3D Televisions are due to further revolutionise the home entertainment experience. Following on from where flat screen TVs have finished. 3D has already made a massive impact in the cinema industry thanks to Avatar movie breaking box office records for any movie in history. Now the same technology is due to hit our living rooms and home.

Both 3D live sport and movies will soon be broadcast to homes using special camera equipment which is steadily reducing in price. Making it more accessible and affordable many more people year on year. The technology behind 3D home entertainment has been around for over 50 years but it has only been in the last two to three years that content producers have been able to afford to use it to produce movies and broadcast live entertainment. However, many television distributor have been aware of the technology and built in 3D programming into the home television boxes. For example, BSkyB in England have produced 3D capable set top boxes for almost three years now. Ready for when the television technology catches. An event which is starting to occur. 3D televisions is the next and last stumbling block with some televisions due for launch in summer 2010 by Sony valued at £5000.00 each. However, just like the technology to produce 3D content this cost is due to fall sharply. Making it more affordable and common throughout peoples homes.

The technology behind 3D is called lenticular viewing and was pioneered by electronics company Philips. The most immediate televisions will require the viewer to wear 3D glasses which use to different shades of colour to send different images to the brain. The brain then merges the two images from blurred image on the screen to form a solid image which appears three dimensional.

However, technology companies are already developing televisions screens which use a mixed colour cover which replaces the effect of glasses. Producing an image which appears in three dimensional without the use of glasses. The same technology is also being developed for other forms of media with internet developers producing websites and online video in 3D.

In summary, the next ten years promise to deliver a new era of home entertainment with millions people receiving a much more active and immersive viewing experience which is inspired by the events of record breaking movies. A trend which could potentially revolutionise how we use our televisions, computers and mobile phones.

Stop and think for moment about all the technology we use in fundraising. From cell phones to high-speed internet, we depend on our gadgets to keep us working and raising money.

I live out in the country and 99% of the time I love it! It’s beautiful and the pace of life is nice and slow. The biggest drawback is limited choices for internet connection. (We have high-speed internet through our satellite dish. How it works, I don’t have a clue, but then again, I don’t need to.) Usually, the connection is pretty good, but when it storms, forget it.

It’s been very illuminating to me how much I depend on technology. I feel really lost without access to the internet. I often laugh and tell people I can work anywhere I can take my laptop and cell phone. But I do have to have them. Otherwise, I couldn’t stay in touch with donors and clients.

I’m sure you probably know this, but we all need to have a back-up plan for technology. The most important thing is to back up your data, particularly your donor-tracking information. Keep a copy somewhere outside of your office. Know what plan B is in case your computer systems go down. Know how you will communicate with your donors and staff in case of loss of phones or heaven forbid, an emergency.

It’s so easy to think “that will never happen to me”, but the truth is, it can. Better be safe than sorry.

Having the ability to restore your data in the event of an emergency can be priceless in the right circumstances. You hope you’ll never need it, but if you do, you’ll be so grateful you did.