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Last spring, Microsoft launched a new browser plugin called Silverlight, which was designed to give developers of Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) another weapon in their arsenals. Silverlight, which competes with products like Adobe Flash, Java FX, Quicktime, and Adobe Shockwave, allows web-based applications to be developed with animation, vector graphics, and video/audio playback capabilities. Now, as the launch of Silverlight 2.0 nears, RIA development teams are taking notice of the flexibility and convenience of Microsoft’s attempt to rival Adobe.

Silverlight 2.0 is slotted for release sometime in the first quarter of 2008, with a beta version expected in time for Microsoft’s MIX conference in early March. The new version adds value for developers by supporting .NET languages and development tools. This means that content can be coded in a myriad of languages, including some dynamic languages like Ruby and Python. Fast and efficient video delivery and animation is Microsoft’s main focus with Silverlight, and it appears to be paying off.

Some of the features that have RIA developers eagerly awaiting Silverlight 2.0 include:

• Support for Windows-based and Macintosh systems (Linux support is in the works through third-party Moonlight)
• Quality vector-based graphics, media, animation, text, and video which can be integrated into an existing web app
• Enhancement capability for existing standards in RIAs (AJAX, etc.)
• Fast installation due to small (2 MB) file size
• Ability to work in a variety of browsers
• Choice of development languages using .NET framework
• Uniformity in media format which can be scaled for different media (HD or mobile), and support for WMA and MP3 audio
• Text-based XAML format which allows RIA content to be searched and indexed

The tool’s creators hope that Silverlight will stand up to the unusual scrutiny that is so often directed at Microsoft products. They want to present a solid, attractive alternative to Adobe products, which have dominated the design world, while still appealing to developers. In a recent interview with eWeek, Cynergy Systems VP Dave Wolf describes the reason he things Silverlight will take off. “There is no question that the Microsoft developer community is huge, passionate and, for the most part, they get enterprise software development.” For industry insiders like Wolf, Silverlight is a flexible option for developers who don’t use Flash technology.

Silverlight has won several awards, including CNET’s Webware 100 Award, which is significant since it’s based on voting by industry insiders. It’s an early victory for a relatively young technology. Perhaps the most promising thing about Silverlight’s positive reception is the continued expansion of RIAs into the mainstream. More and more developers are relying on technology which allows the seamless incorporation of multiple media, and Silverlight is another step in that direction. The web application world is becoming more inclusive of video, sound, and animation, and users are starting to expect a web experience saturated with these interactive elements. Silverlight 2.0 will make it easier and more efficient for developers to give the people what they want. And that is always a good thing.

A remarkable trend has hit the technology industry hard, with more and more enterprises opting for web-based applications in lieu of traditional software packages. This model is reflected in the field of project management, where online tools are multiplying like rabbits. No longer to teams have to rely on Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, and Project’s limited tracking functions. These web-based project management tools can help an enterprise not only manage scheduling, budgets, resources, and communications, but they can also help identify best practices throughout the product development process.

One reason web-based applications for project teams has been so popular is its ability to connect users from anywhere in real-time. Many manufacturers have relationships with groups in China or Mexico, while many IT developers have teams in India. Using a web-based tool solves the time zone problem as well as the “versioning” problem, so every team member has access to the same information.

Open Workbench is a good example of a web-based, open source project management tool. It’s optimized for Windows, with similar functionality to Microsoft Project (a comparison page is available on the Open Workbench website). The code is available for customization, and like most open source tools, it is free to any number of users and any type of organization. They make a profit through training documentation, though user forums are also available at no cost. Open Workbench is also available in French and German, allowing international enterprises to collaborate within the same application.

Another key player in this industry is Mingle, a product of ThoughtWorks Studios. It is geared specifically towards Agile software development teams. The set up mimics a “card wall” or “sticky note wall,” so that it mimics the old standard tracking method of leaving notes for team members. The tasks can be arranged and color-coded according to their importance and time sensitivity. Though web-based like Open Workbench, it’s not open source, which allows for little independent customization. It’s also not free. At $59 per user per month, it could be an expensive tool for larger teams.

