Stop what you're doing and take a quick look around your desk. Chances are, you're looking at a media server, an external hard drive, a couple of flash drives, and maybe even an old Zip drive from the 1990s. To make matters worse, your shelves are inundated with boxes of shrink-wrapped software packages.

But things are about to change. As broadband penetration expands, the idea of accessing data storage, software, and even extra processing power is becoming more attractive. And if you play your cards right, your digital home in 2013 will not only be free from clutter, but it might be in a serious relationship with the Web. Hey, everyone needs some lovin' every now and then!

Although some believe that "online computing" allows users to simply interact with applications on the Internet, the concept is far more advanced than that. Doing all of your work on the Internet allows for greater storage flexibility, access to specialized services, and even greater computing power for people engaged in certain tasks, such as rendering 3D artwork. In the commercial sense, it's very much a discussion that companies like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft want to have as the desktop slowly gives way to the cloud.

Today, the average person performs a variety of tasks offline that by 2013 may be performed online. And although the idea of using Office online may be daunting to some, programs like Google Docs have shown that it's not only possible, but offers advantages ranging from convenience to lower costs.
And while you may want to keep that old Zip drive for the memories (hey, it's a classic!), the rest of the physical storage media -- along with the old software boxes and cases lining your shelves -- will likely be banished from the digital home of 2013.

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Table of contents from the Industry Standard special feature, Ten Technologies from the Digital Home of 2013:

• Introduction: What your future really looks like: The Digital Home of 2013
• 1. The Digital Home of 2013: High-speed telecommunications
• 2. The Digital Home of 2013: It's an HD world
• 3. The Digital Home of 2013: Gaming gets real
• 4. The Digital Home of 2013: Reach out and touch something
• 5. The Digital Home of 2013: Automated home control
• 6. The Digital Home of 2013: Green goes mainstream
• 7. The Digital Home of 2013: Welcome to the cloud
• 8. The Digital Home of 2013: The rise of streaming media
• 9. The Digital Home of 2013: Online distribution of TV, movies
• 10. The Digital Home of 2013: Collaborating across town, and across the world
• Sidebar: The castoff home technologies of 2013?