GOOGLE 2006
It seems to be the in thing to predict what Google will do next year. And since I know as much as, or more than, the other online experts, I would like to make my contributions to the collective ignorance.

1. Gmail will be out of Beta mode by November. And I'll still have 100 invitations left to give away.

2. Google will purchase the Corel Corporation just so they can offer WordPerfect as a free download -- further loosening Microsoft's grip on the office suite market. It will also be available as an online word processor with integrated search.

3. Those cute little occasional pictures on the Google logo will become the catalyst of a new fashion line.

4. Google will purchase K-Mart to become its new retail endeavor -- renaming it G-Mart. They'll give away most of the merchandise to attract advertisers. But they will sell the new fashion line which features those cute little occasional pictures on the Google logo.

5. Google will hire our oldest son, Kirk, when he graduates from UCSD in June. He will fit in with their very casual culture and I'm sure they will find something for him to do.

6. Google webclips will become an embedded feature in the Blogger bar.

7. Someone else I know will install Google Talk.

8. A 13-year-old student in New Jersey will make a newsworthy discovery in the area surrounding Roswell, New Mexico, using Google Earth images.

9. The Gannett Company will offer Google a 20% stake in the operation of USA Today after it is rumored that the search engine company is thinking about putting out a national print edition of their Google News page.

10. In an effort to jumpstart the economy in California's slowest region, Google will offer to install free wi-fi throughout the entire Central Valley. Two towns will take them up on the offer.