Scoble Predicts 2005

Robert Scoble posts a set of 2005 predictions (from Rodrigo Sepulveda's lead). They're mostly about blogging & Apple and somewhat silly, but worth a look through. These are a couple that I think are quite interesting:

1) Apple Computer will ship a computer that uses a pen and a digitizer that is combined with the screen. It won't, however, call this a "Tablet PC."

2) Several executives will get fired for NOT blogging. Why? Blogging helps get adoption and executives who don't get adoption will be cut. They might not be told it was for not blogging, but watch who replaces the execs who are ousted.

3) Several more people will get fired FOR blogging. Another one was reported today. Or worse yet, will get sued for what they write or do on their blogs. Blogging is dangerous business.

4) Tablet PC's will go mainstream. Froogle's #1 ranking is just a hint of what's coming.

7) Three things will join: cell phones. Hard drives. Skype. That convergence will get everyone to question whether the iPod has a future. Of course, if Steve Jobs has anything to say about it we'll probably be talking about the iPhone instead.

9) RSS will go mainstream. Why? Cause it'll be part of the browsing experience.

11) There will be a major disaster in 2005 and mainstream media will use citizen journalists in a new way to cover the disaster.

12) There will be several Fortune 1000 companies that build 24/7 blogging teams. Mostly for technical support reasons, but some for PR reasons to react to what Slashdot commenters write about their products at 3 a.m. right before the East Coast journalists wake up to start doing their aggregator runs.

16) An executive at a major company will retire "to have more time to blog."