No, I'm not being real original with this topic. But I wanted to add my two cents into what I see trending in the new year. 2010 was explosive in terms of technology and we saw some great things happen. Even with the constant barrage of economic woes news, Apple managed to sell a ton of iPads at a minimum of $500 and opened the flood gates to upcoming tablet innovations. Android phones became fierce competitors to the iPhone and smartphones are showing up in hands of practically everyone. In fact, the flip-phone seems to become akin to the corded phone (yes, Virginia, there was a time we tethered to the wall to talk). So what could possibly come out of 2011? Here's what I see:
Tablets will become a very hot item and topic. The iPad opened flood gates in terms of demand for tablet style devices. The two major contenders will be the iPad and Android OS versions. The thing that is yet to be seen is which size will ultimately win out . . . 10" or the 7" display. Having played around with both the 10" iPad and a 7" Samsung Galaxy Tab, I gotta say that I have to agree with Steve Jobs that 7" really isn't the way to go. Motorola and Archos are definitely ones to watch over this next year as their 10" tablets (Archos also has a 5" and a 7" version) hit the streets. Bye bye netbooks.
eBooks will continue to explode in growth as a format. Print books aren't going away any time soon, but ebooks are definitely gaining traction. Not only are designated ereaders fueling the explosive growth, tablets and ereader apps are giving consumers amazing new options and choice. The publishing world is wide open right now and poised to see some really exciting new enhancements for ebooks such as embedded video and animation in children's books. For a taste of what is to come, check out the article from Mashable with Children's eBooks as apps.
Expect more eReaders. eReaders were very competitive in 2010 and eInk still provides the best reading experience but lacks in color and functionality due to the display type. Hanvon is scheduled to release a 10" color eInk reader in China by March at a pricey $440, and it will be interesting to see if this device or the design is picked up by Amazon or Barnes and Noble (the two top contenders). The Nookcolor is the only dedicated color ereader to date but uses a power-hungry LCD active touch display that is a crossover between ereader and tablet. eInk is preferred since it is viewable in direct sunlight and is a very low power consumption type of display. Mirasol by Qualcomm is another display type which is likely to make an appearance at CES 2011. This display type allows for direct sunlight readability plus video playback and low power consumption, and could be a definite contender to eInk. Amazon boasts being a leader in the eReader arena, but they continue to insist on using their own own unique file format while the rest of the industry has adopted the .ePub format. It will be interesting to see if they finally update their readers to use the ePub format which would provide the users with uses outside of Amazon. Barnes and Noble Nooks are already usable with libraries lending ebooks and other ebook stores such as Google's eBook Store.
Microsoft has a tough year ahead. Microsoft became it's own worst enemy and slow to change. The company is showing signs of change but still lagging behind as it has tries once again to enter the mobile world with their Windows 7 phones in attempt to compete with the iPhone and Android phones. I personally see them as a weak contender as the applications are the vital component to smartphones and developers are more focused on the iOS (iPhone) and Android operating systems. Tablets and online software suites such as Google Apps will definitely put pressure on the expensive Office Suite from Microsoft. Internet Explorer 9 is scheduled to debut in 2011 alongside Firefox 4. If (and a big if) Microsoft can finally release a new browser that doesn't cause enormous compatibility issues and can execute the speeds they are boasting, it may become the preferred browser again. With PC sales weakening to tablet devices, Microsoft won't have the hold on computing as it always has had.
Let the Browser wars begin. Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 4 are both poised to release in early 2011. Google's Chrome 8 hit before year end. All are boasting huge improvements in speed and reliability. All three also have benefits. The true winner in speed right now is Chrome, but it can be unusable for certain business related sites that are designed only around Internet Explorer's security. My opinion is have all three and use them as you feel the need. I primarily use Firefox, but often launch Chrome when I want to do things quickly. Internet Explorer is always a last resort for me and only use it when necessary since it is very sluggish. HTML5 and it's adoption by web developers is poised to create a far better web experience that is both richer and faster for users.
