October marks the 4th quarter of ‘09 and that’s not too far away from now. This year more than others we’ve seen a good amount of tech yelled quite loudly in our direction, "THIS IS THE WAY IT’S GONNA BE!" Well.. not really.

Here’s a few examples.

Cloud Computing

This is a concept of computing that has been around for a very long time. Where it happened originally was in enterprise environments several years before what we know now as the internet existed.

The idea is sound with cloud computing. What isn’t sound is nobody knows how to deploy it in a cost effective way that actually works. That’s always been the problem and always will be.

Oddly enough, where the cloud works best is with home internet users. But in enterprise.. not so much.

E-Book Readers

This technology has not exactly caught on like gangbusters. But there were those who said it would earlier this year. It hasn’t.

E-Book tech at present is not mature enough for everybody to have an e-book reader as they would an iPod and/or cell phone, that much is clear.

Also the fact that you need a subscription and batteries just to read something doesn’t exactly fly over well with people.

"Green" I.T. Department

One of the huge buzzwords of ‘09 has been green. Green, green and more green. However you simply cannot walk into a production IT environment and say, "Guess what, everybody? We’re ditching the mainframe to save a few kilowatt hours!"

Anybody who would say that would be shown the door in short order.

The idea of a "green" IT environment has about the same chance of working as, say, a paperless environment.

Those who work in IT will get that joke.

Internet TV

We heard earlier in the year that providers like Hulu were going to change television forever. They didn’t. Nobody threw out their television sets. Nobody cancelled their cable or satellite subscriptions.

Like e-books, this technology cannot be shoved down people’s throats. It has to mature for a few years before people are willing to drop the cable company. And that time certainly isn’t now.

What tech do you think is "immature"?

Feel free to weigh in your opinion by posting a comment or two.

The typical tech people put into cars are music players, DVD decks, PNDs (personal navigation devices) and smartphones. And the most annoying thing is how to mount it.

You have seven basic options for mounting tech in a car:

1. Proprietary in-dash
2. Semi-proprietary in-dash
3. In-mirror
4. Gooseneck/Bracket
5. Suction mount to adhesive plate
6. Suction mount to glass
7. Friction mount (a.k.a. "bean bag" mount)

Here’s each one of these in detail.

Proprietary in-dash

This is any tech you buy that is specifically made for in-dash use and the most expensive of the bunch. Ordinarily you’re going to spend at least $400 (installation not included) for one of these setups. Better ones have a DVD player, GPS and options to pair to your phone via Bluetooth.

The major problem with tech of this type is that it suffers from the "last in line" curse. Any tech that is current now (such as on Blackberries and iPhones) won’t be available in the in-dash units until a year or two later. And by that time the tech is already obsolete.

Semi-proprietary in-dash

The difference between this and the fully proprietary in-dash setups is that certain pieces can be taken out and used elsewhere. The one seen above has a 4.3-inch TomTom GPS device that can be removed by a simple click-in/click-out (which means it can also be upgraded easily, avoiding some of the last-in-line curse). It also has a ton of other features. If I were searching for an in-dash solution, I would take this over the fully proprietary any day.

 In-mirror

A rear-view mirror that’s a touchscreen monitor? Believe it. The operating system is Windows CE and there are mounting brackets for Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Ford, Mazda and Chevrolet.

To note: These are not easy to acquire and are usually reserved for builders who buy 100 of them at a time. We’ll see tech like this become more readily available for consumers as time goes on, possibly in the form of a super-thin OLED screen that "sticks" to your mirror without having to swap it out.

 Gooseneck mount

Mounts of this type can either be held in place via a suction to the glass or drilled into the floor. You will either love or hate the gooseneck.

Suction mount to adhesive plate

This is the most convenient option for most people. Automotive GPS makers have got this down pat. For example, when you buy a Garmin GPS, it comes with a plate with adhesive that you can stick to the dashboard. Then you mount the GPS to it with its suction mount. Works well and is certainly better than putting it on the glass.

Suction mount to glass

Whether it’s a gooseneck or other type of mount, suction mounting to glass is an imperfect solution at best, mainly due to the fact it can "take a dive" without warning.

  Friction mount (the "bean bag")

This mount setup sits anywhere and has rubber padding under it to prevent sliding from all over the place.

Which is best for you?

For those who are cheap: Suction mount to glass. Readily available, easy install.

For those who have odd-shaped devices: Gooseneck with adjustable bracket. Ham radio guys have been doing this forever, because a mobile ICOM isn’t the same size as a Kenwood isn’t the same size as a Yaesu, etc.

BONUS TIP for hams: Consider using a gooseneck floor mount that attaches to the passenger seat bolt. No drilling necessary. Takes minutes to install. Cheap and rock-solid. Looks good, too.

For those that want the easiest to use: Use the friction mount. It can be moved from car to car easily and moved anywhere you like at whim. Bear in mind friction mounts come for a variety of different mobile devices including almost all cell phones.

For those that don’t like friction mounts: Use a suction mount to a plate. This is what I use personally because the bean bag liked to jump around when going over things like bumpy railroad tracks – even at slow speed.

For those that like to show off: Use the in-mirror (assuming you can even get one) or in-dash. But remember that this is a very permanent thing. All the rest can be moved from car to car, but not this method. Not easily, anyway. Once it’s in there, it’s really in there if you catch my meaning.

When you like tech, bringing some (or a lot) of it into the car is a big deal. Here’s three ways to bring some or more of your electronic goodness into what you drive without breaking the bank.

Cigarette Lighter USB Adapter

Got something powered by USB that you’d love to have in the car? Use one of these little guys and it will fit the bill nicely. Cheap, too. Only 5 dollars. If you shop around enough you might even be able to score one for less than that.

