Internet News shines a light on the trends and innovations we can expect for 2004, including more on blogs, more on wireless and more on (offline!) search technology.

On blogs
Researchers at Microsoft are already testing a networking tool called Wallop to explore how people share media and build conversations in the context of social networks. The word around the industry is that Google will hook its Blogger software to a Friendster-type network (via an acquisition?) to tap into the ever-more-connected, open-standard-driven computing world.

In 2004, the evolution of the weblog/wiki/personal network will make a huge impact in the way information is shared on the Internet. Doubters need just look at the way the heavyweight politicians have embraced blogging to take advantage of the conversational nature of the technology.

On Atom, the new syndication standard (?)
Now that Atom, a competing syndication standard, has been released, it's a safe bet news feeds and syndication will not be limited to text or images. In 2004, as spam continues to clog e-mail servers, look for RSS readers/aggregators to extend beyond the desktop -- and on to cell phones and PDAs.

On Google Print
When Google makes a move, any move, pay close attention -- even if it's offline. The search technology giant is heading offline with a Google Print experiment that indexes excerpts of popular books and funneling printed material into regular online searches. The move is a clear response to e-commerce superstore Amazon.com's creation of A9 to invest and develop e-commerce search technologies.