Happy Holidays 2008 from BetaNews
As 2008 winds down, we at BetaNews would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all of the support we have received from our devoted readers, software authors and downloaders over the past twelve months.
This has been a difficult year for many, but one that has also inspired a generation to stand up and participate in a way that hasn't been seen in decades. The arrival of 2009 brings promises of change, and hope that better days are ahead, that we can fix the problems caused by years of bad governing and a corrupt financial system.
Technology has been at the center of this economic meltdown, and that fact will surely be noted by many as CES 2009 kicks off the first week of January. Less attendees, lack of new gadgets, and struggling companies will be the topics of the day. However, just as technology is directly impacted by lower spending and shrinking IT budgets, the industry will also be responsible for our eventual economic recovery.
Virtualization and cloud computing will help cut costs, new systems will be developed for better regulating the complex financial markets, and innovation on the Web will further change the way businesses interact with customers. Equally as important, green technologies will help us reverse our environmental free fall and create a future that we will be proud to pass on to generations to come.
These areas will be the focus of BetaNews over the next year, including our live coverage from CES 2009 in just two weeks. And believe it or not, there's quite a bit to look forward to: Windows 7 Beta 1 will make its debut in the coming months, with Windows Vista Service Pack 2 also on the horizon. Touch computing will continue its march to the mainstream, while Blu-ray will struggle to gain adoption in an increasingly disc-less world.
With HD DVD now obsolete, we will see a new format war emerge in the 4G wireless world between Sprint's WiMax and Verizon's LTE, as Microsoft and Amazon duke it out to control cloud computing. 2009 could also be the year we say goodbye to Steve Jobs as the public face of Apple (if his absence from Macworld is any indication), just as we said goodbye to Bill Gates in 2008 (Steve Ballmer will now give the opening keynote at CES).
As for BetaNews, we will continue to strive to bring you the latest information and analysis of what's happening in the tech world, as it impacts all of us more and more each day. This year we welcomed to the BetaNews team Jackie Emigh from Ziff Davis, and recently Angela Gunn from Computerworld and USA Today. There's a great deal in store for 2009, so stay tuned!
In what has become a tradition here at BetaNews, we wish all of you a safe and happy holiday as you celebrate with family and friends. Although we are on an abbreviated schedule until early January, be sure to check for new beta releases or jot a quick greeting to the staff.