Top 10 Technologies for 2010

What are the top technologies that will have the most impact in 2010?

In a blogpost earlier this month on TechCrunch, Erick Schonfeld offered 10 nominees. Here is an edited version of his list

1. The Tablet Computer: “Why do we need yet another computer in between a laptop and an iPhone? … the answer lies in the fact that increasingly the Web is all you need. As all of our apps and data and social lives move to the Web, the Tablet is the incarnation of the Web in device form, stripped down to its essentials.”

2. Geolocation: “The combination of GPS chips in mobile phones, social networks, and increasingly innovative mobile apps means that geolocation is increasingly becoming a necessary feature for any killer app.”

3. Realtime Search: Search engines that know when to return timely sources of information, such as blogposts and Twitter. “The key will be to combine realtime search with realtime filters so that people are delivered not only the most recent information but the most relevant and authoritative as well.”

4. Chrome OS: Google’s sleek, powerful Chrome operating system is expected to be released later this year.

5. HTML5: This new computer language standard “will reduce the need for Flash or Silverlight plug-ins to view videos, animations, or other rich applications… HTML5 also supports offline data storage, drag-and-drop, and other features which can make Web apps act more like desktop apps.”

6. Mobile Video: “Live video streaming apps are becoming more commonplace—both streaming from phones and to them.”

7. Augmented Reality: Augmented reality apps such as Sekai Camera, Layar, GraffitiGeo and even Yelp add a layer of data to reality by placing everything from photos to Tweets to business listings directly on top of live image captured by your camera.

8. Mobile Transactions: As mobile phones become full-fledged computers, mobile payments and transactions will finally take off.

9. Android: Android is Google’s answer to the iPhone. There are already more than 10,000 apps on Android, and that total is growing fast.

10. Social CRM: Twitter, Facebook and other real-time communication tools will penetrate deeper into the enterprise. “Salesforce.com is set to launch Chatter, its realtime stream of enterprise data which interfaces with Twitter and Facebook and turn them into business tools. Startups like Yammer and Bantam Live are also making business more social.”

Looks like it's going to be a busy year.
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