Predictions 2006
MaxPower: Loyal readers of R4NT will know that for the past couple of years D4V and I have teamed up to predict and prognosticate on the trends which will impact the next year. We also look at our predictions from last year and either enjoy a victory lap around R4NT headquarters for our Nostradamus-like insight or hang our heads in shame. Glancing at the list from last year – we have a couple from both camps in there.
D4V: More marriages, more babies, more debt, more well everything really. 2005 turned out to be a great year for the magazine, especially with the release of “Who Make Movies”, which went uber viral all over the net. There has been lots of new great music along with lots of new fun toys (playing Mario on my PSP is fun). And on a personal note, I learned how to ski. I think I’m hooked.. Is that off topic?
MaxPower: OK D4V, nice to be here with you here on the cusp of 2006. 2005 was a pretty good year for predictions but along with our Stars we have some Dogs. Stars and Dogs, we’re just a bunch of crazy Stars and Dogs… right, let’s start off by looking at the Dog Predictions of 2005.
MaxPower Dog #1 — “Google’s stock price will come down from its current stratospheric US$200 price”. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, man if anyone listened to my advice and shorted Google, well… you’d probably have lost your house and your internet connection and wouldn’t be reading this right now. For those of you who don’t follow stocks, GOOG went from about $200 to $430 in 2005! Burn, shorting a stock that doubled is never good. (see chart)
D4V Dog #1 — “Apple will release a new iPod (perhaps making it less sucky)”. OK, half points here. Apple, of course, did release a new iPod during 2005 — the “Nano” which replaced the troubled (but high selling) Mini. Angst ensued as problems with the Nano caused by a super sensitive screen which scratched with the touch of a paper towel. That caused Apple devotees to commit seppuku over their $300 gadgets. Well no, not really, but the suckiness factor didn’t really move much.
MaxPower & D4V Dogs #2 — MaxPower: “Iraqi elections will be a gong show” and D4V: “Someone will attempt to destroy an American icon”. Witty rejoinders aside, I’m pleased that our Jon Stewart-inspired sceptical and somewhat sarcastic vision for 2005 failed (for the most part) to come true. Iraqi elections were remarkably well maintained and had a higher voter turnout that Canadian and U.S. elections and nothing really blew up in the U.S. Unfortunately, there were the bombings in London which shook up the world for a time in the summer of 2005.
MaxPower & D4V Stars #1 — MaxPower: “The show Joey will be cancelled”, New York Daily News headline December 2nd, 2005: “NBC will bench its much-maligned sitcom “Joey” in an effort to shore up the network’s struggling Thursday night lineup”. Nice – and not a moment to soon. While this isn’t technically a “cancellation” rather a “hiatus” I’m calling a spade a spade. Joey is toast. D4V: “The show Joey will get renewed because the public likes canned sitcom rehashes”. In the same New York Daily News December 2nd, 2005 article: “A new comedy, ‘Four Kings,’ a show about four friends entering adulthood, will air Thursdays at 8:30 p.m.”. Point D4V. Sitcoms can never be defeated, they are like an ever growing army of the undead, feeding on brrraaiiins.
MaxPower Star #2 — “The Canadian dollar will continue to appreciate versus the US dollar getting over 85 cents”. The C buck hit 87 cents US at one time in early December. That makes the ol’ trip to Vegas that much cheaper. Booya.
D4V Star #2 — “SUV’s will lose market share to those new trendy wagon cars”. Good call, SUVs, whether due to a rising feeling of environmental responsibility (unlikely) or a new fad in “crossovers” (likely) SUVs continue to lose market share to those “trendy wagon car” things.
And now onto the main event — R4NT Predicts 2006
MaxPower’s Predictions:
- The Canadian dollar will continue to appreciate versus the US dollar reaching 90 cents.
- The central bank will cut interest rates in 2006.
- There will be clash of the Titans as the “popular music industry” battles their saviour, better known as iTunes/Apple over the price of a MP3 download at $0.99. Hilarity ensues as the music industry’s greed only rivals its stupidity.
- Tivo will join Blockbuster on the long slow road to obsolesce
- Unlike what everyone reads in the paper, Blackberries will not be shut down as NTP settles their lawsuit with Research in Motion.
- Canada will win Gold in hockey at the Olympics
D4V’s Predictions:
- The PS3 is going to kill over the Xbox360 (especially in Japan, wait a minute, that’s a given).
- Interest rates are going to continue to climb
- There will be another “next big thing” in computer displays
- Nikon will chew away a bigger chunk away from Canon, while Kodak will continue to die a slow painful death.
- A major breakthrough will take place in space.
- Microsoft’s release of Vista (the next version of windows) will be a huge disappointment.
- R4NT will face its largest change since it’s conception. (or will it?)
- And lastly, just as last year, Apple will release a new iPod (perhaps making it less sucky but don’t hold your breath)
D4V: Guess we’ll have to wait till Predictions 2007 to find out how we do… See ya then.
- Predictions 2006
- by Maxpower & D4V
- Published on January 1st, 2006
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