CourseCast of the Week

Episode 0029, 12/31/2007

Title: Top tech topics of 2007 and what's ahead in 2008

Welcome to Course Technology's CourseCast of the week, Episode 29, recorded December 31st, 2007.

This is Ken Baldauf with a year-end review of the top technology topics of 2007. In this special edition episode I will count down the top six technology topics of the past year. Why six? Well, after reviewing the hundreds of stories on which I have reported, the stories that have impacted us the most just naturally fell into six topic areas. I'll conclude this CourseCast by looking into my crystal ball and predicting what lies ahead for us in 2008. The show notes for today's CourseCast include dozens of links to the stories that influenced my choices for the topics in this episode.

As always, this CourseCast is brought to you by Course Technology. Check out www.course.com for innovative textbooks and creative electronic learning solutions.

Top Tech Topic #6 - New Software Releases

2007 was the year of big software releases. At the beginning of the year, Microsoft released its highly anticipated Windows Vista, the first major update to Windows in six years. Microsoft also released Office 2007 alongside Vista. Both Vista and Office 2007 included new and innovative user interfaces. In September, Microsoft released Halo 3 and enjoyed record first day sales of $170 million. In October, Apple released OS X Leopard to a growing number of Mac users. 2007 was a strong year for Apple, with the percentage of computer users using Macs growing to eight percent, a growth rate that is increasing at seven times the industry average.

Stories:

Top Tech Topic #5 - To DRM or Not To DRM

Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, either has super-human powers or incredibly good timing. When he called on the record industry to give up digital rights management technologies last February, no one thought that much would come of it. But like dominoes, the big 4 record labels, EMI, Warner, Sony, and Universal have all begun experimenting with DRM-free music distribution. ITunes, Amazon, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and even Limewire are advertising DRM-free music to attract customers to their online music stores. Also, 2007 has seen several alternative music distribution Web sites arise in efforts to find a model that will appeal to consumers and satisfy the record labels.

DRM came about as a technology solution to prohibit unlawful copying and distributing of music over the Internet and through homemade CDs. The battle between the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peer-to-peer file sharers is raging stronger than ever. 2007 has seen thousands of college students sued by the RIAA, and several precedent-setting court battles. Meanwhile, the US government is becoming more involved by proposing laws that will raise penalties, and leaning on colleges to control student's Internet use.

DRM-Free News

Alternative Music Distribution Technologies

RIAA Legal Stories

Top Tech Topic #4- Google

Google has become one of the world’s biggest companies with stock prices increasing from $460 to $700 over the course of 2007. Its current value is greater than FedEx, McDonalds, Coke, and Wal-Mart, but not yet as high as Microsoft. Google has produced headline-grabbing news nearly every month this year, coming on strongest in the past couple of months, offering open-standards for developing software for social networks and cell phones. Among Google's new technologies in 2007 are:

  • Google Maps Street View
  • Google Presentation
  • Google Sky
  • Google My World
  • YouTube Videos in Google Earth
  • Google OpenSocial
  • Google Android and the Open Handset Alliance
  • and Google "My Location" for Mobile Maps

Google's slogan "Don't be evil" has been tested this year as the search giant has been scrutinized for collecting search data on users and becoming more involved with intrusive advertising. On the other hand, Google has continued "doing good" by promoting open software development platforms, that will drive technology innovation forward, and also by investing heavily in green technologies.

Stories:

Top Tech Topics #3 - Information Insecurity

2007 has seen more hacks, attacks, viruses, scams, and data breaches than ever; or at least that's the way it appears judging from all the stories on the topic. It's no wonder a 2007 survey by Consumer Reports declares the "State of the Net" to be troubling. Indeed! Here are some 2007 headlines:

  • 46 million consumer records stolen from TJ Maxx and Marshalls
  • Pentagon hacked, Chinese Army suspected
  • "Storm worm" adds millions of computers to botnet
  • Data Leak in Britain Affects 25 Million
  • Hackers Launch Major Attack on US Military Labs
  • World faces "cyber cold war" threat
  • Sophisticated Trojan loots business bank accounts
  • Nuclear Lab Breach Linked to China
  • Millions Vulnerable to New Hack Attack

Surveys and studies show that most users are still either unaware or negligent of necessary safeguards to keep computers safe from attacks. This is bound to become an even more serious issue as attacks increase in strength and number.

Stories:

Top Tech Topic #2 - The iPhone

The iPhone was released in June of this year with record-breaking sales: 500,000 iPhones were sold over the first weekend. Whether you are impressed by the iPhone or not, you have to admit that he iPhone has changed the way the world looks at mobile phones. The new and easy-to-use touch-display interface and integrated Internet services offered on the iPhone have raised the bar for mobile handset designers, and jump-started the smartphone market. The past year has seen not only the introduction of the iPhone, but numerous new and innovative phones from other manufacturers many of which are trying to compete with the iPhone, like the LG Voyager, the Helio Ocean, the Motorola Razr2, and the Samsung UpStage. We're sure to see more new bold and exciting handset designs emerge in 2008.

Stories:

 

Top Tech Topic #1 - Web 2.0

While the iPhone has earned the top story of the year award from most technology publishers, I think that Web 2.0 technologies have done more to transform our lives in 2007. Blogging, social networking, Wikkis, social bookmarking, and other online community-building features of what we call Web 2.0 have transformed the manner in which people use the Web and live their lives. While many of these technologies have been around for years, it was in 2007 that they gained broad social acceptance. Consider the YouTube Presidential Primary Debates, and the use of Facebook to build support for causes and candidates. Social networks have become an important tool for keeping close to friends and meeting others with similar interests. Web 2.0 has given individuals the power to broadcast their thoughts and opinions to millions of others; more access and power than any other previous technology has offered. The rise of Web sites like Facebook and the services they offer have turned the page and begun a new chapter in Internet use. Google's entrance into this arena with its Open Social development platform, and the migration of Web 2.0 apps to cell phones, point to a mobile and social future for the Web.

 

The Year Ahead

By following the tech stories of 2007, I am able to make some educated guesses as to what we can expect in 2008 and years beyond. Based on the top seven tech topics of 2007, it's easy to predict that more Windows users will be upgrading to Vista in 2008, and Google and Apple will be gaining more influence. It's also safe to assume that more cell phone users will be accessing the Internet and Web 2.0 applications on their hand sets, and that information security will grow as a concern, especially for Vista and iPhone users. Here are some additional, perhaps more speculative predictions, in no particular order:

There will be an increase in debate over how much telecom companies should be allowed to view and manage telecommunications and Internet traffic.

Online companies will push the legal and ethical limits on what user information is tracked, stored, used, and shared, in efforts to target Internet users with advertisements.

A new type of notebook will make the scene: smaller and less expensive than typical notebooks and equipped with solid-state hard drives.

In coming years a push to bring third world countries online will begin in earnest.

The availability of large quantities of online storage for personal use, such as backing up home computers, and sharing files with others, will become available with low-priced offerings from the big online companies

Cell phones will begin a transformation to high-speed Internet devices and a source for music, video, social networking, games, information, commerce, communication and ads. Also, more cell phone users will begin connecting their computers to cell phone networks for high-speed Internet.

Google will become a BIG player in the mobile communications industry

An increasing amount of applications will be moving from your PC to the Web

Microsoft Office will see real competition for the first time in years

E-books and e-book readers will be closely scrutinized by many and adopted by some

That's it for this YEAR's CourseCasts. Links to stories covered in this CourseCast and many more news and information resources are provided at the CourseCast Web site at www.course.com/coursecasts. Until next time, have a great week, a happy New Year, and be sure to take advantage of the Power -- of Technology!