Happy Holidays 2006 from BetaNews
As we prepare to bid adieu to 2006, we at BetaNews would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for all of the support we have received from our software authors, downloaders and devoted readers over the past twelve months.
This has been a momentous -- and contentious -- year for the world, which has also brought great change to BetaNews. Most importantly, we have expanded our team with some fresh faces, recently welcoming Executive Producer Scott M. Fulton, III and Associate Editor Timothy Conneally. More additions are coming, as we strive to deliver a new level of content and services on BetaNews.
As we have done in the past, in January we'll kick off our live coverage of CES 2007 in Las Vegas. Windows Vista and Office 2007 will also see their debut next month at a gala event in New York City on January 29. And, of course, we will be there bringing you live coverage. What's to follow? A complete makeover for BetaNews will be unveiled before too long.
2006 was undeniably the year of user-generated content, and even Time Magazine selected "You" as the Person of the Year. The popularity of MySpace and YouTube gave birth to a new industry of online services, and "Web 2.0" became the watchword of the times. While we expected Yahoo to continue its push into the space, it was Google who shocked us all with its $1.65 billion purchase of YouTube.
But once the social networking buzz begins to fade, perhaps the most important news of 2006 was the completion of both Windows Vista and Office 2007. Microsoft may have attempted to compete with the iPod and watched the Zune fall flat, but its new operating system and office suite are what will keep the Redmond company running the world's computers.
2007 will undoubtedly be an exciting year, whether or not Apple's oft-rumored iPhone ever makes an appearance. Vista and Office 2007 bring with them the foundations on which the next-generation applications will be built, and if Microsoft succeeds, it won't be long until we are using computers in a completely different way for the first time in over a decade. And perhaps you'll see those applications also running on an Intel Mac -- or on your new high-definition TV.
In what has become a tradition here at BetaNews, we wish all of you a safe and happy holiday as you celebrate with family and friends. Although we are on an abbreviated schedule, be sure to check for new beta releases or jot a quick greeting to the staff.