My Predictions for 2012

It is going to be busy.  Very busy.

This is by no stretch of the imagination comprehensive nor complete but a list of my predictions for 2012.

1. Second Generation Social Networks.  Facebook and Google+ will go on to dominate the first generation of social networks – but a second generation of social networks will appear – in large niches.  These networks already exist, such as Stack Exchange and SoundCloud – but more will appear.  The primary social networks are not be able to service all the needs of these niche users – but the second generation social networks will deliver greater value will be more engaging.

2. Apple TV Apps. Apple will create an Apps Store for Apple TV and the sales of Apple TV will take off.  A new generation of apps will be developed that will combine smart TVs and the tablets/smartphones that will work as the “second screen” and someone will create an app that combines X Factor and a Twitter stream and everyone will go nuts about it and Simon Cowell will make even more money.

3. Internet of Things.  People will start to understand the real potential of smart devices and the social impact it will have.  We will see the first “Internet of Things” Hackathons and web developers will fall in love with the new ideas and opportunities that come from it.

4. Big Data.  It will get a lot bigger, a lot faster than people expect.  With the proliferation of smart devices (as above), we will have more data than we really know what to do with it.  People will have to come up with novel technical solutions to capture, distribute, share and draw conclusions from the data being collected.

5. Android versus IOS.  Only a very small minority of the world will care or understand the difference between Android and IOS devices – this will give Windows Phone a fighting chance when everyone realises that it is not possible to install all 500k apps from the Apps Store on your iPhone/Android and that in reality people don’t use more than 6 apps.