A Preview of Internet 2008
Mainstream media embraces Web 2.0 - Mashable reports on Reuters' new partnership with SocialPicks, a newly funded stock picking social network, to develop their own branded social network community called StockBuzz. This new product has interesting implications for real estate community networks like Active Rain, Realivent or Zolve, who might consider launching branded community networks for real estate brokerages.
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The Economist projects Internet developments for 2008:
- Bandwidth will slow down as the Internet reaches limits. Until recently, most Internet users were consumers of content and only downloaded stuff into their PCs. User generated content has spawned an explosion of uploaded content, which of course just increases more consumption by an expanded user base that includes new mobile users. Internet access stops being taken for granted.
- Google's initiative to develop Android, its mobile phone platform, has effectively opened up the mobile phone application business. The US carriers have greedily kept mobile applications closed so its consumers couldn't download unwanted applications, like VOIP wifi for making free cell phone calls (which is possible in Europe). Google never wanted to be in the phone business, but they do want to own the mobile search space. Next month, the FCC is opening up C-block 700-mh wireless spectrum that were once used by analog TV channels 52 through 69 and freed up by all-digital broadcasting. Its highly desirable bandwidth and Google's Android entry helped convince the FCC to ensure that this spectrum is open access (Verizon tried to block this). The US carriers are forced to comply... mobile consumers thank Google.
- The open source movement will follow through across the computing spectrum:
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Even Apple, long a bastion of closed systems, is coming round to the open idea. Its heavily protected iPhone was hacked within days of being launched by owners determined to run third-party software like Skype on it.
Apple’s initial response was to attempt a heavy-handed crackdown. But then a court decision in Germany forced its local carrier to unlock all iPhones sold there. Good news for iPhone owners everywhere: a flood of third-party applications is now underway.
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When firms are used to buying $1,000 office PCs running Vista Business Edition and loading each with a $200 copy of Microsoft Office, the attractions of a sub-$500 computer using a free operating system like Linux and a free productivity suite like OpenOffice suddenly become very compelling.
And that’s not counting the $20,000 or more needed for Microsoft’s Exchange and SharePoint server software. Again, Linux provides such server software for free.
Merry Christmas!
--Pat Kitano
The only issue I see with open sources operating systems is the workability of many current corporate and other web applications that has activeX control to drive silly things such as drop down menus and other application handlings. As a Realtor I'm forced to use Windows OS due to the fact that our MLS works on IE5.5+ only. We cannot even enjoy using a mac without having to install an emulator $79 + copy of windows xp $200.
Web 2.0 should be associated with some laws that force all web application developers to comply with ajax, xmls and dhtml standards to eliminate browser specific programming.
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I just discovered a beta of vodpod for wordpress ... with just a push of a button I can publish video on my blog. I'm sure if I was focused enough I could clog the internet to a standstill!
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