1. Smarter access to information. Open data and transparency are barely on the radar but will begin to boom in 2011. A new generation of users are viewing information as fluid and dynamic. Third-party developers are building apps that do amazing things with your data across a variety of platforms, including mapping and visualizing. Design is on the verge of mattering less than accessibility of content.

2. E-readers drive mobile information. The Nook and Kindle haven’t had much play as anything but book readers. But 2011 will see a major shift toward more portable information, expanding from mobile phones to readers and tablets. The Kindle and iPad are still king.

3. Video. We haven’t seen the online video revolution yet, but it’s around the corner. It’s coming in such a way that major telcos like Time-Warner are lobbying hard to restructure the Internet so that content can be throttled and divided among subscription tiers. If you stream Netflix or play online games, you’re on Big Telco’s shit list. New methods of indexing video will emerge.

4. The death of the Internet marketing/guru/ninja/expert. These people, who you see on Twitter and Facebook pushing their consulting and freelance services, will dwindle in volume. Having followers no longer makes you a guru. Innovation in communication, marketing and technical design will again be firmly rooted within this field, and not just to those who self-proclaim their expertise. Good riddance.