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.