Another good option is Project Insight, who’s client list includes toy companies, software developers, ad agencies, and design firms. Their goal is to create features that, “satisfy experienced project managers and are easy enough for team member to learn and adopt.” The pricing model is slightly more affordable than Mingle, starting at $250 a month for the package plus hosting. Project Insight is also carefully integrated with MS Office products, allowing users to import existing Project files into Project Insight. The most interesting thing about their tool is it’s appeal to different development teams in different industries. For example, Razor USA, best known for the Razor scooter, has incorporated Project Insight into their team activities including design, development, and manufacturing. “The [Razor] product design and development team is in Los Angeles and the manufacturing is in Asia, so coordinating tasks and activities across the globe is imperative.” This web-based model allows collaboration in real-time.

Project management software is one of the early adopters of the trend towards web-based applications, and we’ll likely see more tools for enterprise following this model. As businesses continues to embrace the global economy, software will also need to adapt to meet the needs of international development teams.

Following a year slumping stock prices and weeks of lay-off rumors, Microsoft has made their move, bidding a reported $44.6 billion for search engine Yahoo! Inc. The bid was unsolicited, and it has the technology world buzzing with excitement. This is perhaps the most calculated move which Microsoft has made in response to Google’s dominance of online advertising and search, and industry experts are eager to see how the takeover will play out.

In a press release issued this morning, Yahoo! states: “The Company said that its Board of Directors will evaluate this proposal carefully and promptly in the context of Yahoo!’s strategic plans and pursue the best course of action to maximize long-term value for shareholders.” If they really want to please the shareholders, they’ll take the money and run. Their profits have declined for five consecutive quarters, and they’ve announced significant lay-offs later this month. The deal would be a 62 percent increase over the closing price of their stock on Thursday. Microsoft’s offer is $31 per share, which is no doubt an attempt to pounce while Yahoo is weak.

If the deal goes through, it would be largest acquisition Microsoft has ever made. The AP spoke with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, and he is optimistic about the deal. “This is a decision we have - and I have - thought long and hard about. We are confident it’s the right path for Microsoft and Yahoo.” Ballmer also issued a press release expressing his hopes for the future: “We believe our combination will deliver superior value to our respective shareholders and better choice and innovation to our customers and industry partners.”

The deal would increase competition in the growing online advertising market, a space in which both Yahoo! and Microsoft have struggled. The online ad industry is expected to double by 2010, and Google currently holds the keys to the kingdom. Despite its popularity as a portal site, Yahoo! has failed to attract major advertising dollars. The deal could also lead to a combined search engine, drawing on users from Yahoo and MSN, which are both failing to compete with Google’s 60 percent share of the search market.

What does this mean for current Yahoo and Microsoft users? The Guardian is predicting that Flickr and Upcoming could replace Microsoft products which aren’t as popular. They also expect web-based office suites could be rolled out to rival Google Apps. Microsoft’s Office suite software could be accessible to Yahoo! Mail users, a strong user-base for the company. Microsoft has made no promises regarding branding, however, so major changes to Yahoo!’s image could be forthcoming.

The Justice Department has expressed interest in examining the deal, which could create significant problems for Microsoft. Google recently faced opposition in its acquisition of DoubleClick, though the merger was eventually cleared by the FCC. Microsoft has indicated their strong commitment to this deal, and negotiations may turn hostile. In their letter to the Yahoo! Board of Directors, Microsoft says it, “reserves the right to pursue all necessary steps to ensure that Yahoo!’s shareholders are provided with the opportunity to realize the value inherent in our proposal.”

Rest assured, bloggers and news outlets around the world will be watching this story, and it will be fascinating to see if Microsoft has finally struck a deal that will give them the chance to compete with Google.

Back in the early days of large-scale computing, Sun founder John Gage first uttered the immortal phrase, “The network is the computer.” This statement has become more and more true over time, as increasingly sophisticated grids have proven to be more powerful and useful than any one computer could be. The power of the collective is starting to trickle down from the giants like Sun and Google to the little guys. This is making it possible for businesses of all sizes to create, store, and deliver quality web-based applications to users without the large-scale investment in computing grids that would ordinarily be required.

Part of this change has come about due to the proliferation of Platform as a Service (Paas) companies like Force.com (a service of Salesforce.com). Force.com offers customers the tools they need to create proprietary web-based applications that can replace the software they would normally use. The platform they provide is specifically geared towards businesses who rely on enterprise tools like those of software vendors Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP. IT departments, instead of spending valuable time on disastrous software upgrades and user training, could actually add value to the company through innovating applications that require only an internet browser to access. This would also allow designers the ability to create a better user overall user experience which is typically impossible since software tends “lock down” the user experience and allows minimal customization. No more installations, no more licensing fees, just a quick and cost-effective way to build customized applications for businesses.

