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1. Netbook: Mini computers, weighing around 2 pounds and the size of a large book, are ideal tools for the busy executives and professionals on the go. They are not as powerful as traditional notebooks, the screens are a lot smaller and the battery life is not as long.
However, for simple web browsing, emailing and other light computing needs – they are going to be used more and more by many professionals.
2. Built-in Wireless Broadband Usages Widens: Many of us use external wireless cards that provide cellular phone connectivity for mobile computing just about anywhere in the United States. This connectivity, with service from AT&T, Sprint or Verizon Wireless offers access to the Internet from a train, hotel, taxi or just about anywhere. Instead of having to use an external wireless card, most every notebook vendor sells an option to embed broadband wireless access into their notebooks. No longer will you have to fumble with an external card.
3. Cell Phones Get more Software: Google’s newly launched Android Cell phone and Apple iPhone have ushered in a new way of buying cell phones. Instead of wireless cell phone carriers controlling the applications that reside on cell phones, Google and Apple have changed this model. The Android and iPhone are not controlled by wireless carriers but controlled by their respective software vendors. As Google’s Gmail forced other email providers (Yahoo Mail, Microsoft Live/Hotmail) to enhance their services, Google Android and Apple’s iPhone will force the cellular market, overall to do more for customers, consumers and businesses.
4. Online Video gets Cheaper and More Widespread: I recently got a Flip Video Camera for Christmas and am amazed at the quality of the video it produces. While a $500 or $1,500 traditional video camera is the best option (better video quality), their size, expense and complexity limit their use by most business persons. As more companies produce low cost and quality tools for video production and sharing of videos (such as YouTube, Flickr, Vimeo and Blip.tv) businesses can leverage video as a powerful marketing tool. Video can complement a website, blog or Facebook page.
5. The Evolution of the Digital Lifestyle: Now music, movies, books, articles, podcasts, and TV shows are all available via various mechanisms online. Have you watched the latest Grey’s Anatomy episode on Hulu? Have you streamed a Netflix movie on your laptop while waiting for the mail to bring a Netflix DVD? Have you purchased a digital download of the latest Coldplay album?
We’ve begun incorporating digital devices into our lives that will defiantly shape the future. This year I began purchasing digital books for my monthly bookclub meetings. Instead of making a trip to the local Barnes & Noble I just open up the B&N app on my iPhone and instantly download and begin reading. No need to carry around a book with me and when I’m done I don’t have a pile of books left sitting in the corner (Also they just incorporated a share feature so when I’m finished with my book I can pass it on to a friend for free).
But what does this all mean for the newspaper, book manufacturing, music industries? They will have to adapt eventually. Push artists to sell digital downloads on their website as well as iTunes and other online music stores instead of creating CD’s. Put news content online and create an app for users to see the latest news articles that would have in the past been in their morning newspaper.
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