So what tech will dominate tech in 2011? Here is the final instalment of our three part feature on Tech Trends for 2011.

3.5G goes 4G

4G is the successor to the 3G and 2G standards, and although a lot of companies have branded WiMAX and first release 3G LTE (Long term evolution) technologies as "4G", these standards don't actually comply with the definition of a 4G network.

A true 4G network must fulfil two crucial roles: the first is that it has to be IP-based and use orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) technology (a modulation technique for transmitting large amounts of digital data over a radio wave). The second, and perhaps more important requirement, is that it needs to support peak download speeds of at least 100 Mbps.No true 4G network has been operational in South Africa yet and it seems that the most positive estimates point to true 4G in SA in about two years' time.

All three major South African mobile providers are currently offering 21 Mbps HSPA+ networks in selected areas, although full country-wide penetration is expected to be completed at the end of the year.

Meanwhile the 4G dream is becoming more of a reality in first world countries such as the USA. Several 4G capable handsets and 4G compatible networks have already surfaced. HTC is one of the leaders at the moment, with its HTC EVO 4G being the first widely available 4G handset. A whole host of 4G enabled devices are set to surface at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month.

What TRENDS we predicted last year:

So how did we do predicting the tech trends for 2010? Well it was a bit of a hit and miss affair. Here are three of our 2010 predictions and one we missed completely.

Gesture Driven Gaming

Gesture Driven Gaming 2010 was indeed a good year for grand gestures, especially if you've played with the Microsoft Xbox Kinect, which is not only motion-based (it tracks your body movements) but also completely controller-less. The Kinect sold 2.5 million units in just 25 days - a good start in anyone's books.

Google Chrome OS

We thought Google's Chrome operating system might just offer some competition against the mighty Windows, but it did not even see the light of day, with the first netbooks running the new OS only scheduled to appear during the first half of this year. At least their Android OS is performing well.

3D technology

Yes we saw a lot of 3D in 2010, but after the success of Avatar it all turned a bit ho-hum. High prices for 3D telly's and the need for silly glasses of course did not help either. We're actually holding thumbs for holographic TV soon.

The iPad

Not a lot of people saw the Apple iPad coming. We certainly didn't, consequently missing the biggest tech news of 2010. At least we were not alone seeing that the success of the device left a number of manufacturers scrambling to get their own tablets to market.

Also read Part 1 and Part 2 of out Tech Trends for 2011 feature.