A wish list for the new year

Have you had enough of the year-in-review pablum? Up to your ears in oh-so-bold predictions about how 2008 will see a slight uptick in, say, mobile video consumption among younger mobile users?
Same here.
So instead, we’re issuing a little wish list for this year. Here’s hoping 2008 sees:
–Some real openness from Verizon Wireless. Yeah, we know, the nation’s No. 2 carrier has vowed to make its network more open than a Hugh Hefner marriage. Like many onlookers, though, we’re skeptical — it was only a few months ago that Verizon’s lawyers were fighting to block the FCC from instituting open-access mandates with the upcoming 700 MHz auction, after all. But if the operator truly makes it easier for third parties to deliver applications and hardware on its network, both Verizon and its subscribers stand to benefit.
–Heart-shaped boxes of chocolates to Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. — from each other. These two former partners desperately need to reconcile, and WiMAX is spinning its wheels here in the U.S. even as it is being deployed aggressively in some foreign markets. Until work begins in earnest on a nationwide network, I don’t want to hear any more about how my dog’s collar is going to be connected continuously to the Internet.
–More carrier deals for direct-to-consumer plays like Nokia Corp.’s Ovi. Yes, Ovi is a move to sell more handsets and steal customer face time from carriers. Yes, it could implode gloriously if Nokia loses its balance as it strives to be both carrier partner and off-deck content provider. For operators, though, long-term survival now means choosing the right teammates today. A few well-executed, high-profile partnerships between carriers, content players and Internet companies would do wonders for the entire mobile data space.
–A little more innovation from mobile game developers, and a little less risk-averseness from carriers. Of course Tetris and Smarter Than A 5th Grader topped Verizon Wireless’ most popular games of the year — they’re highly recognized brands that transfer easily to mobile, and they received choice deck space. But the few innovative games on the market typically require a pick-axe and helmet lamp to discover on the deck. Placing more unknown titles near the top of the deck — and then putting some marketing muscle behind those games — may finally help produce the breakout game the space sorely needs.
—A bona fide hit mobile program to fill the void left by the writers’ strike. The jury is still out on mobile TV as far as we’re concerned, but the time is right for a made-for-mobile show or two to capture the public’s imagination. While we love our clips of “The Daily Show,” what we’re really looking for is some groundbreaking content produced by people who know the limits of mobile, and create video specifically for the third screen.
–More market-moving efforts like Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android. The prospects for Android are far from certain, and Google’s Open Mobile Alliance faces some substantial hurdles. The iPhone, by contrast, is an unqualified success. But both shook the wireless world: the iPhone forced the industry to look beyond the archaic 12-key and QWERTY input models, while Android prompted Verizon Wireless and others to rethink their walled-garden strategies. Both will continue to reshape the mobile space this year. We’re looking forward to the next game-changing effort.