Dec. 25--I doubt 2008 will be remembered as a year of great innovation. Rather, it was a year that saw the Web grow more critical as a mobile platform, adding to the role it carved out years ago in our homes and offices.

The Web is more useful and reliable than ever before, no matter where or how you access it. That's a key reason products such as Internet-enabled appliances and small, affordable netbook-style computers have gained in popularity: They are gateways to the Web's riches.

You won't find breakthrough technology in this Top 5 list of trends, just subtle improvements or news that continue to make our interactions with technology an essential part of our daily lives.

1TV on the Web matures. Network TV shows, from today's hits to yesterday's favorites, can be watched for free online as long as you have a high-speed Web connection. At Hulu, YouTube, Joost and Web sites from the major networks, full-length TV shows are available for streaming any time you want to watch. Some sites, such as Hulu, also offer movies.

Still, TV on the Web is a concept in search of a business model. Most shows include some form of advertising, but these are largely unobtrusive in my view.

Other approaches are more controversial, such as ESPN 360, a robust online platform for sports that requires viewers to have the right high-speed Web provider to access content. If you have AT&T's Internet service, you can watch games on ESPN 360. If you have Comcast, you're out of luck.

2Apps are everywhere. From alarm clocks to the iPhone, those third-party software programs known as Apps have sprouted like mushrooms after a soggy spring.

Apple didn't start the trend, but it certainly put a lot of wind behind the Apps sail, as more than 10,000 Apps are available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Such applications now can be found on BlackBerries, the Xbox, social Web sites and even the Chumby, an Internet-enabled alarm clock.

If you're a software developer, you are exploring application opportunities. If you're an owner of some sort of Internet-enabled gadget, you are using these little shortcuts to access games, programs and the news.

3Social networking goes mainstream. At this point, if you don't have a home on a social network such as Facebook, LinkedIn or MySpace, you're just being stubborn. And social networking has become much more than those three sites: President-elect Barack Obama used social networking to help win the presidency.

Also, a new category, social finance, is starting to emerge as people look for smarter ways to save and spend money. Check out sites such as Mint or Wesabe to learn new tricks for managing your money.