Some industry experts estimate that this PaaS model could reduce the costs associated with traditional software by as much as 75%. No longer would an online retailer need to build or buy an e-commerce software package. They could use the foundation created by Force.com to generate a web-based application specific to their needs. Force.com offers their own development services to businesses without experts on hand, but they also boast an AppExchange section which allows users to share in the tools created by other users for subscription fees. Open source software is also being applied in this model, allowing businesses to combine tools like OpenOffice (an office suite to rival Microsoft Office) and customer service applications to meet the needs of multiple departments.

While the market for web-based applications continues to grow (and software dies a slow, agonizing death), big players in the computer infrastructure world are stepping up to fill a gap in the system. Back in 2006, Sun launched what they called “the world’s first on demand supercomputer,” giving smaller businesses a way to provide applications without the expense of developing their own server farms. The infrastructure was available to any one with a browser and a credit card. As Sun’s official blogger Jonathan Schwartz put it, “We believe the simplicity, accessibility and affordability of this service changes the face of computing for all organizations, large and small, public or private.” This initiative, and others like it, removed the last barrier to the triumph of web-based applications over software.

Now, e-commerce giant Amazon is getting in on the game, with their Web Services division offering server space and computing capacity on a subscription basis. Amazon is courting developers in the hopes of renting out their computing cloud during the off-season. The company’s infrastructure sees the heaviest use in the fourth quarter holiday season, and they’re generating extra (albeit small for them) revenue by hosting applications for developers. They’re specifically reaching out to companies who develop applications for Facebook. In a recent press release, Amazon Web Services details the benefits of their model: “Using these infrastructure web services, your Facebook application is able to reach “web-scale” by scaling up and down seamlessly as demand dictates — with pay-as-you-go pricing and no upfront costs.” In other words, if it’s a hit you pay more, but if it’s a flop you don’t suffer. This allows developers at small companies to reap the rewards of popular applications without taking the risk of buying their own computer infrastructure.

Amazon’s growing list of customers for their cloud rental service includes SanDisk and the New York Times, though it appeals mostly to smaller fish at the moment. They’re up 135,000 customers since 2005, and as their service becomes more reliable, the list will continue to grow. The pay-as-you-go model frees up businesses with big ideas but without bid budgets, and this trend is a perfect parallel to the Platform as a Service industry. Not only will independent or small-scale developers have access to the best tools for building cheap, quality applications, but they’ll also have the ability to store and run their ideas with the big boys. This means reliable, cost-effective, and customized applications for businesses everywhere.

It’s hard to spot a pitfall in these growing trends, and it seems fortuitous that they are emerging and growing together. The only potential downside is for major software outfits like Microsoft, Oracle, or Adobe. My guess is that even these traditionalists will get in on the game, producing more and more tools that can be accessed through the web on a subscription basis. As software breathes its last, we’ll see a major shift in the way programs are developed, stored, delivered, and accessed by end users.

Not too long ago, I was working for a publishing company which relied on an Oracle database and customer service software package to track its vast warehouse of books. When it came time for a software upgrade, an army of our colleagues in IT spent weeks installing and tweaking the new system. It was a logistical nightmare. Aside from the standard retraining (about 200 employees needed help) and a massive laundry list of changes each department needed, our customer service reps spent two days taking orders in notebooks and assuring customers they’d call back as soon as possible with shipping dates and confirmation numbers.

While Oracle was the culprit in this case, horror stories of this nature could be shared about all software-based customer relationship management tools, or even about software upgrades in general. That’s why CIOs at companies of all sizes are gravitating towards internet-based applications to meet their needs. Salesforce.com is one of the innovators in the field of “on-demand” business applications. As their website explains, “On-demand is the antidote to many of the IT headaches associated with the traditional on-premise software model. With no software or hardware to buy, install, maintain, or upgrade, the popularity of on-demand grows with IT organizations that are increasingly asked to do more with less.”

The on-demand model allows businesses to operate in a web-based environment, which means that all their databases and enterprise tools are accessible and upgradable within an internet browser. This not only eliminates the need for massive disruption when changes are made, but it also takes the servers and security off-site, which frees up IT staff to focus on making an business impact.

