10 Web Sites That Will Matter in 2009
For sure, 2008 was the year of Twitter, Facebook and Hulu. Here are 10 new or up-and-coming sites that have a good shot at emerging as the fastest growing and most buzz-worthy of 2009.
While most are flying below the radar today, these ten Web sites and services have a good shot at emerging as the fastest growing and most buzz-worthy of 2009.
TV.com
Back in May 2008, we predicted Hulu's rise to prominence, and it has fulfilled our expectations. This was a huge tactical win for NBC Universal, which owns part of Hulu (along with News Corporation). CBS is not taking this lying down. In its takeover last year of the tech Web site operator CNET, it bought the rights to the TV.com URL and has now added a good amount of full-length prime-time shows and movies (not just clips) to the site from major content partners like Sony (a wealth of great premium content), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and PBS. Content from CBS-owned Showtime is available there too.
TV.com relaunched with full-length programs (movies and prime-time TV shows) early this month. Before that, the site offered only promo clips, cast profiles, interviews, and discussions--yet it had 16.5 million viewers per month even then. That number should begin climbing steadily over the course of 2009 with all the new video content.
Still, TV.com is no Hulu. Why? The video quality, even the HD stuff, just can't match the surprising clarity of Hulu's offerings. That will have to improve if CBS wants to dethrone Hulu as "Web video central" this year. (http://www.tv.com/)
Qik
Qik provides a platform where you can easily stream and share live video from your mobile or cell phone camera. When visiting the site, it's easy to find live video streams being shot by Qik members from around the world. This is great for family stuff, like Grandma in America watching her baby grandson in Italy in real time, for example.
After you are finished streaming your video live over Qik, the video is automatically archived at the site. And, if you set it up to do so, Qik sends the videos to YouTube, your blog, or to your page on Facebook. Using Qik does not require a fancy smart phone--an inexpensive Java-based cell phone will do. Qik has found a niche and is exploiting it well. I'm predicting that many more video enthusiasts will flock to Qik this year because of its simple, straight-forward design and ease of use. (http://www.qik.com/)
Research In Motion



