The best and worst of 2008

best game-changing products

Ribbit app platform

It's the one Web/telephony application development platform to really gain traction — first with solid Salesforce.com app and developer momentum, then by being acquired by BT, with plans for it to work with any service provider network.

Deep-packet inspection

DPI has the most potential to allow service providers to differentiate themselves from competitors, protect their networks from attack and use bandwidth efficiently. What remains to be seen is if they'll be allowed to use it to its fullest.

tru2way

With the number of set-top boxes in the home threatening to block the view of the screen, Comcast came along and put the STB right in the TV itself. Granted, the services aren't as spiffy as IPTV, but a clutter-free home might outweigh caller ID on the TV.

Whole-home DVR

Trying telling a three-kid, two-spouse household that this wasn't game-changing.

Open-source mobile operating systems

Freely available, open-source mobile OSes such as Android promise a future where the mobile data is focused on the application, not the underlying platform.

Femtocells

Though initially billed as a way to expand coverage, the femtocell could fundamentally change the way we think of the network and of the value of wireless spectrum.

MEMs

They may be miniscule, but these tiny microelectronic machines are what make the iPhone tick. With the support of Qualcomm and use in backlight displays, motion and security, they could be poised to take over mobile handsets.

Amazon's Kindle

While the e-reader hasn't developed a following yet, it presents a good model for what wireless connectivity on a carrier network sans a service plan can look like. Digital cameras, dog collars, medical devices, maybe even refrigerators and small children could follow.