Salesforce.com’s growing list of customers includes IBM, Microsoft, BEA Systems, Sun, Spherion, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dow Jones Newswires, Sprint, Kaiser Permanente, and many others. As their client Coral Energy notes, “Salesforce.com allows us to constantly evolve our CRM system.” This is especially easy to do with the introduction of Force.com, a web-based platform which allows Salesforce customers to build and easily manage customized applications using their model.

Force.com is branded, “Platform as a Serivce” (PaaS), and it is another big push towards the death of software. With this new service, enterprise IT groups can not only customize and update CRM tools to suit their business needs, but they can also add more applications such as security technology, manufacturing and order tracking, PR management, and just about anything else you can think of. This on-demand platform is rivaling traditional software platforms like Microsoft’s .NET. Force.com also hosts an “AppExchange” which allows independent vendors to share their PaaS products with businesses around the world.

The Wall Street Journal’s Vauhini Vara recently sat down with Marc Benoiff, CEO of Salesforce.com, and their conversation sheds some light on the future of web-based enterprise applications. Benoiff’s predicts that web-based applications will kill the traditional software model. When asked about Microsoft, Oracle and SAP’s move towards web-based services, his answer is casual and upbeat. He welcomes competition in the field of “software as a service”, saying “They used to say, ‘Big companies will never use software as a service.’ Now, they’re doing an about-face and saying, ‘This is the most important thing.’” He describes Force.com as “an operating system that runs on the Internet,” which allows all your other tasks to run smoothly. This comparison will likely spark a heated debate about the future of web-based applications, both in the business world and in the lives of everyday users.

In addition to his prescribed death sentence for software, Benoiff has a doomsday prediction about the enterprise atmosphere itself: “I think the big news is that there will be no office. The office is becoming more virtual every day, and the technology that’s making that happen is the huge wave of mobility…Whevever I am, I can have a video or audio conference, I can collaborate, I can share information.” Indeed, more and varied web-based services, like Google Apps and Salesforce.com, will enable business to be transacted from anywhere with a WiFi signal. Personally, I can’t wait for the day when “commuting” means opening up your laptop and signing on for a morning meeting.

Salesforce.com is definitely a company to watch, and they represent the future of enterprise tools. As more traditional software companies jump on the web-based bandwagon, everyone from customer service reps to warehouse pickers to CIOs will see a positive change in their daily interactions with technology and their ability to provide value to their customers.

Back in 2000, Forrester Research predicted that the e-book market would hit $251 million in sales in five years. It seemed like a modest estimate at the time, but it hasn’t come to fruition. The industry, which some experts contend has been held back by copyright laws, may get a boost from recent innovations in digital paper.

The undisputed leader in the field of electronic paper is E Ink, a company which begun in a lab at MIT. They’ve developed a display which is made up of microcapsules (about the diameter of a single human hair) which change color when electrically stimulated. This means no backlighting and no eye strain. E Ink’s technology is currently used for top of the line e-book readers, and they’re working to make commercially available flexible displays to give the feel of holding a newspaper. According to their website, “The vision of E Ink is to combine these attributes to create RadioPaperTM, a lightweight, flexible display with the readability of ink on paper but with the added benefit of digital technology to download newspaper headlines or a best-selling novel at the user’s command - providing information to anyone, anywhere.”

Another innovator in the field is Polymer Vision, which has worked with E Ink on flexible display projects. This year they will launch the Readius, a web-enabled cell phone with a flexible digital paper display which unrolls like a scroll. The 5″ screen is huge for a phone, with the added benefit of being able to “stow” when not in use. The Readius is Bluetooth capable, and has access to RSS feeds and email. Eventually, WiFi chips will make it into these devices as well. Polymer Vision expects rollable displays like that in the Readius to boom in coming years: “Our Mission is quite simply to put rollable displays into every mobile device.”

Flexible digital paper is also working towards video displays, and E Ink has released a product called Ink In Motion which moves in that direction. Microsoft used Ink In Motion as a point-of-purchase display technique for an XBOX game release, and the animation effect on the game box lasts for months on batteries. More applications for this technology will be forthcoming as digital paper moves into the mainstream.

The jury is still out on e-books, and we may never see the kind of growth in that sector that Forrester expected eight years ago. However, the technology that has been developed specifically for e-book readers is branching out. The possibilities are endless, and we’re sure to see products from E Ink and Polymer Vision on mobile devices around the globe.

