There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.
Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer on the iPhone, ca. 2007
1 year ago
Content is where I expect much of the real money will be made on the Internet …
Bill Gates, Content is King, 1996
5 Stories I’ll Be Watching Closely in 2010
The calendar says Jan. 21. Too late to make a list for the coming year? Probably.
No mind. Here are a few stories, business and otherwise, that I’ll be paying close attention to in 2010:
- Google vs. Everybody (but especially Apple and Microsoft) - The Mountain View Crew is diving headfirst into software, both traditional and mobile. and ticking off Microsoft, Apple and potential mobile carriers in the process. They’re even picking a fight with the Chinese Government.
- Apple - A tablet. IPhone fighting to stay on top. Steve Jobs’ health. Mobile advertising deals. Getting in bed with arch enemy Microsoft? Never a dull moment for our favorite fruit.
- Election 2010 - Two years into Bill Clinton’s presidency led to a Republican takeover of Congress. Considering the recent loss in Mass., is 2010 beginning to smell a lot like 1994?
- LeBron - Are you ready for NBA free agency? An entire city’s mental well-being hangs in the balance. Stay ‘Bron. Stay.
- Foursquare - I’m addicted. I admit it. The most intriguing start-up I’ve seen in a long time. Yeah, Facebook (or Yelp) will probably crush them, but maybe not. They do have a revenue model at least.
January’s not even over and most of the above are already lighting up the wires. Should be a fun year. Oh, and did I mention keeping one eye on the economy?
Predictions 2010 - John Battelle's Searchblog
Battelle’s yearly predictions are a must-read: “Google will make a corporate decision to become seen as a software brand rather than as ‘just a search engine.’ I see this as a massive cultural shift that will cause significant rifts inside the company, but I also see it as inevitable.”
Internet Explorer losing users as other browsers set share records -- Engadget
projections from Net Applications suggest it could shrink to below 50 percent by May of this year.
You are better off going ahead and doing something without asking first. If you don’t ask, no one can tell you to not do it. Have an interesting idea for a side project? Go code it up. If you ask someone first, you’ll probably get told ‘Go consult with team X,Y and VP Z’ and face an endless spiral. Want to write a blog post on something you care about? Go do it.
