prediction

A tech toy timeline for 2012 (video)

For even the most conscientious tech-industry watchers, keeping track of what's coming down the pike can be a tricky task--and the rumor mill only complicates things.

Enter CNET Senior Editor Dan Ackerman, who lays it all out for "The Early Show on Saturday Morning" in this video of the most anticipated tech toys, which includes a timeline of what we can expect each month.

So when will see a new iPad? How about PlayStation's Vita or those "Ultrabooks" people have been talking about? Tune into Ackerman's crystal ball.… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1572: 2012 Predictions Show (Podcast)

It's our annual prediction extravaganza! Stephen, the All-Seeing Eye, NostraTongus, and Molly the Mage look into 2012 and guess at which companies, which gadgets, and which trends will appear, die, expand, or maybe just go horribly wrong. Spoiler: we all think Facebook will IPO.

Subscribe: iTunes (MP3) | iTunes (320x180) | iTunes (640x360)

RSS (MP3) | RSS (320x180) | RSS (640x360)… Read more

CNET's soothsayers tackle 2012

CNET reporters go out on limb and offer their predictions about what to expect next year in the sundry segments of the tech world.

Five predictions for security in 2012 More security and privacy problems expected for Android apps, utilities, e-voting machines, and social media users, while hackers may get more political.(Posted in InSecurity Complex by Elinor Mills) December 23, 2011

Five startup predictions for 2012 There's a glut of startups--and also plenty of reasons for optimism going into the new year.(Posted in Digital Media by Paul Sloan) December 22, 2011

Mobile devices: Five predictions for 2012 … Read more

CES 2012: The unlikeliest car show

Over the last few years, the passenger car has evolved from a gas-guzzling hunk of steel into what some have called the largest piece of consumer electronics in your life.

So, while it's fitting that the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) will likely be a jumping-off point for the next stage of development on car infotainment, connectivity, and safety technology, I still find it a bit odd to see so many cars sharing the floor with the likes of 3D TVs and compact digital cameras. Now that the car has established itself as a cornerstone of CES 2012, … Read more

Marc Andreessen: Predictions for 2012 (and beyond)

Marc Andreessen's view of the world boils down to software.

From where he stands, as the guy who co-founded Netscape Communications and now co-runs the powerful Silicon Valley venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, no industry is safe from software. Or, as Andreessen put it in a much-discussed piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal, "Software is eating the world."

Software has chewed up music and publishing. It's eaten away at Madison Avenue. It's swallowed up retail outlets like Tower Records. The list goes on.

No area is safe--and that's why Andreessen sees so much … Read more

Can the PlayStation Vita succeed?

Rewind to E3, June 2011: we saw the PlayStation Vita. We marveled at its capabilities and its price. For $250--at the time, the same price as a Nintendo 3DS--Sony offered a far superior piece of hardware. We looked forward to its release at the end of the year.

Of course, that was then, and this is now. The Nintendo 3DS dropped its price to $170, still expensive but more sensible. The Vita will release in Japan on December 17, but in the U.S. the release has been delayed until February 22, 2012. Sony has been keen to make a comeback and make a new handheld game system to revive the flailing world of the PSP. Can it succeed?

Regardless of the hype and demand the Vita is able generate in the U.S., there's still a general sentiment of disappointment sweeping through the gaming community on this side of the world. As the Vita misses the 2011 holiday season, a huge loss of momentum follows. Instead of cashing in on becoming what would likely be the toy to get this year, the Vita will see a late February release, just in time to coincide with paying off bank-breaking gift-giving expenditures from a few weeks prior.

It's easy to make lofty accusations about missing golden opportunities and of course we don't know what truly influenced this decision made by Sony, but it's impossible to ignore the potential impact the Vita could have had in the U.S. before 2012 sets in.… Read more

Apple: Five predictions for 2012

Expecting something from Apple can be a dangerous game, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try and read the tea leaves every once in a while.

Below are five things I think we can expect from Apple next year. Some of these are based on a long ramp-up of rumors and telltale signs from this year, with others outright speculation from trends and the company's product release habits.

It's worth pointing out that Apple's usual lack of predictability is what makes it such an interesting company to watch. Nowhere was that more clear … Read more

How I did with my 2011 cloud predictions

At year's end, it's customary--or at least common--for prognosticators to trumpet the predictions they got right and to ignore the rest.

However, I've decided to break with tradition and review my entire list from last November. There aren't any howlers, but I must admit I was a bit impatient on a few fronts. (I'd like to note that fellow ex-analyst Andi Mann also did so recently.)

Less focus on definitions (and dare we say hype?). Grade: B. There's been incremental advance in user education, but I find I still need to keep a NIST definition (… Read more

Reporters' Roundtable 100 is coming up on 11/11/11

I'll bet you didn't know when I launched the Reporters' Roundtable podcast in 2009 that I secretly planned for episode 100 to air on 11/11/11, the Nerd New Year.

OK, I just got lucky. Although I do have to point out that the topic of Roundtable Episode 1 was Steve Jobs' 9/9/09 return to the public eye as he announced several updates to Apple products.

Yes, we are all geeks here. Numbers are important to us. So for Episode 100 (important milestone!) of a tech podcast airing on 11/11/11 (just plain cool), … Read more