Macworld is always an exciting time for the consumer electronics industry, and Apple rarely fails to disappoint analysts and gearheads alike. The annual expo this year was no less thrilling, as Apple announced two major innovations that are sure to impact the technology community in the coming months. CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the MacBook Air, which he described as the world’s thinnest notebook computer. He also announced the launch of a internet movie rental service through iTunes. While not quite as impactful as the iPhone was at Macworld 2007, these two new products have the potential to change the way we interact with technology.

The MacBook Air, which will retail for $1799.99, is just .76 inches at its thickest point. The laptop was purportedly designed to fit inside a standard manila envelope, and Jobs drove this message home by pulling a MacBook Air out of a manila envelope at the show. It features a 13.3 inch widescreen display and a full-size backlit keyboard, and it weighs just 3 pounds. Leopard fans will be pleased to know that it ships with that operating system. The trackpad allows pinching, swiping, rotating, and other touch actions that iPhone users have come to love. It even works within Safari and iPhoto, so one could use a reverse pinch to increase font size on a website or to zoom in on pictures.

MacBook Air seems to be a product geared towards wireless file sharing. The standard unit will not come with a CD/DVD drive (though they’ll sell you an external one for $99), and Apple is suggesting that most users will use iTunes for music and movie playback. The notebook will also wirelessly access external hard drives, so one could download music from another PC or Mac. There would also be no need to back up files on disk, as TimeKeeper will wirelessly keep track of all your file updates. But what about software installation disks? MacBook Air has a feature called Remote Disk which allows you to access the optical drive of another computer in order to install software.

Does it seem to anyone else that Apple is jumping the gun? The era of CDs and DVDs is not over quite yet, and Apple is rushing the demise of these storage media. For example, how useful would Remote Disk be if you didn’t own another computer to use as your optical drive? MacBook Air could not really function unless everyone user had an old computer as well. What if you already own hundreds of DVDs and don’t want to buy them on iTunes? While I applaud the move towards true wireless functionality, Apple might be too far ahead of the curve on this one.

iTunes new movie rental service is likely to make Apple a lot of money. All of Hollywood’s major studios have agreed to participate in the service, which signals a major change from a year ago, when just a few of the movie studios were selling films on iTunes. The rentals will cost $3.99 for new releases and $2.99 for older titles, and subscribers will have 24 hours to finishing watching them after they first begin playback. The announcement also details changes to the beleaguered Apple TV, which saw a price drop from $299 to $229. The product will now let users rent or buy movies directly from Apple TV, without the annoying intermediate step of transferring titles from computers to the set-top box. Both the movie rental service and the improved Apple TV will allow customers to explore new ways of purchasing movies. The iTunes service is expected to rival Netflix, which recently expanded its “Watch Instantly” feature so subscribers could stream movies while waiting for their next DVDs to arrive by mail.

Macworld is an exciting time to technology experts and consumers alike, and this year’s event was no exception. The MacBook Air is one step closer to the touchscreen notebook we all crave from Apple, despite its design shortcomings. Apple TV is now set up to be a money maker for the company, especially if users respond positively to the new iTunes movie rental options. Apple’s innovative designs and cutting edge technology will continue to impress us in Macworld conventions for years to come.

The enterprise IT world is abuzz with the news of Sun Microsystems’ buyout of MySQL. The deal was worth $1 billion to Sun, which will pay $800 million in cash and $200 million in stock for the Swedish open source database company. Industry analysts expressed a mixture of excitement, disbelief, and anxiety following the announcement , but there was one thing upon which all agreed: MySQL is easily worth what Sun will pay, and if they play their cards right, they’ll get far more than $1 billion out of this manoeuvre.

The database market is currently valued at $15 billion, and Sun’s acquisition will enable MySQL’s product line to flourish within the development world. MySQL is a key player in the web application platform LAMP, which consists of Linux, Apache, MySQL database, and PHP /Perl programming languages. The database service they provide is key for developers who create internet-based applications, and sites which use MySQL run the gamut from e-commerce to social networking. Indeed, customers include heavy weights across diverse industries, including Google, Pricegrabber, Craigslist, Linden Lab, NASA, UNICEF, Associated Press, Slashdot, Nokia, and Adobe. Since their database software is open source (meaning developers can modify the source code) and free, MySQL’s revenue comes from subscription support packages.

