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In the massive Las Vegas exhibition hall, all eyes at the Consumer Electronics Show 2007 were on screens showing Apple boss Steve Jobs in San Francisco with the Apple iPhone. It turned out to be one of the most significant developments of the year. But what of 2008?
The Android and the phone
The iPhone's influence will spread as its innovative way of displaying web applications using Apple's Safari web browser is mimicked. But Google's Linux-based Android mobile operating system will debut with huge industry support.
We're more likely to see Android handsets in New Zealand before an official iPhone. Android will be designed to make using the mobile internet easier but it also promises to extend Google's search advertising business model to the phone.
That could revolutionise charging for services on the mobile.
More phones will arrive with bigger storage allowances - 16GB will become standard. Phones will increasingly come with high-definition video-out connections so you can plug them into a TV set to show the video you've downloaded to your phone on the big screen.
Mobile data plans will finally move to the all-you-can-eat model where you pay a flat-rate for unlimited web surfing from your phone or mobile data card.
The hard drive killers
Computer storage will change radically as so-called "solid state" drives take off. They are smaller than hard drives, have no moving parts, use less power and are less susceptible to bangs and drops.
They're similar to the small SD cards or USB sticks we plug into our computers to save photos or transfer files. Korean Flash memory maker Samsung is a leader in solid-state drives and last year released a 32GB drive for laptops.
While three to four times more expensive than hard drives, increasing volumes next year will push down the price. The upside for consumers is faster, more-efficient drives and slimmer notebooks.
Social network shakeout
The current collection of social networking websites, popular as they are, are increasingly feeling like the first generation in a field that next year will deliver much more. While MySpace, Facebook and Bebo have grown hugely this year, development has been characterised by the desire of the social networking giants to start making money.
As Facebook found with the disastrous implementation of its Beacon advertising platform, many users aren't willing to be constantly tracked, analysed and marketed to. Google does all of the above, but its services are so useful we submit to it. Not so the social networks, which need to make the leap next year to being more than just places to keep an eye on your friends.
Facebook will survive and adapt, but there will be plenty of victims, MySpace being the notable one.
A high-definition truce
The war between rival high-definition formats HD-DVD and Blu-ray will end, either due to the HD-DVD camp throwing in the towel or combo drives that play both formats dropping to under $400. Kiwis in their droves are buying flat-screen TVs capable of playing superior quality HD content, but while there are 15,000 PS3s in the market, equipped with Blu-ray players, take up of standalone HD players has been sluggish.
The green zone
Next year will be all about making technology more energy-efficient, particularly in the TV space, where people are increasingly opting for 42-, 46- or even 50-inch TV sets. Those big screens suck a lot of power and Governments the world over are threatening to ban their use if manufacturers don't make them more power-efficient.
We'll also see a new wave of low-power devices - from fridges and TVs to laptops and stereos.