The Social Thing. Facebook and Twitter will continue to dominate, but the real question is whether MySpace will actually survive 2011 or simply go away. Since being bought up by News Corp. it has lost membership at a huge rate. Quite honestly, I never really cared for it and found it more as a haven for malicious software. News Corp. has put the company up for sale but there are no takers at this point. Groupon on the other hand will definitely be one to watch. This start-up company turned down a $6 billion buyout from Google recently. In any event, social tie-ins will continue to dominate everywhere on the web and in the mobile world.
Online News Overhaul. The NY Times and other online News Sites have announced they will be launching 'pay walls'. This means you can view so much and then you will have to pay to see more. How this will play out is unknown. The Wall Street Journal's site, for example, has been doing this for years and has been very successful. But it is a niche type of news and whether general news sites will gain or lose viewers is yet to be determined. USA Today on the other hand has made a huge commitment this past year to digital content. Their efforts have recreated the newspaper in a great format on both the iPad, iPhones, Android devices, and Google's new Web Apps.
Internet TV will continue to struggle. Although Google TV is one of the best entramces into the internet TV world, it has not performed as expected. In fact the latest studies show that Internet-connected TV's comprised about 25% of TV sales in 2010, only about 45% of users actually use the features. TV and internet connection has never done well and it really comes down to behavior and desired experience. When we get in front of the TV, we want to watch. We really don't want to do much like search. Netflix and/or YouTube tie-ins are great features, but outside of that users are showing that full internet style capabilities are what they want to truly use. Will that change? Possibly, but I think 2011 will see similar performance for internet TV. Consumers will take it if the feature is included but it will not be a deciding factor in the purchase decision especially with internet connected blu-ray players that provide streaming Netflix movies or Hulu shows.
I love the new Microsoft ads with the line 'to the cloud'. I keep saying that at work and when no one knows what I am talking about and look at me like I have two heads (actually that's common when I say most things), I realize not too many people watch commercials anymore do they? Anyway, 'cloud computing' is becoming more and more common. Most people are even using computers this way without even realizing it. Take, for example, your email. The invention of web mail was a major step towards 'cloud computing'. In the early days email was always delivered to a computer and read through software on your computer. In the mid 1990's email began being accessed and read by visiting a web page such as Yahoo, Hotmail, AOL, Gmail, your Internet provider, etc.. The message is stored on a remote server and we access our messages from any computer connected to the Internet. Today people are storing photographs, documents, files, etc. online more and more while realizing huge benefits for accessibility and sharing with others. Let's take a look at some real world benefits to working 'in the cloud'.
Over a year ago I began participating on our Church Parish Council. Many of the topics we discussed and challenges we faced had one common theme . . . communication barriers and breakdowns. When I began looking at this in detail, I began seeing that we relied heavily on a weekly bulletin to deliver information and found volunteer groups busily trying to track down documents or contacts someone else had for their group. We had a website, but updates required contacting one person who has a busy full-time job and couldn't always get around to updating the information. So we began seeking out a solution to 1) bringing everything back 'under one roof', 2) improving the efficiency of communication, and 3) reducing costs. And, yes, we found all three . . . in 'the cloud'.
Myself and our website designer took a serious look at Google Apps. With the Standard version we were able to have 50 users (both staff and select ministries) and provide them with branded email and suite of online software such as calendars, contacts, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and website hosting. All for about $10/year. We get some huge benefits from this type of system and it's evolving all the time:
Our 'Welcome Booklet' is stored online, is accessible by clicking a link on the website, and can be updated easily in the background without ever having to do anything to the website.
The website is actually updated by multiple people who know nothing about websites. We use embedded calendars through Google Apps that volunteers access and update within the system as a user.
With user accounts for specific ministries, we began storing documents and contacts for those groups online. They can access from any internet connected computer all of this information without having to go looking for it. Plus transition to new members is far easier as all they need to be given is the access information.
Volunteers can help from home. I get website and prayer requests into my email box and can quickly make the necessary updates and changes within a few minutes.
We are finding new ways to use this each and every day. It's the same system I transitioned my wife's Real Estate business over to just before the Church. We don't store all information for her business 'in the cloud', but core things we do which is a huge benefit in the case a computer goes down. Plus it allows us to better collaborate on things. I work a FT job as well and coordinating schedules isn't always easy. So we share our calendars through this system and my existing Gmail account. When either of us add something to our calendars whether through our computer or on our Android phones, it is immediately updated for the other person. Enter-once-use-everywhere. Love it. This blog is also a 'cloud' collaboration. I can start a post from any internet connected computer, and finish it on any other while collaborating on the topics through another 'cloud' based system.