Sun can offer MySQL a more entrenched place in the enterprise IT world, where their open source database software can be used for everything from inventory tracking to customer relationship management applications. This will put them in direct competition with other database management systems from companies like Oracle and IBM. Oracle was also rumored to be eyeing MySQL, which would have been a more direct threat to their open source foundation. Sun is said to be preserving the revenue model, and they have traditionally support open source projects such as Open Office and Java. As MySQL blogger Kaj Arnö says, “Given Sun’s proven track record as the largest contributor to Open Source, I think MySQL users have plenty of reason to feel happy about the acquisition.”

MySQL will still be operating fairly independently, and there are no rumors of layoffs or shuffling within management circles. Mårten Mickos, the current CEO, will stay at the helm, though Sun may bring some key players over to California. What will really change is how MySQL is able to do business. They will now have access to key companies like Intel, IBM, and Dell because of Sun’s relationships with those vendors. Sun has also said they will move to optimize the LAMP development platform for GNU/Linux, Windows OS, and it’s proprietary OpenSolaris OS.

Though the biggest loser in this deal is clearly Oracle, some industry analysts are hoping to see Sun maximize the reach of Open Office through this acquisition. NetworkWorld’s Mitchell Ashley hopes Sun will, “figure out a way to leverage Open Office and MySQL so you can make a real play at the business IT environment and desktop dominated by Microsoft.” This would be a very interesting strategy for Sun, though it seems their short-term aim is to let the folks at MySQL continue doing what they do best. With every acquisition of this kind the enterprise IT world starts to panic, but at least in this case, it seems we can relax. If Sun keeps to their initial promises, everyone’s favorite database management software will have an even better chance at out-competing the big boys.

While many advances have been made in recent years to improve wireless devices, the tangle of cords on my desk is a testimony to the empty promises of this technology. Nearly every electronic device we own has to be connected to at least two cables some of the time: one provides power, and other allows you to sync up with other devices. Both of these cables may soon disappear due to new innovations which are expected to put the “wireless” in wireless.

A radio signal technology called ultrawideband (UWB) is expected to eliminate the need for sync cables and the like. It takes advantage of a large portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to move data quickly and wirelessly. It can interfere with other radio signals, though, so it’s potential range is limited to a few feet. Wireless USB technology takes advantage of the UWB signals, and it’s well-positioned to replace traditional USB hubs and ports.

Wireless USB systems are jumping on to the market in a big way, and many new products were unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. They are usually made up of two parts, a traditional hub and a dongle (gotta love that word) which plugs into a device’s USB ports. These products still require power cords, so the only cable you’re eliminating is the one connecting the hub to the PC. Wireless USB hubs generally have a maximum range of about 30 feet, but since they aren’t meant to penetrate walls, you are still essentially tethered to your hub. Some require specialty software, which is a big minus for most users, though Belkin’s CableFree USB Hub does not use software.

Next-generation PCs (many of which also debuted at the CES) are sporting built-in USB wireless transmitters which allows you to “ditch the dongle”. Industry giants Dell, IBM, and Toshiba all feature laptops with wireless transmitters. Those who support the wireless USB movement hope that this technology will spread to printers, hard drives, set-top boxes, cameras, MP3 players, and mobile phones. In order for this to happen, though, different players within the industry will need to collaborate to ensure compatibility and usefulness. Some analysts believe that wireless USB has taken so long to catch on because hardware such as music players and mobile phones haven’t included internal transmitters in new products. Once it becomes more common, though, we could see digital cameras which could wirelessly download photos to a portable hard drive or display photos on a high-definition TV without plugging it in. Industry experts predict that 2009 and 2010 will be the biggest years for wireless USB technology, and it will eventually become as common as corded USB is today.

One company is working to eliminate the other cable that plagues wireless hopefuls: the AC adapter. WildCharge has released a device which will charge Motorola RAZR handsets just by putting them on a pad. You can modify your phone to work with the WildCharger by replacing the battery cover with their adapter and plugging a short cable from the adapter to your phone’s AC port. As their website states, “any cell phone, music or video player or other mobile device we enable can be charged on any pad, and any pad can charge any enabled mobile device.” The pad currently works only with RAZR phones, but adapters are in the works for iPod Nano and iPod Touch. The pad is surprisingly inexpensive ($59.99), and this just might be the death of power cords. However, sometimes I think electronics companies enjoy confusing us with hundreds of slightly different AC adapters, so it will be up to them to comply with WildCharge’s vision.

