For the last year or so we have seen Google taking on a much more offensive role on their sales front, with the introduction of the Android operating system and their new Nexus One phone. However the magic of Google has always been in their free software products.

First introduced in 2007, Google Street View was an amazing new technology that allowed you to travel through a virtual world courtesy of Google who had taken the time to map out every street of select countries.

Rumors suggest that Google Store View will be coming soon This technology would allow you to go inside certain buildings, such as high street stores to explore the store. The potential for this new system is staggering.

Yeah, you’ve seen the news about Daniel Brusilovsky (formerly of Techcrunch.com), and founder of Teens in Tech. And, you’d expect a blog like ours (run by teens) to be either in defense or dismissive of Daniel’s actions.

We don’t want to be either, because we know that an opinion on such a matter is never usually the right one. So, we choose not to make comment on the news. However, we would like to set out how Tomorrow’s Web will be adding it’s own code of ethics to help ensure you know exactly what is going on.

Online television is a fast growing entertainment medium  where we can watch any show or film whenever we want. With the advent of Youtube the mainstream world took notice of streaming and downloadable content, since then we have seen our favourite programming become available through services such as Hulu and BBC iPlayer, however a few new networks have recently entered the fray and are about to change the game.

In this modern world, the word “technology” conjures up visions of computers and the Internet. This is especially true for Generation Y. Last weekend, I was visiting a college class and the professor asked the students to define technology.

The students were at a loss for words. A few responded, referencing computers, the Internet, and iPods. I was surprised that the professor had to remind the students of the original definition of  technology.

In case you aren’t familiar with the original definition of  technology, The entry in the New Oxford American Dictionary reads as follows:

technology |tekˈnäləjē|

noun ( pl. -gies)

the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

I found it intriguing no one was familiar with the original definition of technology. Today,the word “technology,” in popular language, has come to mean computer technology.  This change is an important paradigm shift.  It represents our dependence, trust, and reliance on computer technology.

At times, I wonder if we are placing too much confidence in computer technology, and not focusing enough on other applications of scientific knowledge.  I say this not to criticize computer but rather to pose a questions to which I do not have an answer.

Now, I’m anxious to hear your opinions. What does technology mean to you?

Technology fans, especially early adopters have always flocked to the next big thing. This right now, apparently is the iPad! (yawn!). Sam Bell of Tomorrow’s Web wrote a piece on Saturday about how teens will not buy the iPad, and his reasoning was pretty universally accepted by others!

But, I want to look at one twitter update from Lewis King sent to the @tomorrowsweb Twitter account after I asked him why he wanted an Apple iPad. He said

Mostly to say I’ve got one, I also think that using it to jot quick notes would be fantastic, plus movies.

There are many reasons why I personally won’t be buying Apple’s latest ‘revolutionary’ product, though one thing really worries me: Teens just aren’t going to buy it. Aside from being another unnecessary product to add to the portfolio, here’s the three reasons why I’d bet the iPad will be a flop with the under-20s.

1. It just doesn’t look right

We can normally count on Apple to turn out another visually stunning product each year, and each one is normally an order of magnitude better-looking than the previous. This is the first year when Apple have released a product that’s noticeably ugly. Remember those rumours of what it would look like? When they all just looked like a badly stretched iPhone? Well it turns out Apple had similar ideas. We’ve ended up with an oversized iPhone body, with a ha-yuge border, and a slightly updated version of iPhone OS 3.0. So, for creating the most visually unappealing product in quite some time, top marks for creativity.

2. The Flash point

While this has been repeated almost too many times to bear, it’s just so crucial it has to be said again. Now the absence of Flash may not be Apple’s fault, but surely they must have been able to come up with some way of negotiating this one. Without Flash, forget video sites like Vimeo, blip.tv, and streaming video too. This really is a deal-breaker, in a device designed with a main purpose of browsing the web, disruptions to the flow of the web just can’t help matters, especially with an audience of users who expect the web at their fingertips. The whole web.

3. Not even a camera

This one may sound negligible, but not having a camera really lowers the value of the iPad. Though no-one in there right frame of mind would expect to use this as a camera for their holiday snapshots, a forward facing camera could have been awesome. We could have had video-calling (of sorts), Photo Booth, and even used sites like DailyBooth or Ustream (if it wasn’t for point 2). But sadly it wasn’t to be; Apple have decided that all we wanted was a giant iPod Touch.

Although the concept could have been phenomenal, a tablet perfect for casual use, glazed with the perfectionist approach that we’ve come to know and love as Apple, but I feel we’ve been let down here. Instead of carefully considering the things that could have made this the be-all and end-all of lightweight computing, a seemingly rushed attempt has left us with a device that lacks the key components that could have created its success. And what’s perhaps even more disappointing, is that even though teens don’t need it, I don’t think we’ll want it either.