Security and reliability are always a concern. A few years ago Yahoo was offering a great online photo storage service that was unlimited and allowed for easily ordering prints from a local Target or CVS store. The problem came in when Yahoo shut the service down and getting all of those photos back. So keep a backup and insure you can always get a copy of your information.
2010 has definitely been a year for major advancements in mobile computing and online social networking. 2011 in my opinion is going to be a year for huge advancements in 'cloud' computing.
Flagler County Administration received the good news from the State Department of Children and Families that a grant in the amount of of $455,295 was made available to the County over a three year period for a mental health support program.
The grant is to establish a Mental Health Support Service Program that will focus on diverting those with mental illness disorders to treatment instead of the criminal justice system. It includes mental health assessment support for adults in the county so deputies do not have to transport to Volusia County.
The program will be established in conjunction with Stewart Marchman – Act Behavioral Healthcare, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Department and Haven Recovery Center.
George Sheldon, Secretary of the State Department of Children and Families wrote this in a letter to Flagler County:
“ We appreciate your communities’ commitment to increasing public safety, averting increased spending on criminal justice and juvenile justice services. Together we can help improve the lives of children and adults with substance abuse and mental health needs as well as improve the safety of our communities.”
The grant was only available to counties that were awarded and completed a previous assessment grant in 2007 and Flagler County was one of the counties that qualified.
Google just recently announced a laptop that runs solely on it's Chrome operating system. That's right . . . no Microsoft Windows. The concept is designed around the notion that people primarily live on the web when using PC's today. So Google designed a laptop that is basically it's Chrome web browser. For those that have used Google Chrome browser you can not deny that it's fast and simple. But you can't buy this laptop (called the CR-48). It's only available to reviewers that Google approves through an application process and they send one for free. I applied, but haven't heard anything yet.
So what's the big deal? Well, first by stripping away all of the stuff that goes along with a normal operating system and breaking it down to simply a web browser you get a few added benefits:
Blazing fast startup which is said to be around 14 seconds.
Very simple user interface. Just sign into your Google account and you are up and running. There is a 'Guest' option too.
No need for expensive or problematic software installs.
No need to worry about data loss if the computer crashes. Everything is done and stored on the web. So if the computer breaks, you just sign onto another one and away you go. This is 'the cloud' you keep hearing about.
Google Web Apps and extensions are also a nice feature. The apps are designed around the mobile apps concept and provide for targeted uses and a more rich reading experience for news. Extensions are add-ons to the browser itself which provide some great functionality such as easily sharing with others, screen captures, etc.
There is a 16GB solid-state hard-drive which I am assuming allows for offline viewing and work.
Outside of a laptop, this type of OS would be great on a tablet which Google has already been working on and it will be interesting to see if it ever becomes reality.
So what's the downfall? The biggest hurdle at this juncture in my opinion (and most others) is the comfort level of the masses to store all of their information online. Granted I find myself doing this more and more all the time because the benefits are great. I can leave off on one computer and access the same work on another by simply logging into my account whether it be a document, spreadsheet, or presentation with Google Docs. The pitfall to this is, I have to have access to the Internet on the other computer or tablet which is usually not an issue. And there are many that still need specialized software which will not run on this type of device.
So will Chrome OS impact Windows? If PC-makers begin offering this type of option it will definitely bite into Windows hold on the PC industry. I don't see all users, or even a majority, moving from a Windows or Apple OS type of system. But this will be another competitive option for users. Windows and Apple OS computers still provide huge benefits for most users who need specialized software such as graphic artists and business users. So Chrome OS will not be the proverbial "Windows-killer", but it will be competitive in the personal user arena in my opinion.
So who could benefit from this type of OS? A few I can think of:
Students. Students need low-cost computing that allows them access to the web and creating documents. What a great device for schools too.
Personal users that just want low-cost and quick computing.
