuss my five favorite technologies from 2012 in no particular order:
AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series (Buy)
I'm certainly tooting my own horn on this one, but the HD 7000 Series is a landmark product in the history of PC graphics. The HD 7970 was the first GPU to feature DirectX 11.1, PCI Express 3.0, 28nm lithography, partially-resident textures, idle GPU core shutdown, 4k/UHDTV support, 3GHz HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2 (multiple displays per cable), and intelligent performance management. To top it all off, the HD 7970 still holds the single-GPU performance crown in GPU compute, every version of 3DMark, and (if memory serves) 8 of the 10 most popular PC games in 2012.
But the HD 7970 is not alone as, product-for-product, the HD 7000 Series delivers these same advantages against the competition down the pricing stack. It's been a long time since so much technology has been offered on every product from $89 to $499.
ARM Cortex-A15
Smartphone enthusiasts were probably expecting me to pick Qualcomm's APQ8064 (LG Nexus 4), but the Exynos 5250 (Samsung Nexus 10) is a clear winner once you know the score. While the APQ8064 has been burning up the benchmarks, winning the crown in everything from CPU to GPU to I/O performance, it took four cores and a lot of (very respectable) custom engineering to get there. The Exynos 5250, meanwhile, uses the newer Cortex-A15 design from ARM.
The relationship between ARM and its many licensed manufacturers is fascinatingly complex, but here's the short version: Exynos 5250's performance is in the neighborhood of the APQ8064 with two less cores and a lot less jiggery pokery under the hood. Why? Because Cortex-A15 is a monster, that's why.
Asus RT-AC66U (Buy)
802.11ac, if you've not heard, is the nascent successor to the 802.11n wireless standard. It's primary claim to fame is alarmingly fast wireless connections, which it achieves by bonding concurrent channels in the 5GHz spectrum. Already supported by the heavyweights, Broadcom and Qualcomm-Atheros, this standard is well on its way to broad consumer adoption.
Speaking of consumer adoption, the RT-AC66U has exploded out of the gate with the fastest wireless transfer speeds ever tested in a consumer router. It rounds off the show with excellent coverage, a monstrously sturdy CPU, and a boggling list of competitive features. It even has excellent firmware!
Raspberry Pi (Buy)
The little computer that could, the adorable RPi has captured the imagination of hackers, makers, modders, tinkerers and--most importantly of all--folks who didn't even know they were one of those.
Designed to make computer science education, and the requisite technology, more affordable, just $35 (for the premium Model B) will secure you an entire Linux or XBMC-ready computer into a credit card-sized form factor. Powered by an ARM CPU not unlike the chips featured in 2010/2011 smartphones, the Pi has been specially outfitted with the ability to decode high-definition H.264 video and a pre-installed Linux distribution to get you up and running out of the box.
The possibilities are, of course, endless with such a diminutive PC: carputers, robots and home automation have all harnessed this wondrous little gizmo.
HP ZR2440w (Buy)
The field of premium displays has shrunk notably as the world's manufacturers race one another to the bottom. Consumers have understandably demanded bigger panels at cheaper prices, but we did not receive larger resolutions or qualitatively better panels to meet that demand. Every so often, however, someone breaks the cycle of mediocrity and produces a truly sensational monitor at a reasonable price. This year, that monitor is the ZR2440w.
Measuring in at 24", the ZR2440w delivers exceptional color, contrast and responsiveness at the endangered 16:10 resolution of 1920x1200. That's 120 more vertical pixels than damn near any 24" monitor you may have looked at, if you're keeping score. But I digress. Whatever sorcery HP and its panel vendor have woven to eke this performance out of an LED-backlit IPS LCD is beyond my reckoning, but you can bet there isn't a better buy out there.
AMD Radeon HD 7000 Series (Buy)
I'm certainly tooting my own horn on this one, but the HD 7000 Series is a landmark product in the history of PC graphics. The HD 7970 was the first GPU to feature DirectX 11.1, PCI Express 3.0, 28nm lithography, partially-resident textures, idle GPU core shutdown, 4k/UHDTV support, 3GHz HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2 HBR2 (multiple displays per cable), and intelligent performance management. To top it all off, the HD 7970 still holds the single-GPU performance crown in GPU compute, every version of 3DMark, and (if memory serves) 8 of the 10 most popular PC games in 2012.
But the HD 7970 is not alone as, product-for-product, the HD 7000 Series delivers these same advantages against the competition down the pricing stack. It's been a long time since so much technology has been offered on every product from $89 to $499.
ARM Cortex-A15
Smartphone enthusiasts were probably expecting me to pick Qualcomm's APQ8064 (LG Nexus 4), but the Exynos 5250 (Samsung Nexus 10) is a clear winner once you know the score. While the APQ8064 has been burning up the benchmarks, winning the crown in everything from CPU to GPU to I/O performance, it took four cores and a lot of (very respectable) custom engineering to get there. The Exynos 5250, meanwhile, uses the newer Cortex-A15 design from ARM.
The relationship between ARM and its many licensed manufacturers is fascinatingly complex, but here's the short version: Exynos 5250's performance is in the neighborhood of the APQ8064 with two less cores and a lot less jiggery pokery under the hood. Why? Because Cortex-A15 is a monster, that's why.
