Time Magazine announced yesterday that Vladimir Putin is their selection for Person of the Year.

Along those lines, I have my own newmakers of the year - in technology for businesses, that is.

Topping my list:

- Web 2.0, for making the web exciting again. Yes I know, people have been talking about Web 2.0 before 2007. But, this is the year it really hit critical mass.

- Google, for shaking up the industry with its web-based Microsoft Office knockoffs. Mostly because everytime the Google people burp, everyone pays attention.

- The iPhone, for being the most overhyped product of the year. Because its Apple, it's selling like hotcakes.

- Microsoft Office 2007 and Mac's OS X upgrade, the two tech products that actuallly delivered beyond their hype. That rarely happens in the tech world.

- Software as a service. It's coming fast and hard and its a business model that makes sense for customers that are smaller businesses.

- Wifi. Wireless is faster, safer and easier to install than its ever been. Cat 5 cables are out. Pre-N is in!

Specifically, not on my list.

- The printer manufacturers. You just don't get it. Continued overcharging for your ink cartridges and thinking up new ways to sell us as many as possible before we actually need them, while stomping out the competition who dare to make compatible or recycled cartridges at a more reasonable price. Boo! Bad for the environment. Bad will with the custormer.

- Spammers, Phishers and online scam artists of all varities. Shame on you. Go away. Better yet, go to jail.

Predictions for next year's top newsmakers:

- The economy tanks and slows down adoption of any and all hot new tech trends, like the mobile web.

- The mobile web, unless the economy tanks.

- Mashups and opensource, spurred on by a tight economy with businesses looking for cheaper solutions.

- Security: always recession-proof technologies. You gotta have it and you gotta keep it up to date.

Happy holidays. Next week, if you can't tear yourself away from this blog (I'm flattered, thank you!), I'll be featuring my Best of the Blog postings from the year.

- Renee Oricchio