Birnbach Communications' Top Predictions for 2011, The Top 12 Business & Technology Stories, Part IV

Here's Part IV of our predictions, The Top 12 Business & Technology Stories in 2011.

1. The economy, including the deficit, unemployment, taxes, the incoming class of GOP legislators, regulations, and the "new normal."

2. The battle for healthcare reform or the repeal of ObamaCare, depending on your political perspective.\

3. The continuing battle among tech giants: Google vs. Apple vs. Microsoft vs. Cisco vs. EMC vs. HP vs. Oracle vs. SAP. Also expect reporting on the battle between the iPhone carriers: ATT vs. Verizon.

4. Mergers & acquisitions will likely increase in 2011, and some coverage look at the implications and impact of those mergers. There were more than 2,700 acquisitions last year, and this year the tech giants listed immediately above still have lots of cash on hand to acquire companies that will help converge service offerings.

5. Are we ready for 3-D TVs. (Last year the coverage was all about the invasion of 3-D TVs. This year, the backlash to a trend that failed to live up to its hype.) We do expect a lot more attention devoted to interactive TV-like devices, including Internet-ready TV sets in the living room that are also tied to smartphones and tablets.

6. The state of the media, especially print media, online-only business models and online subscriptions. The media – traditional and online can't help but cover itself.

7. The status of Facebook, its policy towards privacy, and the demise of MySpace. (Last year, it was Twitter's business model – which has yet to be fully answered.)

8. The status of OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

9. The advertising recovery.

10. Local search, personalization and the growth of Groupon and similar businesses.

11. Net neutrality, web traffic speeds.

12. The new small business model. It used to be that small businesses were the real job engine in the U.S. economy. That's no longer the case as technology allows for contractors and virtual teams to launch new companies and products. Where you once needed dozens of employees to launch a new software product, these days you need a few employees and an outsourced team in another country.

This is not to exclude the other topics we've included in our 2011 predictions, available here: Part I, Part II and Part III.

Let us know if you agree or disagree. And check back tomorrow for additional predictions. Next up: Top Continuing Trends.