2015's Most Outlandish Predictions
The typical January newsfeed and social stream is littered with predictions, as many people are sharing their favorite experts' opinions on what they believe the New Year has in store. It's a digital tradition of sorts that the 'Net community can always expect - and it always elicits a response.
What is important to keep in mind about the practice of predicting the future, however, is that making prognostications about what is to come simply isn't easy - especially in the tech world where innovative new solutions can change the way we work and live overnight. The Website Magazine staff decided to take a more, well, light-hearted approach for our annual predictions, forecasting some rather outlandish potential developments in the broader technology space that could seriously shake up the digital world as we know it if they were to actually come true in 2015. While some of the predictions may seem downright ludicrous, they do drive home the point that technology, by nature, is truly unpredictable (so get used to it).
In attempt to regain its' once formidable position as a power player on the Internet, Yahoo acquires Grumpy Cat for a reported $273.5 million. The acquisition falls on the virtual heels of Yahoo!'s 24-hour Marissa Mayer cam, which was met with a lukewarm response by Internet users. Amazon Goes Real-Time with Package Delivery
Responding to the feedback of its most active Prime customers, Amazon rolls out a program to have a guy stand out front of your house to actually make all the stuff you order from Amazon - because you just can't get a horse head mask delivered fast enough.
A new partnership between Pinterest and the NFL aims to get more men engaged with the social network. Through the partnership, the starting quarterbacks of all 32 teams are required to create a new Pinboard for their profiles each week. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers' feed will reportedly have nothing but images of cheese curds and Wide Receiver Jordy Nelson.
Website Magazine editors have also published some more "traditional" predictions on the 'net at wsm.co/15pred Humanity is Saved by AI
Elon Musk's and Stephen Hawking's obsessive warnings of the danger of artificial intelligence (AI) will prove to be unfounded. With AI helping to oversee the everyday operations of major banks, regulating the stock market as well as scheduling and executing military operations, the world has never been a safer or more peaceful place.
Microsoft taps into its nostalgic side and decides to bring back Office sidekick "Clippy." As a result, the company sees record-breaking website traffic numbers and a 75 percent increase in subscriptions in just 24 hours.
Virtual reality (VR) becomes the new darling of the ecommerce industry. Eventually becoming known throughout the industry as v-commerce, VR obliterates both desktop and mobile ecommerce figures on its way to dominance. Due to its success, Facebook, owner of VR maker Oculus VR, becomes the most valuable company in the world - eclipsing Apple on its way to a $10 trillion valuation. Zuckerberg still refuses to wear anything but a t-shirt or hoodie.
In an effort to shoot back into relevancy, AOL hires Kim Kardashian as its Marketing Director. Kim's first move is hiring Korean K-Pop star PSY, the artist behind the video "Gangnam Style," which broke YouTube's view counter. Together the two create AOL's first fully produced music video for the company's entertainment platform AOL On. The song's title "YouTube, Can I Sign Your Cast?" garners more views than all YouTube videos for the next six months.
In a dramatic turn of events, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin announce on Google+ that Google is, in fact, totally and completely evil. Since no one actually visits Google+ however, no one notices.