In a box underneath my bed, right next to my Taylor Swift limited edition box set, is a small, worn device — my first iPod. Though the battery only lasts 47-seconds into Creed’s “One Last Breath,” I often find myself browsing through my library from 2007, amazed at how far technology has come.

In just the past year or so, we’ve seen the introduction of the iPad, Kinect for the Xbox 360, the Thunderbolt smartphone from High Tech Computer Corporation and most recently the Blackberry Playbook. While all these devices have their own unique features — one of which is the ability to potentially drain my bank account — for one to distinguish itself takes widespread adoption by users.

Everyone loves to speculate on what companies are working on — iPhone 5 — but most of it tends to be rumor based rather than claims backed by factual evidence. As my tenure as a technology and social media columnist comes to a close, I offer up my musings on where the tech industry is headed.

Beginning with the iPhone 5, it will probably be the biggest technological disappointment we’ve seen since the implementation of HomerConnect. Even with a larger screen, better camera and more memory, the iPhone 5 is nothing to get excited about — and that’s coming from someone who woke up at 4:15 a.m. for the iPhone 4.

Google will own the Internet by 2025 — well, not exactly — but rest assured it will dominate the smartphone market with its Android operating system, which already accounts for more than 30 percent of the smartphone market share.

But gadgets are just the start. Social media will shift dramatically during the coming years, and once again, Google will inevitably assume its rightful place at the forefront of social networking — with its yet-to-be-announced-and-completely-speculative social network.

Facebook and MySpace will see dramatic changes and become too inundated with advertising for users to find it worthwhile.

Foursquare check-ins will become as commonplace as text messaging, and social circles will revolve around not who someone follows or is friends with, but rather, individuals within a close radius of someone’s location.
While these claims may appear to be unsubstantiated — much like Miley Cyrus’s reasoning for entering the music industry, for the companies involved — predictions are the nature of the business.

And on a final note, fingers crossed that this columnist will find a job in tech or social media in the coming months, but once again, it’s merely speculation.

Andrew Weiser is a senior journalism major. Email him at [email protected].