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predictions

10 music-tech trends that will shape the next decade

Bill Gates has said that prognosticators often overestimate the amount of technological change that will happen in a year, but underestimate the changes that will take place over a decade. With the Zeroes coming to an end this week, and Steve Guttenberg's recent column questioning the viability of recorded music in 2020 as inspiration, here's my pick of 10 trends in music and technology that will shape the next decade.

Songs instead of albums Musicians will always find ways to record their music--it's a fundamental drive, like painting for a painter or writing for a writer. But … Read more

Friday Poll: What do you most want to see in 2010?

We're nearing 2010, and that means it's time for bloggers like yours truly to stock up on champagne, put on our one necktie, and start making predictions. Instead, I thought it would be fun to talk about the tech I'd like to see in the new year. Then I thought it would be even more fun if we talked about the tech that you, the readers, would like to see.

To be fair, a few of our poll options are left over from my 2008 holiday wish list that didn't come to be in '09. Then … Read more

Seven businesses to look out for in 2010

In January of 2008, dreading the idea of a cliche "prediction" post, I wrote a post that attempted to somewhat humorously outline seven businesses that would result from the then nascent cloud computing movement. As I look back at that post this year, I'm surprised to find myself thinking that most--if not all--of these should appear in one form or another in the coming year.

Here's the list, with my updated commentary from this year in italics:

SaaS<-->Enterprise data conversion practice: All those existing enterprise apps will need to have their data … Read more

Top 5 Predictions for 2010

As part of our cavalcade of year-end Top 5s, I present my crystal ball. I have seen the future...and it is wonderful! It's filled with correct predictions by me. Sure, last year I got like .5 out of 5 right. So what? I predict I will do better this year.

So watch the video and come back hear to answer the trivia question for a chance to win the lame prize. I predict one of you will win!

2010 monitors preview

Last year, after the dust settled on CES 2009, it became clear to me that there were three major trends dictating the development of new monitors: Full HD resolutions, eco-friendly displays that use less power, and LED backlight technology.

Since CES 2009, all three trends have begun to grow. The vast majority of monitors I reviewed in 2009 were Full HD, 16:9 displays. Also, from Dell's G line to BenQ's recent stark white offering (with an embedded flower pot), the eco-friendly trend is not going away anytime soon. It helps that some of these eco-conscious monitors actually … Read more

Analyst: Money transfer soon to be No. 1 phone app

If smartphones aren't already helping us navigate the modern world, they are certainly on track to do so soon.

In Gartner's top 10 predictions for how consumers will use their mobile devices in the year 2012, location-based services landed the No. 2 position, just behind money transfer.

There aren't many surprises on the list, released Wednesday by the analyst firm, though I would have expected to see gaming enter the top 10 consumer applications for mobile devices within the next two years, especially considering the firm previously predicted that mobile gaming revenue would experience a compound annual … Read more

Simple astrological tool

MB Astrology Natal Chart provides a simple look at the planets, sun and moon on a person's day of birth. While the program looks fantastic and has a lot of details, its lack of information keeps newcomers from enjoying it.

We found the program's interface to be a mixed bag. While very basic and practically fool-proof to operate, the program and its Help file provided no information about Astrology or the meaning of the chart, which left us feeling lost. Upon entering our day and year of birth, along with the longitude and latitude of our birthplace (luckily … Read more

Football spread predictor

NFL Forecaster helps users predict weekly professional football games. While its depth is impressive, the amount of manual input may scare off some.

The program's interface is a cluttered and confusing mix of charts and statistics. We did ourselves a favor and consulted the Help file, specifically its alphabetized topics list, whenever a hurdle presented itself. The program excels at showing the current week's professional football match-ups and giving the spread (how many points the winner will win by). We were unable to know how accurately the program predicts scores since this was tested before the season, but … Read more

Top 5: Worst sci fi predictions

Science fiction loves to show us the future. But we've had enough science fiction around for a long enough time that we're starting to notice it's not very good at predictions. In this episode, we count down some of the worst predictions of sci fi. And we give you a chance to win a small pack of zombies from October toys. So watch, won't you? And then come back to answer the trivia question for a chance to win your own small army of zombies.