5 Technology Predictions for 2011

转自：http://www.dcs-media.com/Archive/5-technology-predictions-for-2011-PE

Let's get started on the predictions:

1. Small Businesses will focus more on personalizing their sites to local mobile users.
   
   Think Local, Act Global. Since Google was eyeing up Groupon earlier this month, this is definitely an indication of where the web is heading.
   
   And small businesses will be taking a hint from Google and paying more attention to local customers. Small businesses will be launching their ads and marketing campaigns concentrating their efforts on local users who have mobile devices.
   
   Since Google has it's own mobile operating system and they have their own mobile advertising platform in place, there is no reason why small businesses in your area cannot advertise to your mobile phone when walking by the store.
    
2. TV will be more than just "TV"
   
   This is another area where Google is becoming more of a media mogul and knowing what people want.
   
   Even though Google is now putting a hold on Logitech's Revue (how does that work!?) from December 2010 until January 2011, they will continue with their release of TV products and will become one of the biggest transitions in technology: combining TV with the Internet.
   
   Of course there are already "Internet TVs," but imagine the live shows. Imagine a live HGTV show demonstrating how to fix a faucet, and then after the show is over, the star sticks around for questions and answers for a period of time to help their viewers...through an Internet chat window or webcam.
   
   Imagine Interactive TV...or iTV. It could open up a whole new market of products and ideas.
    
3. The Rise of...something else.
   
   With Facebook and Twitter now thriving as the main "streams" of data for consumers and businesses alike, will anyone remember mySpace? How about Digg?
   
   It seems like yesterday that these social networks and news aggregators were on the top of the world. Now, their full potential is only a fraction of what they were 5 years ago.
   
   The good news is...It's now time for something else. The bad news is...no one knows what that is.
   
   After noticing the decline of some web sites and Yahoo! trying to find a buyer for Delicious, the age of the social networks trying to flourish are over and more will fall to the way side.
   
   Whatever "next idea" occurs, it will happen next year.
    
4. Social networking will infect more of your software.
   
   Ever since Flock arrived on the scene in 2005 (Initial Release), they actually started something that few people caught onto: Interfacing your software with social networks.
   
   When web sites are constructed, some develop an API (Application Programming Interface) so other developers/users can access their web site data from programs instead of through a browser.
   
   I have just been invited to try out RockMelt. RockMelt is the next step up from Flock. Using web APIs, RockMelt has taken Facebook and Twitter and integrated them directly into the browser along with chatting and RSS/News feeds.
   
   This is the next step with software development in the enterprise and consumer market. Taking existing web APIs and working them into fat clients making the software more robust.
   
   For those wondering if there is a web API dedicated to your industry, check ProgrammableWeb.com for their catalog of APIs available across the web.
    
5. Tablets will be the next Netbooks...and slowly fade away.
   
   A while ago (5-10 years), I remember people talking about tablet computers and how cool it would be to own a tablet computer
   
   Then people were teased with netbooks and everyone wanted to have one (including my parents) for portability reasons.
   
   Now it seems that tablets (at least the iPad) are starting to take off and kill off the netbook market. Most of the manufacturers are trying to catch up to the iPad and release their own versions of a tablet device.
   
   But once the tablets are released next year, they will have the same life expectancy of the netbook market (1-2 years) and start to fizzle out.
   
   Just a prediction...nothing concrete. :-)
   
   So how do you think I did this year? Do you have any predictions for next year? Post your predictions below.