I'm not very good at standard predictions stories. Instead, I like to imagine what might happen. That's sort of the same thing, but when your bring imagination into play, the predictions get a little wilder. Some of the things listed below are sure to happen; others are just wishful thinking. Read the imaginary 2010 headlines and then my explanations. See if you can spot the one I think has almost zero chance of coming true. When you're done, drop your wildest tech predictions for 2010 in the comments below.

Netbooks Go Bye-Bye

The 2009 economic downturn created the perfect storm for the rise of netbooks, but all that will change in 2010. Netbooks are already getting bigger, and I expect to see a lot more full-sized, affordable laptops (of the CULV variety) in 2010. Plus, I think we'll all be too busy ooh-ing and ahh-ing over smartbooks to pay much attention to the latest Intel Atom-based portable.

3D is No Longer Kooky

3D images on PCs, TVs, and elsewhere used to be a dorky, headache-inducing business. The movie industry retuned to it every 10 years or so with cringe-worthy results, such as Jaws 3-D. Computers and, especially, CGI have changed all that. I recently saw Robert Zemekis' A Christmas Carol in 3D on an iMax screen and I was absolutely blown away. Yes, I had to wear special, polarized glasses, but the movie and effects were good enough that I was utterly transported (and I didn't mind looking like a dork). The consumer electronics industry has taken notice and will roll out a bunch of 3D-ready TVs, 3D Blu-ray discs, 3D gaming laptops, and more in 2010. Virtually all of them require special glasses, but they're all pretty lightweight and not the least bit ridiculous. 2010 is 3D's year.

Microsoft Launches Office 2010, Few Notice

Businesses and consumers took their sweet time adopting Microsoft Office 2007, despite the fact that it's a great productivity suite. You know how people often react to change, and Office's ribbon menu metaphor changed a lot. Office 2010 changes a lot less than 2007 did, but everyone got comfortable with Office 2007. This means that it will be an incredibly slow ride for 2010plus, Microsoft is releasing Web productivity apps that might be an even easier path for many consumers. So when that big 2010 release drops, PCMag and other tech outlets will write about it, but don't expect the same fanfare that greeted .

Home Robots Rise from the Never Actually Living

2009 was one dull year for robots. I expect (okay, more like I'm wishing for) some big surprises in2010. I'm sure we'll see some odd robots at CES 2010, and I recently got an early look at a . Even so, I have to believe that someone is going to roll out a game-changing home robot that does some of the things we dream about, such as cleaning the windows, bringing you a cup of coffee, and maybe even performing a gentle back rub. The technology is in place, and I have seen this robot ideal in bits and pieces. An improving economy in 2010 may help propel some of this innovation, or maybe my words will. I can dream, can't I?

YouTube Makes Radical Changes to its Community Services, Pisses Off Everyone

I don't get the sense that YouTube's AdSense integration has been a booming success for Google or with consumers. I signed up with the program but at the way YouTube uses the program to catch copyright infringers. My guess is that's probably kept a lot of people away from the program since so many repurpose some music, text, images, etc. from other sources when making their YouTube videos. In 2010, YouTube will get even cozier with major media companies and their content, using the YouTube platform to promote more HD-quality clips, trailers, and lots more full-length content. As YouTube transforms into a traditional "network" it'll apply more and more restrictive terms on the great unwashed community. You know who I mean; the dolts who post obscenities and nonsense in comments fields for virtually very clip on the service. This will transform YouTube into something its early fans barely recognize.

In other news, Facebook redoes its privacy policy for the 8th time in 2010no one is satisfied.

Google Does Hardware

Google releases a Google Phone to consumers in early 2010 and the public goes wild. Then it follows up with a lovely, branded netbook that runs the brand-spanking-new Chrome operating system. Consumers are confused about why Google would start manufacturing hardware and are especially confounded by the phone, since they get their phones from their favoriteor contractually obligatedcarrier. Only a handful of technophiles buy the phone. Consumers stay away because they don't like choosing a carrier after the fact. Google's netbook fairs no better because consumers and businesses aren't ready to make the super-thin client leap. This may simply be a case of Google being too far ahead of the curve.

Google Doesn't Do Hardware

Google never delivers a Google-branded phone directly to consumers (through retailers) because that's not its core business and it doesn't like the terrible margins on hardware--even if it can afford to give away a phone and a netbook for free.

