This Lexmark commercial might be a great trick you’ll want to play on someone you know!

With 2009 coming to a close, we have seen numerous web and tech activities continue to have larger and larger impacts on businesses. The coming of age of both Twitter and Facebook sparked the social media revolution, and businesses of all sizes had to prepare a social media strategy to stay connected with their customers.

Now that 2010 is approaching fast, businesses should begin to review these new trends that should be gaining ground in the new year and explore the options of how to integrate these online activities into their plans.

These are in no specific order…

1. Gadget Consolidation
Portable gadgets continue to drive electronic sales in the US and abroad. Things like smartphones, Hand-held GPS Navigation, MP3 players, E-book readers, photo and video cameras, portable video game players, etc – all of these things are extremely popular right now… So the question is when will people stop buying all of these individual devices and buy 1 device that has all of these features? The answer is whenever it is released… The iPhone is the closest “all in one” device out there right now, and although it may offer endless features and add on options, I don’t know many people who have tossed aside their 10 megapixel digital camera to use their iPhone camera. The iPhone does do so much, but I am still waiting for the device that does all of those same things but does them at a higher quality level.

This could mean a downward trend for companies like TomTom, Garmin, etc who have seen so much success with their portable GPS units. We are already seeing most smartphones released with GPS features, it is only a matter of time before we start seeing smartphones mounted on a windshield instead of that standalone navigation unit.

2. On The Go Mobile Payments
While some banks and credit card companies have just started releasing reliable mobile applications in 2009, it has not completely caught on here in the US. With the main concern over security, the US is lagging behind much of Asia who have embraced the technology. With new mobile payment options released by PayPal, Amazon, and newcomer Square, 2010 should see an uplift in mobile purchases and payments. This means those of you still contemplating whether you need a “mobile” compatible website, the number of mobile internet users is at an all time high, the next logical trend for these users is to start buying things directly from their phones.

3. Better Technology Used in Social Media
While Facebook and Twitter are still leading the social media pack, there is a new trend that is catching on very quickly and it involves better, more sophisticated technology. Location sharing services such as Foursquare and Gowalla are becoming very popular and provide a new twist in the social media landscape. These services, which require you to have a cell phone, add a “location tracking” feature to your standard twitter or Facebook type updates. These services create an environment that promotes the sharing of people, places, and things that the user finds interesting.

Foursquare

And the interesting part is that when you post, they know exactly were you are and that is listed with your post. As a contributor, the point is the share interesting things about where you are and what you are doing. Maybe you are on vacation and just ate at a fantastic restaurant, or maybe not so fantastic. Tell people about it. When you do, no need to enter the address because these types of services know exactly where you are.

4. The Death of Desktop?
Don’t get too frightened. I don’t think your desktop computer or even all of the desktop applications you currently use will die… But some of them will be recreated in an online / web based form. In addition to web based applications seeing an increase in 2010, web based storage will also continue to rise. Users are storing less and less data, emails, documents on their personal computers and instead storing it online, using applications such as Google Docs instead of the MS Office platform, and companies are moving towards web based email platforms instead of the traditional “outlook”.

If you are a fan of the Microsoft Office suite, don’t worry. Microsoft is trying to keep up with trends too. They plan on releasing free online versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote, that is free with the purchase of the standard Office 2010 applications These online versions allow you to access your documents from anywhere in the world and also allow for real time collaboration on your office documents with others from around the globe.

Resource: CNN.com

Toast Printer

A toaster that doubles as a printer, how genius is this in both design and functionality?

The print toaster, which connects to your computer through a USB connection, can “print” any image or graphics that you’d like onto the bread, during the toasting incubation period. The toast printer appropriately titled, “Printing your Toast,” was designed by a Swedish man by the name of Othmar Muehlebach. His design recently placed second at the 2009 Berner Design Awards.

There is also no need to worry about your toast getting cold anymore, as this toast printer operates much like a typical inkjet printer and prints in succession. Except in this case the printer is actually the toaster, the paper the bread, and the ink has been substituted for heat and coils. Much like an inkjet printer, this toast printer “feeds” its bread into the bread tray. That way you have warm slices of bread coming one after another!

photos courtesy of DesignBoom.com

Toast Messenger

Have you ever been running late in the morning, and you remember at the last second that you need them to “pick up the kids from school today”? Well now there is no need to have that ugly white board on the refrigerator anymore, simply jot down a quick message on the Message Toaster, and it’ll do the rest.

The Message Toaster was designed by Sasha Tseng, and provides a message pad to write quick or  important notes which can be shared with others. After you write down the note on the pad, you can make certain that your message will find it’s intended recipient by burning the message directly onto the bread.  That way when your significant other wakes up to the smell of warm toast in the morning and thinks to themselves, “now I remember why I married them,” they will be sure to see your message and quickly realize that you had alternative motives!

photo courtesy of Fotologue.jp

When you purchase a Dell V505 (PRODUCT) RED^TM printer, a portion of the proceeds go to The Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. With the Dell V505 you get the best of both worlds by contributing to your office needs but to many people in need as well.

Aside from supporting a good cause, the Dell V505 All-In-One is a color inkjet printer that can support your small business. In addition to printing, the V505 can copy, fax and scan while saving you valuable office space. You can even use the copy and fax machines without having the computer connected.

To increase productivity, the Dell V505 has an automated document feeder that can scan and copy multiple pages at once. This also enables two-sided documents that save time and reduce the overall cost of printing. For an inkjet printer, the Dell V505 All-in-One boasts speeds of up to 31 pages per minute in black & white, 27 pages per minute in color.

For photo printing, the Dell V505 is a reliable printer for colorful photos in a variation of sizes. When printing photos, you have the option of printing with four colors or with six. You can also print photos directly from your camera if it is PictBridge enabled, or you can utilize the V505’s built-in media slots.

At 17 inches wide and 12.3 inches long, the Dell V505 Multifunction printer is perfect for small spaces – especially with all the functions it provides. The look of the printer is sleek, with red accents in honor of The Global Fund. Ink for the Dell V505 (PRODUCT) RED^TM All-in-One printer can be purchased right here at The Supplies Guys at a great, low price!