Non-profits such as churches that need to utilize collaboration amongst volunteers. Providing this type of set up and equipment reduces a lot of costs and improves communication dramatically.
Take a look at the video below to see an overview of the Chrome OS system and benefits:
At the core of all social networking is sharing. This may be thoughts/ideas, photos, or links to information (i.e. news articles, blog posts, websites, etc.). The problem that arises when you begin to use multiple social networking sites and services is sifting through all that. Sure you can bring it all into one place with services like Hootsuite or TweetDeck, but the problem is you are still looking at a stream within columns that can easily becoming uninteresting.
Recently, a few companies have begun to address the problem by reassembling these feeds into a much more engaging format. They have taken the concept of the newspaper format and reconstruct social networking feeds to appear on screen in that manner. The newspaper in terms of format has always been the best in assembling large amounts of news in a rich reading experience. So the idea of reassembling social networking streams in this manner is perfect in my opinion. Some of these new services are:
Paper.li - This is a free online service that connects with a Twitter account. The user can create multiple online 'papers' that can be generated from one's Twitter feed, searches, topics, or user created Twitter lists. I prefer the Twitter List means since it allows you to create very targeted themed 'papers' that you have more control over since you select the users for that list. This can be great for personal as well as business/organization use. For example, Kathleen's Real Estate Daily allows her to bring comprehensive Real Estate related news to others in a daily automated manner. Some other examples are:
Flipboard - This free iPad app takes multiple social networking and social media feeds and reassembles them into flip-through 'boards' that display the feeds in a newspaper style.
PostPost -This free online service connects with one's Facebook account and displays it in the newspaper style. I've found this to be a great display but can be kind of 'buggy' and slow to respond.
It will be nice to see these services take on a better presence in the mobile arena. Paper.li for example does not display very well on a small screen. In any event, these are great ideas and it will be interesting to see how they take shape for social networking services over the coming year.
Flagler County School District and Flagler County government get $1.7 million dollars the State Department of Transportation, approved for four projects for area schools.
Funds will be used for:
Sidewalk along Old Kings Road from S.R. 100 to Old Kings Elementary School;
Turn lanes on Old Kings Road going into Old Kings Elementary School,
Sidewalk along S.R. 100 from Belle Terre Parkway to Bunnell,
Sidewalk along Matanzas Woods Pkwy from US 1 to Old Kings Road.
Flagler County Engineer Faith Alkhatib said design of the projects will begin in the next few months and construction will begin in the next year.
“This is great news, it will provide a safer route for school children and enhance the connectivity to our county-wide trail system.”
~ County Administrator Craig Coffey
The Flagler County School District does not provide bus service to students who live within two miles of the school they attend. The sidewalks and other improvements will provide a safer route to the schools. School officials also hope the sidewalks will lessen the traffic congestion at the school sites by students walking or bicycling to school rather than being dropped off by parents driving them to school.
The 'For Sale' sign on the lawn of a property is still alive and well and continues to serve a purpose . . . letting others know the property is for sale. In fact, buyers still continue to find properties of interest by these signs and continue to take drives to look for them in an area of interest. But the sign has always had a huge barrier that has bothered my wife, Kathleen, and I . . . the lack of information. You basically get three bits of information from the sign:
That the property is for sale
The company and agent the property is listed with
A phone number to call
So if the buyer does want to know more about the property they can either call the number on the sign or jot down the property address and look it up when they get home. The buyer has really never been able to get any more information immediately other than maybe 'clunky' text message or 800-number requests . . . until now.
Realtor, Kathleen West (PalmCoastHomeShow.com) just launched scannable signs. The lawn sign has a scannable QR Code (quick response code) which can be scanned with a smartphone and a scanning app such as Shop Savvy. Once the code is scanned, the person is directed automatically to a site that contains the property information plus photos, local information such as schools, satellite maps, and more. If the buyer wishes to schedule a showing or has more questions, simply click the 'Request More Information' button or touch the phone number on the screen to dial. It's that easy.
An example of the rider is below which you can scan the QR code on the screen to see the result at 13 Pinelark Ln in Palm Coast, FL:
The custom rider was created with help from Palm Coast Signs. Fernando and his team have always done a wonderful job for us and provide quick turnaround.
