2015 UPDATES[Site updates are described here, but practically all "blog-like" activity is made through Twitter.][bottom] 2015 |
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January 3, 2015
Ye, I'm probably talking to myself here ;-) but that's ok, it's mostly a diary for my own sake anyway. It's good to write stuff down sometimes. And a couple of years later it's fun to read and contemplate about how things turned out. First of all, the most obvious thing I can't quite let go about 2015 is the fact that the good old movie Back to the future 2 takes place in that year. Yes, way back in 1989 when it was released, it was a comfortable 26 years left for stuff to be invented.. but now, time's up. Stuff like flying cars and hover-boards are not quite there yet because... you know.. laws of physics.. gravity.. they are still there ;-) Then there's other stuff that probably could exist by now, from a technical standpoint at least. However, whatever possibilities became possible with internet and smartphones miss the mark by some margin. Anyhoo.. For the sake of simplicity, let's just stick to my usual template and get on with it. Let's reflect over 2014 from a "techie's" perspective. Here I usually talk about the cool new stuff I got for my desktop computer but honestly, the only upgrade I did in 2014 was getting a second (larger) SSD drive and bumped up the GPU from a GF570 to a GF670. What did happen however is that I got struck by some sort of 40-year crisis and started buying old stuff instead. You know, retro stuff. More specifically, retro gaming consoles that were around when I was a kid / teen but for the most part, never owned. I better not promise stuff here because my track record for launching sites is pretty poor by now, but I'll just mention that I have considered making a specific site about retro gaming. We'll see if I'll be making the same promise next year or if something actually surfaced ;-) But about NEW tech.. 2015 is likely to be the year when 4k monitors and TVs become fairly mainstream (I had high hopes for 2014 but that didn't quite happen), although it may be until 2016 or so before you can get truly affordable AND good 4k monitors. Right now, the choice is between cheap (affordable) OR good (and expensive). If I can get a 27" 4k monitor with a fast IPS (or similar tech with at least 30-bit color and great viewing angles) panel with DP1.3 and HDMI 2.0 ports for under 500 euro I'll consider that a good deal in 2015. We'll see. The problem with 4k monitors right now is not just about getting standards into place (HDMI 2.0, OpenSync, DP1.3 etc) or producing a good panel at a decent price.. No, it's also about the forced upgrades those mega-pixels bring along. If you have a 4k screen you'll want to play games and do other advanced stuff in 4k. Right now, that is doable but not cheap. We need at least GeForce 980 performance at mainstream prices. That probably wont happen until sometime in 2016. In a recent article it was shown that nVidia GPUs only became 250% faster in 5 years. That doesn't quite follow Moore's law. However, it needs to be said that the 250% performance increase is done at half the power, so if we look at performance / watt then we get fairly close to what Moore's law would suggest. Still, it doesn't quite give us the raw power that is needed to push advanced 3d graphics @8Megapixels. I'm a tech-guy so I need to get e new phone about every other year (not a hyper-nerd that needs a new one *every* year, mind you ;-) For the last 4 years or so I've been faithful to Samsung and their Galaxy S line, so my first choice will be to wait for the S6 and see if it's any good. Otherwise I might go for another brand. So 2014 was also the first full year for the next-gen consoles to battle it out, so what's the score exactly? Well, I don't have *Exact* figures here, but since the launch in late 2013, the PS4 has sold roughly about 18 million units vs Xbox One's 10 million units and Wii U's 8 million. This means that the PS4 almost has 50% market share among the NextGen consoles. Game wise, it looks a bit better than it did at launch - thankfully - but personally I still haven't quite felt the urge to get a new console. As usual, a few quick words about my photography because it's still something I do. Gear-wise, it was a another slow year with no real noticeable purchases. I still use my camera quite a lot but in all honesty, the motifs have been limited to my cat, my kid and my vacations ;-) I've been lazy with updates on the main photo-site but I've been fairly good at posting on Instagram. Check my gallery here. Ok, enough tech-talk for one year, this brings us to the usual bit where I say a few words about my personal life. I became a dad in 2013 and in 2014 I got the chance to see my kid grow and develop new skills. It's quite rewarding and fascinating... and unlike anything else. After the vacation with trips to the Mosel Valley in Germany and Gotland in Sweden, I got to enjoy my paternity leave which was a new and interesting challenge for me. In the last month of the year, my daughter started kindergarten and I went back to work. Ok, those who know me know I'm a fan of Liverpool FC. Unfortunately, the 2014/15 season doesn't look good, but it aint over yet. CL play next season is still possible. Meanwhile... The living legend Steven Gerrard just announced he will leave the club in the summer so this is his last season as a player in the club (started in 1998). Steve, thanx for your loyalty and fantastic performances over the years. The legend will never die. Ok then... In conclusion folks, as always, I wish you the best possible 2015! Remember, the year is just a number, what you'll be looking back at in 2016 is up to you. 2014 Click here for older (2014) updates. 2013 Click here for older (2013) updates. 2012 Click here for older (2012) updates. 2011 Click here for older (2011) updates. 2010 Click here for older (2010) updates. 2009 Click here for older (2009) updates. 2008 Click here for older (2008) updates. 2007 Click here for older (2007) updates. 2006 Click here for older (2006) updates. 2005 Click here for older (2005) updates. 2004 Click here for older (2004) updates. 2003 Click here for older (2003) updates. 2002 Click here for older (2002) updates. 2001 Click here for older (2001) updates. 2000 Click here for older (2000) updates. 1999 Click here for older (1999) updates. 1998 Click here for older (1998) updates. 1997 Click here for older (1997) updates. 1996 Click here for older (1996) updates. |
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