Raft Ali points to some predictions from LAT. Here’s my feedback:

– It says Google will unveil its own low-price PC or other device that connects to the Internet….there has been speculation about “Google Cubes”, and the story says Google has been in negotiations with Wal-Mart, among other retailers.

Yup. Totally. Made with chips from VIA I assume, completely circumventing the Wintel alliance. But will Wal-Mart know how to sell these things? This is the sort of product that early adopter nerds buy, not Wal-Mart shoppers.

This is the challenge we face. Plenty of alternative distribution channels out there, but they all still require climbing up the adaption curve, the road down the pyramid from people who grok, to people who follow. That path can never be altered.

So regardless of what deal Google cuts - its still gonna be a long hard road up - through cell phones and PDAs, into PCs and a whole new thing. I wonder if they’re willing to lose the $5B Microsoft is putting into the XBox? If they’re that patient or not?

– MSFT may do a big acquisition after it lost out on the race for AOL…it may end up buying Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp.

Who cares? I guess Barry Diller always WAS just about making money. Too bad. I had hoped that he had this integrated, aggregated and highly customizable environment. And I somehow doubt Microsoft will fulfill it’s destiny.

But who knows? Crazier things have happened!

– At Yahoo, former ABC executive Lloyd Braun, now media head at Yahoo, will exit after clashing repeatedly with Silicon Valley’s laid-back culture.

God I hope so. This whole Yahoo play is key to ALL of our future. But we don’t need any old school mentality fucking it up.

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