Predictions for 2011

I may not be Nostradamus, but I have a couple of predictions for 2011...

1) Symbian OS, Microsoft Windows Mobile, HP Palm, and Blackberry will all try to regain market-share by releasing new version of their operating systems.  They'll fail.  The lead Apple and Android enjoy is too substantial.

2) Tablets will become the dominant personal computing platform towards the end of the year when the second generation tablets start hitting the market.

3) Security on mobile and tablet devices will become a real issue -- the limited bandwidth of mobile devices and the complete absence of security software on mobile devices makes mobile networks particularly vulnerable to a wide spectrum of security threats.

4) Accessories for tablets and mobile devices that foster "real" computing (e.g. keyboards and other similar input devices) are going to become an emerging market.  Even better, why not have a slide-out keyboard on tablets, just like on mobile phones?  (It makes sense, right?)

5) the really necessary and cutting-edge market will be for devices that allow people to interact with technology without a keyboard and mouse. (This is probably more like 2015-2018, but hey, as long as I've got my crystal ball out, why not look further?)

6) Microsoft will continue its trend of non-standard "standards", and in so-doing will seal the fate of their browser as a second-class internet access-device, like AOL, back in the day.

7) Net neutrality isn't going to happen -- the FCC, ICANN and every other regulatory body will capitulate to strong-arm of communism and capitalism.

8) Fox News (particularly Glenn Beck and Bill Orielly) will beat the "e-terrorism" drum and they will create a whole new vocabulary around "e-terrorism".  To those of us who know about such things, this will be hillarity!



We'll see how I did in a year.

Sexify Your Linux Desktop

I have been playing with beautifying my Linux desktop, and I think I've made pretty good progress, in large part thanks to three little apps: adeskbar, synapse, and Emerald Theme Engine.

aDeskBar provides me an OS X style "kicker" (as its called in KDE).  Its really light-weight, and easily customizable. 

Synapse is like KeyLaunch or Gnome-Do, both of which provide ready-access to apps via a quick-key.  Very useful stuff.  A simple press of Ctrl+Space and you can type any app in and it will launch.

And, then there's the Emerald Theme Engine, which is glorious and beautiful.  I am fond of it, in particular. 

To be frank, I have been using Linux for almost fifteen years now... and I will tell you, a great many of the applications I had encountered many moons ago have either disappeared or have matured into marvelous creations.  I'm fairly sure I have used aDeskBar back when it sucked, but neither Synapse or Emerald are known to me. 

So, its pretty cool to see Emerald in action -- its the epitome of theme engines.  In fact, it contains many different rendering engines.  Even better, most of the really awesome themes available from the various Gnome theme sites, are for Emerald.

Synapse is a rocking replacement for Gnome-do, which as near as I can tell, is the chief replacement for Gnome-Do.  Gnome-Do was basically an experiment, and was never developed to its full potential. 

Between Synapse, aDeskBar, and Emerald, I have achieved a right-sexy desk-top.