The iPhone is not just leading the way in design, but could well revolutionise shopping. Using near-field communication (NFC – short-range wireless between a chip and reader) the device could easily act as a payment system, allowing you to swipe your phone to pay bills or groceries (this happens in Japan today) or work in combination with an app to use it as the key to your car. Thanks to my friend Ian Green from Liverpool Community College, the Sunday Times and to Simon’s blog for the pieces of information that now form a mini-story (beyond just this post) – technology and collaboration at its best.
Categories: Future of Technology
The Intelligence of Things
The annual gadget extravaganza is under way in Las Vegas and thousands are there to digest the announcements. I read, and like, the term “intelligence of things” from the event, and manufacturers are upgrading their products with technologies such as GPS, internet and bluetooth to inject connectivity and new life into them. “Everything connected” appears to be the trend and connectivity will spread beyond computer-related devices to everyday products such as meat thermometers and toasters. Hardware will be worthless without the app.
2010 closing thoughts
Here are my three closing thoughts for 2010:
1. As we transition to the cloud, I am seeing an increase in the US of sites that cater to borrowing, such as NeighborGoods, ShareSomeSugar and SnapGoods. Will we move away from ownership and borrow everything? Quite possibly – and if we no longer collect books, music and movies, it will also free up shelf space too.
2. Social media was headline news all year. Will this evolve into Social TV, with billions of TVs connected to the internet and allow you to run live commentaries with your acquaintances? Will we ever be left alone again? We need to get used to a life where others are looking in.
3. Finally, and most importantly, research at Princeton University discovered that £47,000 is the level of income beyond which there is no improvement in emotional well-being. How interesting. Could this figure be the perfect balance between challenge, satisfaction and a stress-free day?
Whatever does or doesn’t materialise, we must get accustomed to change. It is taking place whether we like it or not. Personally, I enjoy it.
Going Social
I have no idea how tomorrow’s devices will shape up, but I do know they are taking over the world and most of us will be online for longer. There are 1.8 billion internet users (half of them from just 5 countries), Tencent in China is the largest social network with 637m users, the ramp-up time for new products in this space is setting new records (28 days to sell the first million iPads), Oprah has 4.5m Twitter followers, commerce and shopping is now on your handheld device, and Steve Jobs (genius) remains king of the jungle! Are you a part of the Facebook/Apps/Google revolution – is your company and product fast/easy/fun – if not, you are standing still, and may well get left behind.
Email and the family fabric
I am sitting in my office at home beavering away, and my wife is downstairs emailing me. Is the art of conversation disappearing? Dining room furniture sales are on the decline and technology has been blamed from some quarters, because we no longer eat together as families – everyone hunched over their laptops or mobile devices. Still, I can’t live without it, and I was amazed to see the first ever Apple fetch £130,000 at auction. I do love everything about Apple, plus bedtime reading has for now been replaced by good progess on Angry Birds! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11825954
Crowdfunding – a great enabler
This is Tan Thi Nguyen. She lives in Vietman and runs a shop that sells the fresh meat of pigs. I am supporting her. Through Kiva (kiva.org) and their technology, I have become a lender to a number of small businesses around the world. Lending upwards of $25, it makes such a difference to people in Peru, Vietnam, Cambodia. So easy to do, so fulfilling so see the difference 3 computer-clicks can make. The Kiva record is impressive, over 220,000 loans valued at more than $163m and a repayment rate of 99%. As long as I am standing, I will be doing this.
King of the Techno-Jungle
I read that Tarzan is being relaunched as an eco-warrior and his companion Jane will be on Facebook and possess an iPod and mobile. Has the world gone completely mad? Are you trying to destroy the abiding memories of my youth? There is only one Tarzan and his name is Johnny Weissmuller. Who will Tarzan talk to in the jungle by mobile phone? Some things are best left as they are.
Backwards to go forwards
Followed an interesting series of articles/videos/conversations around networking and the “new” Twitter. In conclusion I agree with Seth Godin, who said there is little value in building large numbers of followers. It doesn’t benefit them and it certainly adds almost nothing to your objectives. What you need to do, and I agree, is find the 10, 20, 25 people who are key to your network; the influencers, the one-percenters, the sneezers, call them what you will, who have an impact in your career, decisions, network and future. The people that make things happen. Doesn’t that sound more managable?
Invisible Technology
I am just back from the CompTIA member conference in Johannesburg, and a good event it was too. As always on these monster flights, I read books, magazines, papers, anything I can learn something new. I believe technology will become the next utility, to the point where you can’t see it and this is a great step in that direction. Light Touch, developed in Cambridge, can turn any flat surface into a 10-inch touchscreen. As this evolves, has connectivity and is integrated into portable devices, will it be goodbye monitor, keyboard and laptop bag forever? I hope so.
TV debate
Twitter is adding a new dimension to television. Watching TV whilst tweeting is like listening to live commentary. It also turns a solitary pastime like watching TV into a communcal one, and you get to have your say. It is time Twitter was incorporated into plasma TVs for same-screen action and TV audiences for political debates include the Twitter brigade.