This year will hopefully be the end of several obsolete technologies like SED, RPD, and proprietary phones. On the other hand I realize wishing for stuff like AT&T and Verizon to go out of business is asking too much, but AT&T did go out of business once or twice already. Additionally there are still some inventions from 2007 that never even got a chance, which I've included in the MIA list below. As for the businesses that went out of business during 2007 that I'm happy to see gone, no offense but I just didn't see much of a future in their business models.
Businesses I'm happy to see gone:
- SCO yes this company is still partially alive, sure I'm biased I invested in IBM (SCO bumped off NASDAQ)
- MovieBeam (reason: set-top-box, you'll never succeed by making people buy a stupid set-top-box unless you're selling a PS3, Wii, or Xbox)
- Amp'd Mobile (reason: I'd say because Helio offered something more than just marketing)
- Virgin Digital (reason: DRM)
- Sony Connect (reason: DRM)
- Robotic FX
(MIA) Where are these and do we care?:
- Phantom Lapboard
- OpenMoko (the Dash doesn't count)
Do want to hear about:
- Firefox 3.0
- Sony Playstation 3 (Home, DVR, IPTV)
- Google Android, Open Handset Alliance
- Asus Eee PC (with WiMax and 8.9in display)
- AMOLED displays, LED backlit LCD displays
- 700 MHz spectrum auction, M2Z Networks
- WiMax, LTE, Sprint Xohm
- WirelessHDMI (WHDMI), WirelessUSB (WUSB), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), but WirelessHD (WiHD) and ExtremeUSB may be a waste of time ... confusing market
- USB 3.0 (600 MB/s, questionable implementation standards), FireWire 3200 (393.216 MB/s), SAS (300-1200 MB/s)
- Vollee
Don't want to hear about:
- E3 (E For All is the new show, people need to get over E3 ... seriously it's over no more booth-babes)
- PMPs, MP3 Players, In-car GPS Navigation Consoles (single purpose devices make me sick, but sometimes they do off-set their stupidity enough to make me care)
- DRM
- RIM BlackBerry, Palm, Motorola (unless they switch to Google's Android)
- Windows CE, Windows Mobile, Symbian
- HD Radio, DAB
- DVB, DVB-H, DMB
- Blu-ray, HD-DVD
- Apple iPhone, Apple TV, Apple iPod (& iPod docks)
- Rear-Projection Displays
- Laser TV
- SED
- Plasma (except for maybe that 150in display from Panasonic)
