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What direction will technology and the many industries that provide and rely on it take?

Will Microsoft continue to be the force majeure?

Will Telecom continue to laugh behind the back of the Commerce Commission as it ducks and dodges its bullets?

What about those long-promised technologies such as hydrogen or alcohol fuel cells, cheap solar cells, bubble memory (ha ha), long-lived OLEDs, electronic paper, etc., finally arrive?

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Well I'm picking that Google will make some impressive announcements this year.

The company has done some pretty smart stuff since its inception and they've proven that they've got their eye on the long-game rather than simply chasing early revenues. As a result of this they've become a powerful force in the industry and, despite what Bill Gates might suggest, a very real threat to Microsoft.

Look for MS to diversify away from its core business. Bill's boys will be looking more towards getting their fingers into other pies and forging some alliances with other monopoly providers in large markets (the music industry perhaps?)

Closer to home, don't expect much respite from high prices in the cellular and broadband markets. The Telecom/Vodafone duopoly won't be swayed much by recent Commerce Commission rulings and they'll find simple ways to recoup any revenue way lost from reduced termination fees.

On the technology front, look for a greater use of Flash ram rather than hard-drives in every-day devices, portable PCs and perhaps even desktops.

Fuel cells? Nah, it's not going to happen this year and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of "breakthrough" technology looming on the battery front either -- so be prepared to recharge that laptop regularly.

CD sales will continue to decline as the music industry finally realises that there's less chance of piracy when they deliver their wares by download rather than using the insecure audio compact disk format. Watch out for some larger players in the recording industry to really start pushing download services.

And, perhaps the most important predictions of all: Petrol prices will go back up as the Kiwi $ sinks, the weather will remain very unsettled as global warming messes with us, and politicians will continue to look after themselves first and voters second.

That's my guess -- what's yours?

What do you think 2006 will bring?

Tell us all and see what others have to say in The Aardvark Forums

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