2010: A Tech Odyssey - Mobile Internet

This is a very hot segment right now. You have all these new phones with big screens that are perfect for viewing web pages. Now that we have the phones in customers' hands, it’s about content and speed. We have all seen the Verizon vs. AT&T ads bashing each other’s networks; that’s not going to let up any time soon.

The other side is the website’s content. Websites have to get the same content they expect visitors to view on a big HD screen down to a size that is readable on small phone screens. Many websites are rapidly developing mobile sites designated for phones. Many of them have other URL addresses, such as m.espn.go.com. There is also a new top level domain, called .mobi. These sites are designed to run on cell phones.

Banks were the first major industry to move to cell phones. Many banks have .mobi sites at which you can pay bills and view your accounts. I think many other industries could benefit from this. Thinking of ordering a pizza online on your phone? Papa John’s and Pizza Hut have iPhone apps, but not mobile sites.

There are other possibilities, too. Grocery stores could allow you to make your list online and then view it on your phone. Maybe they could integrate it with GPS to let you know when you are near something on your list. OnStar uses a technology similar to  that in cell phones; it would be interesting to be able to have a website for your car where you could start it, lock or unlock it from your phone. The opportunities are endless for these emerging technologies.

4G

You keep hearing about the fastest 3G service, or the one with the most coverage. Well this is all fine and dandy, but 3G is so 2009; 2010 will be the year of 4G. Carriers will be using a few different standards. The two biggest standards are WiMax and Long Term Evolution (LTE). You will be able to stream HD videos to your phone with ease, and download a DVD movie in five minutes. We could even see 1 Gb/s speeds in some areas. I can’t wait to see what Verizon comes up with in time to bash AT&T next Christmas.

 eBooks

I know I was about to abandon ship on ebooks late last year, but apparently people want to give it another shot, and this time it looks like everyone is hoping aboard the boat. There are many new devices from almost everyone that makes electronics. Amazon was the first store to offer ebooks for sale, but Barnes and Noble now offers some too; I hope more stores start up soon.

Conclusion

2010 will be an exciting year. I think the vast majority of the new technology will be on the mobile front. Last year we saw a lot of smaller computers called netbooks. They took off, and this year they will continue to catch on, perhaps to the point of mobile dominance. Though there will be a lot of exciting technology, I was only able to cover a few topics which I thought would have the most impact.