talkingDigital

Every January I post my tech predictions for the coming year. In our last newsletter, I reviewed my predictions for 2007 and pointed out that, with a little justification, I was 100 percent correct.

Now for my tech predictions of 2008…

Ron Paul will not be elected and there will be riots. But, only on blog sites that no one reads. CNN, FOX and other mainstream news sites will be forced to shut off their comment feature when Ron Paul is not invited as a third party candidate after the primary elections are over and he fails to get the Republican nomination.

2008 will be Vista’s last year. Microsoft will announce a new OS that will appear in early 2009 that will not be called Vista. The new OS will be targeted at consumers and will be designed to compete with OS X and Ubuntu. I will not go so far as to say that it will be called MSLinux, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

2008 will be the last year that it really matters what kind of computer you have. Adobe will introduce an online version of Photoshop and other major titles will follow eliminating the need to commit to a single OS.

People will grow tired of smartphones and there will be a new surge in simple phones. Other manufacturers will compete with Jitterbug to create a whole new market of simple cell phones.

The spectrum auction will take place and many big companies will buy in hoping to introduce the world to ubiquitous wireless Internet. Stock prices of companies involved will rise sharply. Soon after the auctions a judge will rule that the technology violates privacy and security concerns – expect a sell off.

Palm will be all but dead as they drop plans to release a Linux powered smartphone. Instead they will release one last generation of Palm/Access powered phones based on the Centro design.

USB 3.0 or a similar connection type that allows massive transfer speeds from external devices will begin to show up in high-end computers.

Canon will release a 12 megapixel budget SLR to replace the Rebel XTi. It will also shoot 4 fps and feature live  preview mode.

GPS will show up in nearly all high-end cell phones and other devices. Two-way GPS will be much more common allowing parents to track children and bosses to track employees.

Non-tech predictions….

Scientists will discover what caused global warming the last 11 times it has happened in the world’s history.

Bin Laden will be found alive in a Home Depot parking lot in southern California.

A long time celebrity marriage will end in divorce.

The world’s attention will be turned to a young person’s sudden, mysterious disappearance.

A high profile court case will take place involving a murder – Nancy Grace will use it as the topic for her show on CNN Headline news for 16 straight weeks.

A well known celebrity will enter rehab multiple times but will continue their dangerous party life.

Perhaps in a related story, a celebrity will be arrested for drunk driving and The Smoking Gun will post their mug shot.

CBS will introduce a new crime drama with social awareness statistics hidden in 60 percent of the dialog. “Lieutenant , I just read in my research on this case that 60 percent of all CBS crime dramas are made up of social awareness statistics!”

Someone will give Sean Connery one ping and one ping only.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all that you are thankful for, this Thanksgiving take a look around and notice all of the technology items that make your life better. I am sure on Thanksgiving Day alone you will see dozens of examples.

I am thankful for the electric knife that helps us carve the Turkey safely.

I am thankful for the TV that lets us watch football games in HD.

I am thankful for the KitchenAid mixer that helps us quickly blend, mix and kneed.

I am thankful for the cell phone that lets us call relatives and see why they are running late.

I am thankful for iPods that keep the teens busy so they don’t bother us in the kitchen while dinner is getting ready.

I am thankful for XBox, PS3, and Gameboy that entertain the younger kids.

I am thankful for digital cameras and camcorders that allows us to capture the special day in pictures.

I am thankful for DVDs that allow the entire family to watch a movie late in the afternoon as we all digest.

I am thankful for Google Maps that help us plan out our Black Friday shopping trip.

I am thankful for Pricegrabber and Shopzilla that allow us to check and see if the Black Friday specials are really a good buy.

I  am thankful for GPS that helps us navigate strange neighborhoods while visiting relatives.

I am thankful for PVR technology that allows us to rewind and pause live TV so a moment of the game isn’t missed.

Most of all I am thankful to live in a country where we must strain to imagine a day without such luxuries.

Well, the Mac loyalists are mad at me again.

Last week I wrote a short commentary on our website about how unsportsmanlike it was for Apple to release an update that broke all of the iPhones that weren’t playing by Apple’s rules.

People who simply wanted to get more out of their new $500 device had that device put completely out of commission by the very company they had paid that money to.

Perhaps I should illustrate my point further.

A few years ago several companies began manufacturing a kit which allowed Toyota Prius users to plug their car into an electrical outlet to charge the hybrid engine, thus increasing the already excellent gas mileage.

Now, imagine how those Toyota users would respond if the company issued a mandatory safety recall on all Prius’ and in the process of installing the new safety features they disabled the electrical system on cars that had the added kit. Not because it posed a safety threat but because Toyota simply didn’t like people tinkering with their cars.

Would this be fair?

This is what Apple has done with the iPhone. It’s dirty. The only reason Apple did it was to teach their customers a lesson about trying to go outside of the Apple circle.

I am not criticizing Apple’s technology, their ease of use or their price, they are wonderful products. I am criticizing the ethics of their business practices.

I hope this settles the issue once and for all.