A lot of flashy technology comes and goes ever year. Sometimes a technology gains a foothold and becomes a standard (MP3s, Blu-ray, HD broadcasts, Instagram), but usually they fall by the wayside, quickly forgotten (HD DVD, Mini Disc). Here are 3 tech trends we've noticed making news lately, their place in history still yet to be determined...

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Belkin Dyle Mobile TV Receiver
• $129.99
• Belkin

To be honest, I should probably avoid the temptation of ordering one of these, as I'm on the iPad already too much. But if you're fortunate enough to live in the coverage range of MCV's Dyle mobile TV service, you can take your couch potato inclinations wherever you want using this add-on 30-pin connection TV receiver, designed to be used in conjunction with the Dyle TV app and an iPad or iPhon. Watch live TV local broadcasts without the need for an HDTV antenna or cable subscription  (for example, here in LA, I can watch 6 local channels using the app), an ideal sidekick for streaming content services with programming streamed via wi-fi or network connection. More

Is there any finer excuse to have friends over than dining together al fresco under the stars? Yes...sending out invites for dinner and a movie, screened in your very own backyard (tip: match the movie to the meal)! Thanks to a myriad of wireless technologies, hosting your very own backyard cinema paradiso can easily cross over from the fictional to the factual...

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The highly anticipated Xbox One was announced this week and with it arrived Microsoft's big push to commandeer your living room as the hub of all your home entertainment needs well beyond just video games. The keynote notably highlighted the console's ability to understand voice commands such as, "Xbox, Watch TV," "Watch HBO," "Xbox, Go Home", switching between options almost instantaneously. But the question that arises is, does anybody really want to be talking to their devices?

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I have a nephew who loves Minecraft. Ben obsesses over building virtual structures and fitting them out almost as much as his Aunt loves actual decorating. Which got me thinking: wouldn't it be cool if he could have Minecraft in the real world? If his virtual bedroom could become a reality?

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Just 19 years old, sirbyrd set out to build his friend a pair of desktop speakers of his own design using solid walnut and scrap plywood, creating a handsome cabinet design more distinct than anything you'd see at your local home electronics retailer...

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Ultimate Ears Boom
• $199.99
• Ultimate Ears  More

Braun global radio controlled alarm clock radio
• $100.00
• Horne 

Introduced last year under the direction of Makus Orthey, senior designer at Braun, and winner of the Red dot award for product design, the rounded corners digital table clock offers an easy to read LCD screen illuminated with blue LED backlighting, alongside alarm/snooze functions and an AM/FM/ radio. And no need to change the time while traveling, local time is automatically set utilizing global radio frequencies specific to regions, making this clock equally suited for the bedside table or in the travel bag for global excursions.

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Yesterday, at launches in Seattle and London, Microsoft just may have staked its claim to space in your future living room. Hoping to take on the laptop as your home-based center of connectivity to the world, they introduced their new console, the Xbox One. Below, some details on the system that aims to be an indispensable part of homelife...

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Even when I was little, I was flummoxed by friends and relatives that would keep the TV on in the background: are you watching or not? Why add noise to the world? I held onto that point of view for decades, but now, after three years of living alone, I find myself soothed by the sounds of Liz Lemon's misadventures unfolding in the next room...

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