Non-Slip Dashboard Mat

This little dashboard mat stays put and "sticks" whatever you place on it. They are made of material that is non-slip and "hold" things like cell phones and iPods. No installation required. Plop on the dash, put stuff on it, done deal. If one is not available at your local electronics store, try this eBay search. Prices are as low as 3 dollars. The better ones are washable.

Coffee Cup Power Inverter

Sure, you’ve seen power inverters for cars before that give you "three prong" outlets – but have you ever seen one shaped like a coffee cup? This one is, and it’s only 30 dollars. Sound like a lot? Not really when you realize how convenient this thing is. Usually when you plug in an inverter it is in a decidedly inconvenient spot, not to mention the inverter itself is large and might even scrape up against your leg while in use. This one has its own spot and it’s already in your car. Oh, and by the way, this also has a 500mA USB charging port on it too! You may not even need the cigarette lighter USB adapter above if you get one of these…

Ask anyone who invests in tech stocks for a description of what they’re like and the answer you’ll most likely receive is that they’re volatile, meaning to vary often or widely.

One of Yahoo’s oldest web sites, Yahoo! Finance (YHOO), is a good place to check on how tech stocks are doing. You can also perform quick stock searches by searching for the symbol on Google, ex. searching for GOOG.

Side note: Speaking of the GOOG, they might be purchasing Twitter, so that will be an interesting one to follow.

To those interested in tech stocks, or any stocks for that matter, but have no idea how they would perform or how to go about investing, I always suggest playing fantasy stock market. This is fun, easy and most of the time free so it requires no investment on your part.

Here’s a few suggestions if you want to play the market fantasy-style:

• FantasyStockMarket.com – Simple site, easy to navigate and get started.
• Virtual Stock Exchange – This is run by MarketWatch, a well-known finance site.
• Wall Street Survivor – This one has an interesting twist because you can actually win real cash and prizes here, so the game itself can actually be profitable.

Why play fantasy with tech stocks instead of doing the real thing?

The answer is to gain experience before taking the plunge, so to speak. Some people say tech stocks are totally worth it while others say it’s a complete waste of time and money, and far too unstable. However with the experience gained from fantasy playing, you can answer the question for yourself whether or not they’re worth it – free.

What’s your take? Would you or do you invest in tech stocks?

Does it sound like a boom or bust? Let us know in the comments.

“Tech Business” as it relates to this article is defined as using the internet as a means to supply income with your business. This can be thru the sales of online e-books and articles, use of eBay and so on.

A common question when it comes to tax time is “What can I ‘write off’ on my taxes?” The answer in simple terms is anything you spend money on used for business purposes.

The lines blur a bit when it comes to figuring out what counts as a write-off and what doesn’t.

Let’s take a look at what you can and can’t write off if you decide to run your own tech business.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this article. Gold/Silver Membership required.

Happy ‘09, everyone. Hope yours is a good one.

It is tradition in the United States that people make what’s called their "New Year’s Resolutions", i.e. a  to-do list of things they want to get done. This can be things such as losing a few pounds, paying off a few debts, getting some housework done, etc.

These are my tech resolutions. Will they happen? Maybe.

1. Switch to 64-bit computing.

This is all dependent on whether Windows 7 gets released this year or not. The cost to go 64-bit is roughly the same as 32-bit. Granted, I could go 64 now with Linux or Mac OS X (both have 64-bit releases), but what can I say… I’m a Windows guy.

(Edit: Yes I know there’s 64-bit Vista but I want 7 specifically.)

2. Get better at that whole social media thing.

Social media works. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Bebo, YouTube, Flickr or whatever you use, it does work if you put effort into it. And when I say "effort" I mean creating relationships OTI that translate into IRL. You can have as many OTIs as you can muster but it matters more when human contact is achieved.

3. Host more PCMech Live shows.

There hasn’t been a live show for the past 2 weeks because of the holiday stuff. In addition to getting back into the swing of every Wednesday 8-10pm EST there will also be other shows added in there.

This isn’t a "maybe" on this list. It will happen.

4. Get a netbook.

The netbook is a super-small factor laptop with an 8 or 10-inch screen. These are the ultimate in portability, I really like them and their cheap. I haven’t bought one yet because the specs are not up to par in my opinion. If I’m going to get one it has to have at least a 256GB hard drive on board, 10 to 12-inch screen and a few other things – of which they don’t have yet.

But maybe by 2009 year’s end they will? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

For those that ask why I’m so hot on netbooks, it’s because they encompass what portable computers are all about, that being portable. Not "desktop replacements", not "chuck everything in there under the sun" and so on. Laptops are supposed to be small, light and portable, and nothing does it better than a netbook.

For those that say "iPhone!", you can take your touch-based scrunched keyboard and shove it. No thanks. I want a real computer with a real keyboard and trackpad that DOESN’T REQUIRE ME TO SUBSCRIBE TO A SERVICE just to use, thank you very much.

5. Backup more.

I do backup now but I really should backup more.

I will have to invest is some more USB sticks. Particularly 4GB ones. I’d rather use those over optical media any day because they’re far more reliable.

How about you?

Do you have a tech to-do for 2009?

Behringer is a name you may or may not have heard of. If you’re into audio at all, yes you’ve heard of them.

For those not familiar with Behringer, they are a global audio equipment manufacturer. They make anything and everything to do with audio.

I stumbled across a documentary centering on this company’s primary manufacturing facility located in China. Said honestly, it’s definitely worth the watch.

The most interesting stuff about this video presentation is "Behringer City". The employees work in the same place where the manufacturing facility is and sleep in dormitories. At first this sounds like a nightmare come true but in fact the employees work normal 8-hour shifts, the facility is clean, humane and very productive.

It’s no wonder so much of the tech we use is made in China (like Apple products).

Note: There are 2 videos in this post (part 1 and 2).