2011 proved to be a year of great efforts. Several manufactures attempted to deliver an iPad-like device but not set the world on fire, including Amazon’s mini tablet. We also saw changes in web browser upgrade policy as Microsoft announced their behind-the-screens auto update for IE.
This year I’d like to monitor the changes and influences of the web technologies and devices that influence our daily lives. I’ll attempt to list here the current state of these areas and post updates on changes to promises and projections thought the year.
1) Tablets. There’s no doubt Apple has delivered the best and most popular solution. iOS has proven to be more profitable for developers than Android. Will Apple develop a 7 in iPad to compete with a newbie competitor Amazon Kindle Fire?
2) The Cloud. So far it’s got promise but my experiences with Amazon’s, Google’s, and Apple’s clouds have been lack luster.
3) CMS market share. WordPress is growing as is Joomla! and Drupal. Using CMS for website development has as many pros as cons. I prefer WordPress for its support and simplicity, and Drupal for its customization.
4) Browsers. So far, Chrome use is matching Mozilla’s FireFox. Charts show it will surpass Mozilla soon. As of this writing, mobile Safari has a larger footprint than Mac Safari. No surprise there. But what’s going to happen with the cluster-fudge we call IE? Microsoft’s recent announcement to force upgrades is good news. But IE9 needs better HTML5 support.
5) Speaking of HTML5, will Flash really go by the wayside? As an animator and programmer, I love what Flash can do. But with Adobe’s announcement on their decision to discontinue their mobile support for Flash, and iOS not supporting Flash, well, it all smells like formaldehyde to me.
6) Video file formats. From Google’s webM, and the “open” h.264 mp4, there are good choices. But cross browser support and exporting tools all affect workflow, costs, quality, and over all winners and losers. I’m surprised how amazing ogv is. Seriously, it looks great and has a small file size and loads fast.
7) eBooks. I’m loving my Nook Simple Touch. Kindle is a common family favorite. We all have one with matching cases. iBooks have been a huge disappointment in my book (pun intended.) but with Apple’s new iBook Author, I see some major changes coming. I’m hoping Nook grows. Their tablet is way better than Amazon’s Fire, and their eInk screens are nicer.
8) Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). With mobile device and more businesses running remote satalite workers, VDI is growing. Will we see this in homes too?
9) iOS, Android, Windows Phone. Enterprise Mobile Applications. Office apps, security, commerce, medical, pharma. It’s going mobile and developers are responding to the change.
10) Digital media consumption. Specifically movies. Theaters are reporting a decline in attendance. Personally I’m turned off by all the advertisements before movie I paid to watch. Large screen TV and digital downloads are making the home theater an attainable experience.
11) Voice recognition. Apple’s acquisition and implementation of Siri exposed speech recognition to the masses. It also delivered a 2001 Hal like experience. Android’s cleverly named (?) Iris and other similar offerings like Evi for iPhone 4, are nice and close to an AI experience. But Siri’s cheaply comments are certainly part of the fun.
12) Social networks. This one still stumps me a bit. Those who use FaceBook say its just a waste of time. Those selling FaceBook marketing swear by its impact. LinkedIn and Twitter round out a more useful (?) functionality to this industry. I’m curious if we will see any new ideas, or we will all march to FaceBooks beat?