What fitting way to end 2008 than a list of my own version of technology-related highlights of 2008.

  1. Dell’s Acquisition of Equallogic – Ok. So technically this happened in November of 2007. But the acquisition wasn’t completed until early this year. After review of the devices, they are definitely a cost-effective NAS solution. What a great way to introduce storage solutions to small businesses.
  2. ASP.NET MVC – Again, this technically happened in 2007, but my first experiences really happened this year. What a great, clean way to build web applications.
  3. Flip MinoHD – When Pure Digital introduced the Flip Ultra, they introduced new competition to the digital media market. Now their pocket-sized camcorder sold over 1 million units during this year. Then, they introduced the device with a 1280x720 resolution.
  4. Silverlight 2.0 – One of the highlights of the year is the performance of Michael Phelps at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Millions around the world watched. In the US, NBC covered the Olympics on both TV and the web. Their web content was delivered using a custom beta (yes, I did say beta) version of Silverlight 2.0. A true success for the dev team at Microsoft.
  5. Android – Rumored for a couple of years, Google released their competitor to the iPhone called Android. Nope, it’s not a phone. Rather, it’s Google’s own mobile operating system. Several manufactures have signed on to build phones to support Android and it is assumed that this will only increase over the next year or two.
  6. Apple iPhone 3G and iPhone App Store – Apple continually releases “cool” technology. This year they’ve released a new version of their iPhone with enterprise technology built-in including Exchange 2007 ActiveSync support. They also made strong improvements in their iPhone App Store. Look for them to continue the coolness into 2009.
  7. Netflix Streaming – Move over Blu-ray. Netflix is taking control of the movie market. Adding to their Roku support, Netflix now offers streaming over several devices including the XBox 360, Tivo HD DVR, and a Blu-ray player from Samsung and one from LG.
  8. The “Netbook” – With Cloud computing becoming increasingly popular, end users needed a device to access web applications from all over. One of the downsides of traditional laptops have been their size and weight. The “netbook” is the answer. Many companies have made top selling devices including Acer (Acer Aspire One) and Dell (Dell Inspiron Mini).
  9. Social Computing Takes Off – Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace continue to grow. LinkedIn added applications. Sites like FriendFeed and TripIt take off. This will more than likely continue through next year and beyond.
  10. Nintendo Wii Fit, etc. – Nintendo is smart. Very smart. Finally someone out there realized that there happens to be a large crowd of mothers that aren’t gamers. So what does Nintendo do? They introduce Wii Fit. They also released Personal Trainer: Cooking to help capture that market.

-- Honorable mentions – XBox 360 Experience, SlingBox improvements, SlySoft Blu-Ray/HD-DVD backup

Preview of 2009

Here are a few things to watch for as they progress in 2009:

  1. Eye.Fi – Need to download photos from your camera and are too lazy to sit behind your PC? Would you like an “endless” SD card? Try this. It’s a wireless memory card.
  2. Plastic Logic – This is neat. An 8 1/2” x 11” tablet that will compete against the Amazon Kindle. It’s lighter. It’s bigger. They’re also rumored to be building a flexible digital screen.
  3. Internet Car Radio – Last.FM. Pandora. Just 2 of the Internet radio sites/applications available. It’s only a matter of time before they come to automobiles. We may be looking at the end of Sirius/XM.

My Personal Technology Interests of 2008

Here are a few of the items that I purchased this past year.

  1. Light-O-Rama – I recently picked up a Light-O-Rama light controller to help me with my Christmas light display. Can’t wait to add onto it for next year.
  2. Keurig Platinum B70 (review) – What a great way to get a single cup of coffee. Especially when everyone in your household enjoys different flavors. The Keurig system also allows for teas, iced beverages, and even the ability to use your own coffee using the My K-Cup filter.
  3. Flip MinoHD – see above

To all, have a safe, and happy new year and we’ll see you in 2009!