4 Tech Trends to Watch in 2012
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show recently wrapped up and here are some of the biggest technology trends.
1. Thin Is In: One of the biggest buzzes of this year’s show was the introduction of “ultrabooks”–a new crop of laptop computers that are paper-thin and take up less space than a composition notebook.
The Acer Aspire S5 was touted as the “world’s thinnest ultrabook” and by using Acer’s Always Connect software, users will also be able to access the ultrabook from their smartphone or another device to view documents or other files remotely.
Smartphones are also getting slimmer and packing a lot more punch. The Huawei Ascend P1 S debuted at CES as the “world’s thinnest smartphone” at just 6.68-mm thin. It runs Android’s new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system and features a 4.3-inch touchscreen display. It can shoot high-definition video and comes with an 8-megapixel camera.
2. On-the go charging: A battery drain on your smartphone, laptop, or any other device while on-the-go can be devastating. Here are two of the coolest tools to make sure battery drain never holds you back again.
The RFA Brand’s Powerbag is a lightweight backpack that features everything you need to charge your cell phone, camera, video camera, and tablet. To power the backpack, you just plug it into an electrical outlet, and once it’s fully charged, it’s ready to take with you to charge your other devices while you’re on the road. Price: $139 and up
The pocket-sized PowerTrekk uses fuel cell technology to power up mobile phones, cameras, GPS devices, and other electronics. The pocket-size charger provides instant power to your devices by converting hydrogen into electricity. It can produce the power of up to four AA batteries–suitable for powering up your phone for 10 hours. You just insert the fuel pack and add water to start recharging your portable devices. Price: $200
3. Wi-Fi-enabled cameras: Eliminate the need to attach your camera to a computer 
to upload photos or video footage with built-in Wi-Fi to allow seamless and instant sharing.
The Kodak Easy Share M750 allows you to send photos and videos instantly to your computer, social networking sites, or e-mail with just a press of a button. Even when you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, you still can send your photos wirelessly. Release Date: April 2012 Price: $169
Sony’s Bloggie Live high-definition, pocket camcorder also offers built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, enabling you to stream live over a Wi-Fi connection and share estate videos instantly.. You can also upload your video instantly by sending them to a compatible smartphone or tablet that has the Sony PlayMemories Mobile application installed. Price: $250
4. Convertible gadgets: 
In 2012, we’ll keep benefitting from tech whizzes determined to develop the most intuitive combination devices we’ve ever seen. Some will be unusual like Swiss Army maker Victorinix’s Pocket Knife which doubles as a 1TB a USB thumb drive. Others will be less lethal and more practical.
The flexible Lenovo IdeaPad YOGA is the epitome of new-age versatility. The convertible Windows 8 ultrabook features a 360-degree hinge that allows you to swing around its keyboard to use the device as a touchscreen tablet. In addition to the cool hinge, it features a 13.3-inch screen and comes with 256 GB of SSD and 8GB of RAM Release Date: Third or fourth quarter 2012 Price: Starting around $1,199
2012 Is Here
Forecasting What May Be Ahead for Mortgage Rates
Like 2011, this year may bring significant challenges here and around the world.
While home loan rates finished the year at historic lows, the housing market did not see a major improvement in the second half of the year as expected. Although, the labor market made some modest improvements, it is still persistently weak and will significantly impact our long-term economic outlook.
Also effecting consumer confidence was the first downgrade of US Debt in history. Finally, the worsening and spreading debt crisis in Europe capped a year filled with financial and political uncertainty.
The situation in Europe is definitely a wild card headed into 2012. As long as the uncertainty continues, the US Dollar and US Bonds should benefit. This could keep our home loan rates relatively low in 2012.
One other factor that we can’t ignore when it comes to home loan rates is inflation. Inflation is the arch enemy of both Bonds and home loan rates. So, inflation rises, so will interest rates.
What’s ahead for inflation in 2012? The Fed stated that inflation is moderating…which would be good news for mortgage rates. However, it’s important to note that core consumer level inflation actually inched higher in 2011.
So, only time will tell whether inflation or the events in Europe have a bigger impact on the markets and mortgage rates. But right now, it’s a good time to either re-finance with historically low interest rates or to be a Buyer.
Improved Housing Market Forecast
The National Association of Realtors foresees gradual improvement in the housing market next year, with existing-home sales edging up 4% to 5% and new home sales getting an even bigger boost off this year’s record lows,
“Tight mortgage credit conditions have been holding back homebuyers all year, and consumer confidence has been shaky recently,” Nonetheless, there is a sizeable pent-up demand. Very favorable affordability conditions will dominate next year as well, which will probably be the second best year on record dating back to 1970. Our hope is that credit restrictions will ease and allow more homebuyers to take advantage of current opportunities.
With falling inventory, the median home price should rise in 2012. Home prices have yet to show a definitive stabilization pattern in most areas. Still, given an over-correction in prices, there likely will be moderate appreciation in 2012.
Additionally, mortgage interest rates are expected to gradually rise from record 2011 lows to 4.5% by the middle of 2012. And, GDP is forecast to end 2011 at 1.8% for 2011, rising to 2.2% in 2012 with the unemployment rate declining to 8.7% by the second half of 2012.
