This list is as follows:

1. The web to go
2. Ultra mobile PCs
3. IPTV
4. Wimax
5. Mobile VoIP

The web to go

Ahhhhh, ubiquitous computing, well, maybe not that far, but with applications like Google Gears, being able to pull such things as Google Reader feeds down to my laptop before I leave work, allows me to read my feeds if I have to pitstop somewhere that doesn’t have wireless. I see this technology becoming increasingly invested in in 2008 and many more applications from Google and Microsoft (maybe Yahoo!) being available with or without internet.

Ultra mobile PCs

Apple has a patent and rumors abound about a sub notebook that will release this year. I’m not sure how you can get much smaller than a MacBook (which I own), but hey, smaller is better and Apple is all about small hardware. With size comes mass and the lighter, the better. I remember the days of Dell laptops that could be used as weapons if thrown at someone.

The use of Flash memory in place of conventional (and outdated as debated by some) hard disk memory will push these devices even smaller and consuming less power (I smell Green Technology).

IPTV

If the US can ever get their ass rolling in the utility sector (minus Verizon’s FiOS), this will increasingly take off here in the States. The merge of TV and Web will become increasingly prevalent over the next 5 years. The only blocker would be the FCC or big business lobbyist’s shooting down legislation. This where Net Neutrality becomes a huge discussion point.

WiMAX

Again, another technology that is long overdue and will hopefully open doors on more mobile technologies the likes of ones seen in Japan. The ability to use your mobile device to do more and be able to connect o high bandwidth speeds on a portable device such as a laptop or portable TV are very nice things with the expansion of technology deliverables (voice, video, audio, etc.)

Sprint is launching their Xohn network later this year and Washington, DC, Baltimore and Chicago are the test beds.

Mobile VoIP

Skype is not only an awesome chat service, but now is pushing into the VoIP realm with phones that have data plans only and allow for chatting and VoIP. There were some folks coming up with applications on the iPhone (when hacked) that would allow VoIP as well. Again, this is great technology, but I can see the Telcos trying to knock this down as it cuts into their profit margins.

As of Friday, I accepted a new position with a small, yet growing company by the name of Siteworx. My new position will be much more rapid in growth and scale of work over my last job, and should offer a huge learning curve and many fun projects in the near and distant future. Making the jump was a difficult decision. My current position didn’t allow for much growth and the contract I was on, although fun, wasn’t always engaging. Mind you, I’m not complaining in the least bit because I met and worked with some great people while on the contract, I just thought it was time for a change.

With this change comes an adjustment of time management and multi-multi tasking abilities with my work habits. I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge and for things to come. I will be updating my about section and resume in the coming weeks to reflect the change in my career path in regards to title and position. My offer letter stated “Information Architect” but the title for the job description was “Information Architect/Project Manager.” I’m not sure which will effectively be my title, if either or both, but it will be something along those lines.

Wish me luck and keep your eyes peeled for updates. In the past, I know I’ve always said I would update everyone, but my projects didn’t really warrant an update. With what I’ve been told about this company, I look for many updates to come, at least after the launch of some projects I should be working on.

Thomas focuses on all things information based and how users relate to their digital life around them in the form of their “Personal InfoCloud.” More on this subject can be read about on Thomas’s “Personal InfoCloud” site, and on his personal/professional site under “Off the Top” which is a place of frequent thoughts, ideas and musings.

Thomas coined the term “Folksonomy” in late 2003 when it first appeared in del.icio.us, a social bookmarks manager. His work has raised eyebrows in the technology community and has put people, mainly developers in the beginning, on a new path of thinking and how individuals truly use, not just web, but the information that surrounds their lives. Thomas has spoken at several conferences on this subject including Webvisions 2005, BayCHI and MIT, just to name a few.

Kyle: no longer .Mac your “.ig” account would have everything you need where ever you go.

I think he makes a very interesting realization about the direction that Google and really the rest of the web should be heading. Of course, I’ll keep this post short and not focus on the collective of the web, but what the folks over at Google are doing.

