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2012 Technology Predictions

Author: Posted: Jan. 13th, 2012 Category: Misc. Tags:
14 Comments

Arc Intermedia’s 7 Technology Predictions for 2012:

7.  Websites will mutate

With more smartphones and tablets sold than PCs last year, companies will build mobile websites that adapt to different platforms – providing specific functionality for a computer versus a tablet versus a smartphone.

6.  Internet Explorer 7 will finally die, Die, DIE (is that too harsh?)

Most developers will stop supporting Internet Explorer 7, and many users will forgo IE completely for third-party browsers like Firefox or Chrome.

5.  Greedy Microsoft will give away software

Once portrayed as the oppressive, close-minded “suit” in Apple commercials, Microsoft will begin offering many of its products for free to small companies and will roll out flexible open source tools.

4.  Google+ will become the shallow popular kid

As Google+ brand pages start impacting Google search results, a rush of companies will build brand pages to take advantage of this. Most will never add content beyond their initial launch.

3.  You will break up with Google

As Google becomes increasingly cluttered with local findings, sponsored feeds, and its own products like Google+ pages, more people will seek out “smaller” search engines that get back to the basics of simple, clean search results.

2.  You will try to ditch Facebook, but there’s no escape

Niche social networks will attract small, passionate audiences with specific interests (think Instagram for photography and GetGlue for entertainment). But they will all connect with and post into Facebook.

1.  You will talk to your toaster

Check tomorrow’s weather on your fridge, pre-heat the oven with your tablet, swipe your phone as a credit card – this year more of our home appliances and systems will be networked and controlled remotely by mobile apps. Then Skynet and Siri will join forces to take over the world. The Matrix has you.

Do you have a technology prediction or two for 2012?  We’d love to hear.  Let us know in the comments.

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  • Christina

    I have one. Companies will continue to make thins in 3D and consumers will continue to ignore them!

    • Matthew Ulmer

      Christina, I couldn’t have said it better myself!  CES just confirmed your thought — why are manufactures continuing to waste money on 3D development, especially when in most cases you still need glasses that consumers don’t want to wear (and even when they don’t need glasses — such as the Nintendo 3DS — it still doesn’t work!)?  Many of last year’s top-of-the-line 3D TVs are now selling for more than half off.

    • Matthew Ulmer

      Christina, I couldn’t have said it better myself!  CES just confirmed your thought — why are manufactures continuing to waste money on 3D development, especially when in most cases you still need glasses that consumers don’t want to wear (and even when they don’t need glasses — such as the Nintendo 3DS — it still doesn’t sell!)?  Many of last year’s top-of-the-line 3D TVs are now selling for more than half off.

    • Matthew Ulmer

      Christina, I couldn’t have said it better myself!  CES just confirmed your thought — why are manufactures continuing to waste money on 3D development, especially when in most cases you still need glasses that consumers don’t want to wear (and even when they don’t need glasses — such as the Nintendo 3DS — it still doesn’t work!)?  Many of last year’s top-of-the-line 3D TVs are now selling for more than half off.

  • Rob DiSantos

    i like your number 3. I hate google now.

  • Barbara

    Funny!

  • David Kaplan

    I agree with everything except #6 and #1. IE7 has still got some life in it and supports enough stuff where it will still be relevant for at least another year (does it croak in 2013? Maybe.)

    As for the toaster thing, manufacturers have been floating internet enabled kitchen appliances for years now and it hasn’t emerged as much more than “Tomorrowland” style pie in the sky.

    Fact is, the vast majority of people like to do their computing while they eat their meal… not while they prepare it. Also, the emotional response from anyone who spends more than a few minutes in a kitchen will resemble something like “Splattering pasta sauce + sticky home made pecan pie + electronics = forget it.”

    • Matthew Ulmer

      David, no one could argue that Spaghetti sauce and electronics don’t mix, but wouldn’t you love to be able to pull up recipes on the seven inch LCD embedded in your oven?No?  Okay, but it would be sort of cool if your refrigerator could keep track of what you snacked on all day.  Grab a bag of chips, scan it, and get a read of all you’ve ingested that day.  Maybe it even recommends an exercise to burn it off.

  • Mike Maier

    New, Bonus Prediction :: The iBooks announcement will be the catalyst to those “cheaper iPads” we keep hearing about. On the surface, the books prices seem very good, but that kind of gets wiped out when the device to view those books starts at $499. Cheaper iPads could be the key to the iBook market really taking off.

  • Joan Mintz

    I’m wondering if we can expect more apps to be developed for non-iphone Smart phones (are there such things?) to help level that playing field?

    • Matthew Ulmer

      Joan, believe it or not, the iPhone is not the only smartphone with apps.  In fact, they all (even the Blackberry) have app stores.  But since there are so many different types of Android and Blackberry operating systems, app developers find it easier and more lucrative to work predominately on the iPhone.  Expect this to change when the latest version of Android (dubbed Ice Cream Sandwich) finally brings some consistency to Android.

  • Anonymous

    I see an iPad3 with a better screen and more horsepower and an iPad 3 lite with a smaller screen and lower cost to compete directly with the Kindle Fire.

    Pie in the Sky: Could Apple TV come out in time for Christmas? Apple
    unveils Apple TV that has integrated hardware and software that allows you to
    watch TV, tie in other media from iCloud, select other media feeds and sources
    and allows you to simultaneously interact with others real-time inset into
    programming, i.e. Facetime, chat, messaging.

     

    • Matthew Ulmer

      Dave, I’m still not entirely sold that there will be a smaller iPad just yet.  Apple isn’t used to following other’s footsteps, and they know the dangers of popping out new products as quickly as possible strictly to compete with other products.  The question is: Were they already working on a smaller iPad, or are they going to make one only after seeing the success of the Kindle? Here’s a different Apple-related prediction: Siri will [eventually] come to nearly all Apple products.  I can’t wait to use it (her) on a Mac.

  • Anonymous

    David, no one could argue that Spaghetti sauce and electronics don’t mix, but wouldn’t you love to be able to pull up recipes on the seven inch LCD embedded in your oven?

    No?  Okay, but it would be sort of cool if your refrigerator could keep track of what you snacked on all day.  Grab a bag of chips, scan it, and get a read of all you’ve ingested that day.  Maybe it even recommends an exercise to burn it off.