CONCEPTS THAT CLICKED

GPS
Though the global positioning system has been around for years, it was in 2007 that GPS found the right direction: forward. It became the most happening accessory to adorn one’s car with. At Rs 13,000-Rs 25,000 and armed with street maps of all major cities, one didn’t need to roll down the window for directions or scan the incomprehensible printed maps. It may be a cause of slight concern that the way India is growing, maps will need to be upgraded rapidly, but then so is technology and updating shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Green tech
As global warming and dire warnings turned up the heat across the world, India too showed signs of waking up to the problem. So 2007 saw green technology come into the picture and enter the collective consciousness: home appliances acquired star ratings (to judge their power-saving efficiency) and gadgets that could turn themselves off began to do the rounds. Companies like Toshiba and Haier brought out air conditioners with invertor technology to help shave off electricity bills by up to 60 per cent; refrigerators followed suit. Green even touched laptops: while the 2006 models consumed about 80 watts, the 2007 ones took up 63 watts. It’s an addiction that’s likely to continue next year.