predictions: Fortune-tellers of geek world guess what 2010 holds
Roberto Rocha
Province
Some tech-savvy soothsayers say the Palm Pre smart phone is heading for a comeback in 2010, but the company may seek a partner such as Microsoft or Research in Motion. — Bloomberg
Predicting the future of technology is as rooted an Internet tradition as anonymous trolling or pictures of cats with funny captions.
At the end of every year, without fail, analysts and bloggers try to outdo each other in the sport of geeky soothsaying.
Here is a compilation of predictions for tech in 2010, from the boring and predictable to the bold and unlikely.
– Not an oversized iPhone: Seldom has a product that doesn’t exist received as much press as the supposed tablet computer from Apple. Call it a brilliant marketing coup or the result of a cultlike adoration of a secretive computer powerhouse.
The company has made no statements about it, but pundits are positive it will be unveiled next year. Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray, calls it 50/50 that it will be unveiled in January and shipped in March. But blogger James Kendrick at jkontherun.computs it in the fourth quarter, since Apple would rather wait until it’s perfect and groundbreaking, as its products tend to be.
– 4G or not 4G: As the third generation of wireless communications (3G) matures, some carriers are expected to roll out the fourth generation, known as long-term evolution. This promises blistering Internet speeds, faster than what people get at home over physical cables. Juniper Research sees at least 10 carriers rolling out LTE networks in 2010. But IDC says 4G will be over-hyped, like so many other technologies once were.
– Facebook goes public: All eyes will be on the world’s most popular social network as it sets new norms on how people interact online and how advertisers profit from those interactions. Some expect an IPO from the Silicon Valley company. Others see a new social network, luring Facebook users away, promising the privacy that Facebook no longer guarantees.
– Palm will be acquired: Many rooted for the comeback of Palm, with its lovely Pre smartphone. But the company doesn’t have the resources to make it on its own, some speculate. PC World magazine points its finger vaguely toward Microsoft and Research in Motion.
– Speaking of netbooks: Huge in 2009, netbooks will fade away next year, ZDNet’s Sam Diaz foresees. People will get tired of the tiny screen, even tinier keyboard and demand more computing power for real applications.
– App backlash? Apps are part of what made the iPhone a revolutionary consumer product. But with close to 200,000 cluttering the App Store, it’s hard to filter the good from the junk. The prophets see this becoming an advantage for Android, Google’s competing mobile app market. But Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWeb has faith in Apple, which might unveil an app suggestion feature, much like its Genius Playlist for iTunes.
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