[LINK] My predictions for 2008

[grove at zeta.org.au]

I forgot what my 2007 predictions were, so I will just spill my 2008 ones now!

(in no particular order)

1) The Telstra Amigos will miss the chance of a lifetime and 
try to go it alone against the broadband rollout.   Labor will eventually
split the telco into the retail/infrastructure stocks in an effort
to stem the blood letting.     The public infrastructure side will then
buy back into the broadband networks and the retail side will flounder,
exposed as the grubby marketing scam it is.

2) There will be all sorts of problems opening the Apple iPhone in Australia
due to licensing, bandwidth and competition concerns.  iPhone will 
flop until the market lobbies for open access.

3) ACMA will prosecute online scams/sites/etc overseas for the first 
time, using cross deals with Asia/US/EU.

4) Australia will have an "Internet blackout" for the first time
when major network overloads are experienced at the border gateways. 
Cisco Systems and others will deny responsibility for hacked versions 
of IOS.

5) The ABC will receive a huge injection of funds, but will have
  complete restructure from board down as a result.  Union presence
in the ABC will be minimised.

6) Supplies of rare earths, metals and noble elements will become 
extremely scarce.  Stock prices for these will skyrocket, tech drivers
will be put on hold and commodity tech goods will inflate or become 
impossible to get.   An IT equipment demand will emerge and vendors will
be forced to use what they have.  Business will innovate and extend 
lifetime of existing systems until the new tech becomes affordable again.
The second hand IT market rockets up and Linux finds a new market in 
these areas.

7) Sun and Apple will finally merge and a whole new product line evolves.

8) Microsoft - "Vista should never have been released".  Promises things
will be different, next time.    Continues support for XP and backdates 
licenses so they keep business.  Expect a stock shakeout signalling 
start of recession in US as Super, public housing and other MS dependent
stock owners suffer.

9)  Virtualisation becomes mainstream, with purpose built engines 
provided with VM ready OS available as a default.  Substandard 
components will cause major "grid failures" as dozens of VM nodes 
collapse on failing hardware based on "6".

10) Television finally "gets" the Internet, with new shows and promos 
being simulcast on all media with private "TVtubes" provided by 
the media companies themselves and sponsored by the admedia.   6 months 
later, the first feature film is released at the box office and the 
Internet, simultaneously.


rachel

-- 
Rachel Polanskis                 Kingswood, Greater Western Sydney, Australia
grove at zeta.org.au                http://www.zeta.org.au/~grove/grove.html
 		The price of greatness is responsibility.