Kyle pointed out an article this morning about a very high profile (at least I think so) web celebrity that is joining Google as their CIE. Vint Cerf, one of the pioneers behind the internet, will join their executive team on October 3. This is actually quite monumental, considering Vint’s background and the other highly intelligent and high profile individuals that they have coming into their ranks or are already there. Some include the following:

• Louis Monier; director of eBay advanced technology research
• Kai-Fu Lee; researcher at Microsoft

Now, some people are scrambling around saying the tech boom is upon us again! I really don’t think that’s the case, but I do think there are good things brewing in the technological pipelines. Google is one of those at the forefront, as is Yahoo! (which is another post at some point), that is pushing the technology envelope like never before. Of course, Google is in a position to do great things. Their stock price is soaring and investors want to see a return on their investment. This is good for growth, at least for thinkers in the tech sector. Those loan rangers that stuck around for the past five years or more and practiced their craft behind closed doors, or what little they could in their work environments, are the ones to shine in the not so distant future.

From speaking with colleagues in the last few weeks about things to come, the future is bright for all those passionate about tech. The idea of a Google “.ig” or GooOS was in the back of my brain six months or so ago. I approached some friends and colleagues in the field about the idea, only to be shot down, saying it’s too difficult, that no one would use it or what’s the point. Well, obviously someone wants to use it, because Google is heading in this direction. The point is that the web is changing and how we interact with information in front of us is changing as well. Whether we like it or not, how we interact with each other and our personal computers is beginning to change, and for some, already has.

I captured some screen shots of various places I have been, lived and would like to go. I downloaded the application a couple of days ago, so I’m still tinkering with it. It’s more or less, hit or miss when it comes to downloading. They only allow downloads at certain times. Just keep your eyes peeled, or if you’d like, for close friends, I have a copy on my machine that I can toss your way (10 MB). I decided to open the application, pick a few points of interest and then let it stream for an hour or so while it built some of the 3D modeling and typographic features of certain areas. I still have not caught on to how the application streams, what it streams and what, if anything, it stores, but it’s pretty efficient.

I really think Google is doing things right and pushing technology in a direction that it has not moved in for some time. Just think about it, five years ago, we were excited about rollovers, Flash intros, MP3′s and Pentium III chips running at 500 MHz. Now we can take our entire music library with us on a device the size of a deck of cards (with high resolution digital cameras coming in at the same size); desktop computers with dual core chips allowing for, theoretically, four processors in a home computer; mapping the globe and visiting anywhere in the world without leaving your seat; and many more services I can’t even begin to name. I use to say, “What will the next five years hold?” Now I ask, “What will the next month or this year hold?”

I’m talking about those that know what SEO is, the basics of implementing and why this is becoming an ever evolving piece of information to have on your resume and engrained into your skulls. For those smart ones out there that know what I’m talking about and have been looking for gainful employment, you can add another thing to your resume that recruiters will understand. Fortunately, I’ve worked for two organizations that know what I’m talking about.

“Why in God’s name are you working in this town then?”
Recruiter – Unknown Staffing Agency

Nuff said!

First we develop, then the client wants something different, then we develop again and then the client wants something different. Round and round we go, where it stops, nobody knows. For some reason, I cannot impress my views where I work to stop this endless cycle. Now granted, I’m not saying I’m some Jeff Veen / Thomas Vander Wal / Jesse James Garrett / Doug Bowman / Dr. Jakob Nielsen / Information Architect / Information Designer / Interaction Designer / Usability Analyst / Accessibility Analyst / Section 508 Guru, but I do believe in process and a way to do things right.

I believe in one small phrase; “Keep content separate from structure and structure separate from presentation.” Mixing these together ends in disaster, as I���ve seen time and time again. It makes my job near impossible to complete in a timely fashion, and when a redesign of a redesign falls apart, they ask why. Of course, do you point your finger back to your superiors and the client? Ethically the answer is NO! In order to keep your sanity, the answer should be YES!

To end this somewhat unorganized post, if anyone knows of a place that wants “out-of-the-box thinkers” and someone who wants to learn, please drop me an email or leave a comment. I���m not picky about pay or relocation; I just want a decent and fun working and learning environment.