The last few months of 2010 seem to have presented some of the strongest signals about how the Web is changing.
1- Google lost a great deal of ground this year
With its failed Buzz and Wave releases, breaking its own ‘don’t be evil’ mantra by secretly collecting private information with its street view car. Google appears to be feeling the strain of a maturing internet at the moment, where it can no longer be the major player in every space available. Both Facebook, Groupon and Amazon have all risen up and begun to throw their weight around a little more this year.
2- Facebook is all guns blazing
With its social vision for the internet Facebook is facilitating the role out of a social layer across anything and everything. They had the contacts debacle with Google late this year, and removed the ability for users to find friends on Facebook by connecting to their Gmail account. The rivalry there intensifies.
3- Groupon has really come out of nowhere
Now firmly recognised as one of the Web’s giants, Groupon have such a good business that they don’t need or want Google’s help, even for $6 billion or whatever it was.
4- Amazon have also upped the ante
By recently investing in LivingSocial, Amazon are clearly expanding their operations further into the hot local e-commerce space.
5- Smartphone photography takes off
More smartphone users are using cameras on their phones to shoot and share photography. Apps like instagram have surged in popularity and really relaunched the phone camera, as a interesting and fun tool by leveraging the connectivity of app stores as a way to instantly take photography somewhere that traditional digital cameras cannot.
6- Music streaming services fail
Music streaming services like Last-fm and Spotify once hailed as the new means of consuming music are both out of pocket, neither is making any money. Apple on the other hand recently launched Ping – it’s iTunes social layer – and continues to succeed at getting listeners to pay for music, interestingly though they have now increased the free listening limit on some songs from 30 seconds to 90 seconds.
7- iPad revolutionises computing and publishing
The iPad seems to be on the cusp on revolutionising not only mobile computing but also publishing. News Corp, Virgin and New York Times are all entering the world of iPad apps and seeing it as a way to provide a popular subscription only service. This will be an interesting space to watch as we enter the new year.
8- Wikileaks rips the lid off the internet
Of course the wikileaks saga this month has also brought new facts to light in many ways. The power of the internet, the potential for cyber warfare, the role of journalism and how governments deal with the freedom of information provided by the Internet.
9- Microsoft finally make something cool
On top of all this we’e seen the launch of Microsoft Kinect – perhaps the most genuinely futuristic development we’ve seen in a while – and the ability for Minority Report style interfaces to exist. Will this type of technology explode further onto the technology scene next year?
10- Social gaming arrives
Zynga had a run away success with Farmville this year and social gaming is sure to be huge next year. It’s still quite early days in this area but we’re sure to see more developments in the near future that include in-game purchases, and strongly social themes.
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