Asus RT-AC66U (Buy)
802.11ac, if you've not heard, is the nascent successor to the 802.11n wireless standard. It's primary claim to fame is alarmingly fast wireless connections, which it achieves by bonding concurrent channels in the 5GHz spectrum. Already supported by the heavyweights, Broadcom and Qualcomm-Atheros, this standard is well on its way to broad consumer adoption.
Speaking of consumer adoption, the RT-AC66U has exploded out of the gate with the fastest wireless transfer speeds ever tested in a consumer router. It rounds off the show with excellent coverage, a monstrously sturdy CPU, and a boggling list of competitive features. It even has excellent firmware!
Raspberry Pi (Buy)
The little computer that could, the adorable RPi has captured the imagination of hackers, makers, modders, tinkerers and--most importantly of all--folks who didn't even know they were one of those.
Designed to make computer science education, and the requisite technology, more affordable, just $35 (for the premium Model B) will secure you an entire Linux or XBMC-ready computer into a credit card-sized form factor. Powered by an ARM CPU not unlike the chips featured in 2010/2011 smartphones, the Pi has been specially outfitted with the ability to decode high-definition H.264 video and a pre-installed Linux distribution to get you up and running out of the box.
The possibilities are, of course, endless with such a diminutive PC: carputers, robots and home automation have all harnessed this wondrous little gizmo.
HP ZR2440w (Buy)
The field of premium displays has shrunk notably as the world's manufacturers race one another to the bottom. Consumers have understandably demanded bigger panels at cheaper prices, but we did not receive larger resolutions or qualitatively better panels to meet that demand. Every so often, however, someone breaks the cycle of mediocrity and produces a truly sensational monitor at a reasonable price. This year, that monitor is the ZR2440w.
Measuring in at 24", the ZR2440w delivers exceptional color, contrast and responsiveness at the endangered 16:10 resolution of 1920x1200. That's 120 more vertical pixels than damn near any 24" monitor you may have looked at, if you're keeping score. But I digress. Whatever sorcery HP and its panel vendor have woven to eke this performance out of an LED-backlit IPS LCD is beyond my reckoning, but you can bet there isn't a better buy out there.
5
Comments
Jelly Bean - Android just continues to get better and better
XBMC Eden/Frodo - If you have a HTPC, this is the best damn program for your movies hands down
AMD Trinity APU - A powerful little guy that is perfect for HTPC/Server/etc
Sony VPL-VW1000ES - World's first consumer 4k projector throwing out over 8.8 million pixels (4096 x 2160)
(In no particular order):
Windows 8: I actually like the interface, and I really like the unification between disparate platforms that Microsoft is angling towards. History may show Windows 8 was a stopgap between desktop and mobile, but it's a very fast, very elegant stopgap.
HTC One S: The first smartphone I've ever truly loved. It's light, looks fantastic, is extremely snappy, and has a phenomenal camera.
Steam Mobile: Steam. On my phone.
Space X Dragon: The full promise of the commercialization of space is becoming a reality, and SpaceX is leading the charge. So rad.
Curiosity (the Mars Rover): MARS. WE'RE ON MARS.
asus transformer infinity - a great tablet. Love having it tethered to my phone on the bus ride into school. Unfortunately, it won't do completely everything I need it too, otherwise it would replace my laptop.
nexus 4 - sick upgrade from my droid incredible. would love if it were on verizon, but I understand the reasons why it's not possible
SSD - I'd say this year was really when SSDs became reasonably priced. More and more companies have joined the fray and it's only a good thing. I picked up a 240 gb for my laptop and also just bought a 500gb for my desktop.
and last, and the opposite of least:
sony RX-100 - an awesome p+s camera. You can use it as a point and shoot, or you can control whatever you want about it. The lens is a staggeringly fast f1.8 paired with a large sensor that gives it great low-light performance. Unless I'm travelling specifically with photography in mind, I can't see taking a DSLR over this camera on a trip.
I'd also throw a vote out for Windows 8. It's really good.
My unique contribution:
Giant Multiplayer Robot. Thanks to this, I spent 2012 playing Civ V.
completely different systems. one's a high end fixed lens point and shoot, the other is an interchangeable lens camera. nex5 has the potential for better quality images (much bigger sensor, can use a variety of lenses). i had briefly considered an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera like the nex5, but i figured i had a dslr for when the rx-100 wasn't enough.
i'd say the rx-100 might be a better choice if you want something like a cheap p+s, but with more control over all the settings and better IQ
Finally, the PDA, Tablet, Phone with the addition of outstanding camera (still and video), great music player and all around office gizmo that I have waited years for has arrived!
AffordableSSD's
I agree with shwaip that the past year was when good quality SSD's became affordable to the masses. I went on a binge and did a whole lot of upgrading!
Jellybean
Android continues to get better. And combined with a quad core makes the Note II the 'bomb'.
It's pretty great. Also as some of you have already learned I can send people Dog and Sanic
2. The TI-30XA calculator. Also old and there are much better calculators but it's cheap, easy to use, durable, and does everything you could need through at least calculus 2. I can't even begin to tell you how much I use this thing.
3.The Large Hadron Collider. The fact that this thing was even built to begin with is incredible and I'm sure the things we will discover with it's use will be even more so.
4. Agreeing with Brian on the Curiosity rover. It's proof that the space program isn't dead and that people are still excited about exploring our solar system and beyond.
5. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. Like the LHC it blows my mind that this thing is being built. It won't even be fully operational until March of this year but it's already discovering some pretty awesome stuff. Seriously, look at this shit.