New York Times technology columnist -- and 2008 NTC Plenary speaker -- David Pogue thinks next year will be the year of the mobile phone:

"...if you think there was a lot of cellphone news this year, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The coming year is going to be the real Year of the Cellphone."

Mr. Pogue charts two big shifts -- in 3 parts -- with implications for nonprofit technology: increased openness from carriers and greater push-back from a fed-up public. On Google's new Android platform, he says:

"It's open source, meaning that programmers all over the world can improve it and expand it. If all goes well, Android-compatible cellphones will become little miracle machines, capable of running all kinds of cool new programs that we can't even imagine today, regardless of carrier... Nobody knows what's going to happen with Android, but it's guaranteed to shake things up. Should be an interesting ride."

With Android and Apple's (admittedly closed for the moment) iPhone leading the charge, nonprofits will be able to use mobile devices in unimagined ways to engage and activate their constituents -- people already looking for more flexibility and functionality from their cell phones.

For more information on using mobile phones to encourage social change, be sure to visit MobileActive.

Perla Ni, former publisher of the Stanford Social Innovation Review, has launched a new site that aims to be the Zagat guide for Nonprofits. Great Nonprofits has already been profiled in The Chronicle of Philanthropy, where Ms. Ni says, "When's the last time you bought a book from Amazon and didn't read the customer reviews? This site provides that: peer reviews, from honest people, about whether [the charities] are making an impact."

Customer and peer reviews have contributed greatly to the success of Amazon and Ebay, but have been arguably less successful detached from actual products: according to Alexa, epinions.com has a traffic rank above 2000, whereas Ebay and Amazon are both in the top 50. It will be interesting to see if the focus on nonprofits will enable Great Nonprofits to succeed.

Currently, Great Nonprofits has a limited number of reviews on fewer than 100 organizations, but Ms. Ni is aware of the challenge ahead: "This is going to be a long process. It takes time to build people's awareness of this, especially in the nonprofit sector, where you're serving people that are hard to reach."

Perhaps you can help them grow.

Here's the thing about Web 2. 0 and social media tools: it may all seem like a bunch of hype, but when foundations begin championing the cause, you have to start paying attention.

Today, PARADE magazine and the Case Foundation announced America's Giving Challenge: Get your supporters to install and promote a charity badge for your organization, and you could get $50,000. From the press release:

The program aims to show how anyone and everyone can have greater impact in their community and bring more support to the charities and causes they care about. Participants can choose to use a simple and fun Web 2.0 tool called a “charity badge” to promote their cause and help their charity get $50,000. Or they can simply give to a cause to help it qualify for a $1,000 award. The America’s Giving Challenge runs from 3:00 p.m. EST on December 13, 2007 through 3:00 p.m. EST on January 31, 2008...To sign up for America’s Giving Challenge, beginning 3:00 p.m. EST, December 13, 2007, simply visit www.Parade.com/givingchallenge.