New Year’s Predictions (Technology)

Did you see this at CNN.com?

What are your tech predictions for 2011?

(CNN) — This year in technology has been packed with surprises: From the rise of the iPad to Facebook’s global domination.

If this past year is anything to go by, 2011 will be anything but predictable.

And yet we can at least hazard a guess — based on early signs — as to which technology companies will flop and which will fly in 2011.

The winners

A clear leader in tech this year is Apple — buoyed by the hugely successful launch of the iPad, Apple became the largest technology company in the world measured by market capitalization in 2010.

The popularity of the tablet form factor, meanwhile, has brought new possibilities — in particular, new ways to consume content.

A first-mover in the “iPad magazine” space is Flipboard: Backed by more than $10 million in venture capital, the company has attracted early-adopter buzz for its innovative method of presenting Web content in magazine form.

In 2011, thanks to the iPad’s rise and partnerships with mainstream media outlets, we can expect Flipboard to be a breakout hit. Think of it as the “Angry Birds” of news apps.

Early adopters in Silicon Valley have also found a new love for mobile photo sharing in the latter part of 2010.

iPhone photography app Instagr.am, which launched just 10 weeks ago, claimed this week to have surpassed 1 million downloads. The service, which emphasizes simplicity and makes it easy to share your photos on social networks, looks set for a stellar 2011.

Super-simple blogging also saw a growth spurt at the end of 2010: Tumblr, a 3-year-old New York startup, now serves more than 3 billion page views per month according to analytics service Quantcast.

The company is on track to “cross the chasm” to mainstream appeal next year.

2011 will be a great year, too, for LinkedIn, Skype and Pandora. Why? Because all three are prime candidates for IPOs next year.

Groupon too will likely take its chances on the public markets, although I’m yet to be convinced that the daily deals site will continue its growth rate forever. Likewise, gaming company Zynga looks set to go public in 2011, although its fortunes are still largely dependent on its relationship with Facebook.

Facebook’s fortune, meanwhile, couldn’t be better. While I don’t think the company will IPO next year, its “Like” buttons will allow the company to seize control of the so-called “interest graph.” In plain English, Facebook will understand both our social connections and our interests, providing the holy grail of targeted advertising.

Look out, too, for Facebook deals: The company is perfectly positioned to become a leader in local coupons and offers.