Apple Adds More Apps, So Does Android, So Does Microsoft

The app ware continues, but as Apple reaches 300,000 apps in its AppStore, company executives realize that the signal-to-noise ratio is out of whack. The company will start culling dead, bad, and useless apps and turn the AppStore into an AppMall where they report numbers for categories only and leave totals to the tech press and bloggers.

Palm Realizes Apps Are Important

Palm may or may not release some new hardware in 2010, but the tech press will not get fleeced again. Yes, we all loved the , but where are the apps? In 2010, Palm will make a huge push to get its app pump going. To do so, it'll take its 1,000 most popular apps from the original Palm OS platform and rewrite them for the Web OS. It'll also hold cash-prize contests to encourage developers to create award-winning Web OS apps. It'll do all this or the Palm Pre becomes an intriguing footnote in 2010.

As I wrote this, Palm recommitted itself to getting more apps on its platform. Damn I'm good. 

e-Book Readers Explode, but People Still Buy Kindles

The Amazon Kindle may or may not be the best e-Book reader in 2010. There will be so many new models with similar features that consumers may no longer be able to tell the difference. This leaves aside the two leading competitors, Nook from Barnes & Noble, which will officially reach consumers in 2010, and the Sony Reader, which has been around longer than the Kindle but has failed to spark the same level of interest. In 2010, Amazon will lead because consumers 1) like it and 2) they'll call all readers, regardless of their real names, Kindles. In essence, the Kindle becomes the "Kleenex" of e-Book readers. This will prompt Sony to come up with a more imaginative name than Reader. I'd suggest SpeedReader or Braniac.

Apple Launches a Tablet, Everyone Forgets About JooJoo

Apple finally releases the Apple Tablet, or the iTablet, and everyone forgets about the former CrunchPad, now JooJoo, which should be stuck in a legal wormhole for much of 2010. The Apple Tablet will be exciting, gorgeous, and expensive. Early sales will be amazing, but by the end of 2010, it will not be as popular as the iPhone, iPod touch, iMac or MacBook. It may not even sell as well as the Amazon Kindle.

[Insert Bizarre MalWare Name Here] Threatens Millions of Windows PCs

There will be another malware scare. They always happen in the late winter or early spring. It's guaranteed not to be nearly as bad as everyone will predict. Do yourself a favor right now: Update your security software and then ignore the whole fiasco.

Carol Bartz Exits Yahoo and No One Notices

Is Yahoo really all about me? I don't feel like it is. I use Yahoo for mail, photo management (Flickr), and Web hosting (I have a few domains with them), but I really feel like Yahoo is all about survival. Yahoo as a search entity will become irrelevant in 2010. Its latest ad campaignwhich no one cares aboutwill disappear and Bartz will shed one final part of the Yahoo businessherself. I'd be surprised if she lasts through half of 2010. In the meantime, the Microsoft/Yahoo ad partnership will expand and by late 2010, we'll be talking, again, about a merger. However, this time, Microsoft will succeed, with a deal to acquire Yahoo completed by early 2011.

Color eBooks Threaten Kindle Dominance

I know that color e-ink technology is comingat least I think it is. And the emergence of a few working prototypes next year will cause a slowdown in black and white e-reader sales as consumers wonder if they should wait for the next big thing. My guess, however, is, even if there are prototypes, functioning and affordable units are two or three years away. So keep buying those Kindles and Nooks (Nook! Remember, the one from Barnes & Noble? Okay, the Kindles Barnes &Noble sells.)

Sony Unveils 45-Inch, $15,000 OLED Display

Every year at CES, Sony shows off a bigger OLED display than the year before. Yet, these super-thin HD displays never make it to market. They won't in 2010 either, but Sony will show off its biggest OLED yet, at a price point that no average consumer can afford.

FTC's Intel Antitrust Hearing Pushes to 2011, NVidia and AMD Seethe

The stuff that the Federal Trade Commission wants Intel to do is for any competitive firm. I expect Intel to fight throughout 2010 and win a delay of at least 4 months. The remedies will be negotiated down to something Intel finds reasonable (though they'll call them painful and unfair) and that competitors NVidia and AMD will grudgingly (but with barely hidden glee) accept in 2011.