My Predictions for 2006

But 1st a review of my 2005 predictions:
+The Internet will continue to engulf entire industries eg Telephone > Voip, Record Industry > iTunes, Movie Rentals > NetFlix, Cable TV > IpTV
CORRECT - VOIP, iTunes, NetFlix, iTunes video/Google video all stellar successes
+Wireless IP phones will gain popularity sharply, eventually being integrated into cell phones.
INCONCLUSIVE - we only saw a few WiVoip handsets released and Vonage didn't release 'till the end of the year
+Internet TV will become viable and initiate a ton of law-suits
INCORRECT - still struggling with standards and bandwidth issues the closest we got was google video, iTunes
-CPU speeds will level off causing AMD & Intel to "cheat" putting 2 cores in 1 cpu, and requiring most software to need a multi-thread re-write to take advantage of this.
CORRECT - multithread unfriendly code is becoming a rarity, finally
-cell processors will generate hype but nothing else
CORRECT - haven't seen one yet
+Spam will decrease due to SPF
INCONCLUSIVE - SPF adoption has been slow partially due to differing standards (M$), but some souces report success.
-We'll see the first Voip Spam
CORRECT - got some myself
-Spyware will increase
CORRECT - unfortunately mallicious malware increased
-Viruses will increase, of course
CORRECT - this was a pretty save bet as it's never decreased
-M$ will waste resources developing Spyware and Virus scanners instead of fixing the holes in its products
CORRECT - M$ antispyware beta and M$ live antivirus beta
+WiMax will be released and instantly be in demand making PowerLineNetworking and UltraWideBand obsolete.
CORRECT - PLN had some leakage problems which helped kill it
-Linux will continue to see growth in purpose-built boxes (Myth TV) but still not be a generic desktop
CORRECT - many network appliances based on linux came to market
-netziens will continue to shun big companies that sue for profit eg. Solaris, M$, Recording Industry etc.
INCONCLUSIVE - M$ grew the others shrank... SONY loses millions in a DRM scam?
-PS2 and Xbox will be overshadowed by portable devices (Nintendo DS, Sony PSP)
CORRECT - PSP won the device of the year award
-Apple will look for the next killer device, and fail (shuffle)
INCORRECT - Apple's video iPod & Nano generated record sales
-The year's killer devices will be portable with alternate power sources (eg solar, tiny fuel cell)
INCORRECT - the only killer alternate power device this year was a solar Garmain GPS
-battery technology will cause problems by NOT advancing.
INCORRECT - disposables and rechargeables did advance, but didn't make it to market
-sides will be chosen between integrated devices and connected devices
INCONCLUSIVE
-the trend towards smaller devices will finally make them wearable but will introduce new problems such as keypad size, voice dialing
CORRECT - screen size has been a problem on small phones
+HE vehicle drivetrains will become cost effective
INCORRECT - still not ce, need more volume
+Fuel cell technology will advance but still not be cost effective
CORRECT - still a few years to go

Predictions for 2006:
-The music industry will continue to cut it's own throat by treating customers like the enemy. Artists will eventually circumvent them and embrace the internet individually.
-DRM will continue to piss us all off
-2006 will be the year empires will begin to crumble; telephone, record labels, even internet wires companies will look to refocus their comanies or for someone to sue for their loses
-the tiny voice of the FCC will try and regulate the vastness of the internet. The internet will laugh and think the FCC is amusing.
-potential internet contenet providers such as movies, television, music will be so afraid of 20% losses due to piracy that they will totally over look the +200% profits due to volume.
-consumers will discover that VOIP is cheap & POTS is not
-Internet Access providers that don't play nicely will find out that WiMax will leech all their customers.
-a major encryption algorithm will be rendered useless; possibly MD5
-global regulators will think that the great firewall of china is a good idea
-citywide wireless networks will become normal
-Sony PSP will become a versitile communication device... despite Sony's $ leeching efforts