As an article in last month’s Businessweek points out, “the idea that you could download pictures from your camera just by bringing it near your computer, then recharge it by setting down on the desk is compelling.” Right on, and I’ll add to that sentiment, “It’s about time.” True wireless is long over-due, and it’s good news indeed that consumer electronics companies are finally meeting our demands.

With the shopping boom of the holidays behind us, both brick-and-mortar and online retailers are looking to technology to better serve their customers. These traditional enemies are using what Baseline Magazine calls a “boomerang strategy,” which draws customers from the web to the stores and back again. This attempt to integrate e-business, catalog, and traditional retail units is difficult because many companies have structures these units as competing elements. Technology seems to be the key to breaking down these barriers, as e-commerce sites merge with showroom floors.

Have you noticed the growing number of computer kiosks at your favorite stores? Retailers are enabling customers to go to their online divisions to search for colors, sizes, promotions, coupons, and additional inventory. This allows you to access the “back room” of the entire chain, not just that of the store nearest your house. If you need a size 12 that the store doesn’t have, you can order through their website right at the store and have it delivered overnight, either to your home or to the store itself. These kiosks are likely to improve functionality in the future by allowing shoppers to scan barcodes of items that bring up customer reviews, inventory levels, and special offers.

Another innovation within retail shopping was profiled in an article on CNN Money. The article describes a product called the “Magic Mirror,” which is being tested at haute-couture giant Bloomingdale’s in New York City. This web-enabled mirror allows friends and family connected to a closed internet site to review your dressing room choices and give advice about the clothes you intent to buy. Digital agency IconNicholson developed the Magic Mirror, and they describe it as an agent of “social retailing,” where consumers can share their shopping adventures with all the contacts on their social networks like Facebook or Friendster. A quick, unscientific survey of the women in my office (all two of us) gives the Magic Mirror a definitive thumbs-down, but as the social networking generation ages and develops more spending power, the concept may catch on.

The wave of new technology in the retail sector isn’t just to help the customer; retail employees are also benefiting from improved communications. Some clothing stores have begun using handheld devices to show realtime inventory levels which enable CSRs to find colors and sizes faster. This could be especially useful in footwear stores, since studies show that 25 to 30 percent of customers walk out of the store while a salesperson is retrieving a size. Another innovation to benefit retailers comes from Intellivid, which has begun installing “smart” CCTV surveillance cameras throughout stores. These cameras are not passive like their predecessors. They can track shopper’s movements and habits while feeding data into analytics software, much as e-commerce websites do. This data can be analyzed to determine shoppers’ traffic patterns, the effectiveness of display techniques, and the distribution of customer service reps. Stores also get a leg-up when it comes to locating missing children (which can lead to store lockdowns during busy shopping seasons) and theft prevention.

Retailers are also reaching out to our cell phones to improve the shopping experience. Rather than direct mail campaigns, special offers and coupons can be delivered by text message, and customers would always have the coupons with them when visiting the store. We may see streaming video of ads for products sold at a particular store, or for a nearby retailer with similar products to the ones you buy. Subway is already testing this form of advertising by sending coupon alerts to current customers when they approach a restaurant location. Cell phones are also in line to replace credit cards as a payment method, since they support RFID chips and have unique identifying numbers that help establish identity. The big barrier to this kind of speedy payment is the fragmentation within the credit card and handset industries. It will take some level of cooperation to make this happen, and these guys aren’t used to working together.

E-commerce will also see revolutionary changes, improving the usability of sites to give a hands-on feel to online shopping. Amazon has made great strides in this area by recommending books similar to those you’re looking at, which replicates the special interest displays in brick-and-mortar stores. They also have a “Read Inside This Book” feature which mimics the experience of flipping through a title in the book store. E-commerce sites are also trying to recreate the “impulse buy”, where shoppers pick up a pack of gum or a funny book they see while waiting in the checkout line or walking through the aisles of a traditional store. They’re reaching out to virtual worlds like Second Life for product placement and casual browsing. Innovative sites might also allow consumers shopping from their computers to electronically bring their home into the online store. For example, a 3-D rendering of your living room might help you decide if a piece of furniture would fit in your space and match your curtains. You also might be able to upload this rendering to a store like Best Buy in order to “test” the new stereos in your acoustical space.

The barriers are already breaking down between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers, and we’ll likely see further radical changes in the future. More and more, retailers are crossing the line between the showroom floor and the online world, and customers will see more options to suit their busy lifestyles and their high expectations.