Category — On the web

October 25th, 2009

Over the last decade or so, we consumers have had the word “convergence” thrown at us in every which way. “In the future”, they said, “there will be no more computers. You see, your computer will be your TV, and your TV, well, that will be your computer.” That’s what they’ve been saying, and it is not like they haven’t tried. Manufacturers have made various attempts to bring this dream into reality, but have found very little success. See, it’s not that consumers are turned off by the idea of having the ability to use their home TV as a computer, it’s just that it is not practical to do so. Sure, you can plop down a wireless keyboard and mouse onto your coffee table, but try to use that setup to do any real work and you will be longing for your computer desk. The point of my rambling isn’t to clue these “media center” folk into making a more practical hybrid TV/computer system, but rather identify where the real convergence will take place over the course of the next few years.  Cue in advanced wireless home networks, smart phones, super fast Internet connections, and of course, social media networks/Web 3.0. These are the components that will work together to shape the next generation of entertainment, lifestyle, and communication convergence.

Wireless home networks
It wasn’t long ago that the wireless network was viewed as a luxury item. Like any new computer technology, wireless networking was slow, expensive, and required a bit of computer savvy to get things up and running. Fast forward to present day, wireless routers can be had for less than $40, their transfer speed, for the most part, rivals that of a physical connection, and many are now offering media serving options through simple software installation or a USB connection. This is the first major step in true convergence – to get all of the devices in a household or office talking to one another. With a speedy wireless network, all it takes is a manufacturer to build a wireless radio into their product to get it integrated into a home’s network.

The doors are now open to more creative uses of wireless communication, mainly having to do with home automation. Want your refrigerator to log and report it’s temperature? Not a problem. Want to turn your oven on from your cell phone? Again, all it takes is an oven capable of accessing your homes wireless network. Things like having the ability to control and monitor your homes electrical and heating systems from any desktop will soon seem commonplace. This level of home automation will increase exponentially as the younger generation comes into home ownership and the cost of the technology comes down. However, the smart home revolution that is upon us is a different story altogether. Could all of this have been done without the proliferation of wireless networking? Of course. But the likelihood of the average homeowner installing an Ethernet jack behind their refrigerator was not good, to say the least. Wireless, for lack of a better expression, cut the cord and made it possible for anyone to extend high-speed network communication to every nook and cranny of their home. Now that homes are on the “on the grid”, what better way to communicate with them than from your mobile phone?

Smart phones
While sales of traditional cell phones have plateaued, the number of smart phones being sold is increasing exponentially. Consumers are realizing the power and convenience of mobile email, web, and the host of other things that these miniature computers are capable of. The smart phone will be the universal remote to control a person’s television, computer, and eventually, their home. Home automation companies such as Crestron, Lifeware, and Z-Wave have already discovered that the iPhone makes a great home automation remote and they are developing systems around it. It will only be a matter of time before your handheld email machine will be unlocking your front door, turning on the A/C, and preheating the oven – all with the tap of a finger.

Broadband Internet
Commonly used as a term to refer to anything faster than dial-up, broadband Internet has finally reached the tipping point for U.S. consumers. With proliferation to more than two-thirds of U.S. homes, we are finally starting to catch up with the rest of the developed world. However, it is only the new, super fast Internet that allow for the proliferation of the multimedia/device convergence. Powered primarily by fiber optics, this new generation of broadband brings speeds ranging from 15 to 50 Mbps. At these speeds a household can run multiple computers, gaming consoles, and various other devices all at the same time with no noticeable degradation of Internet performance. These are the networks that will allow for the downloading of high definition video content in minutes rather than hours, and provide the necessary bandwidth for the advanced home networking and automation systems. This ultrafast broadband will also make possible the seamless integration of the final ingredient in our convergence stew, social media.

Social Media
Status updates, tweets, blogs, forums, wish lists, user reviews, likes, diggs… The list goes on. There’s no denying it folks, social media is here to stay. But how is all this connected to the impending real world convergence we so eloquently speak of? Well, now that our homes are one big, super fast wireless network, with all of our devices talking to one another, what better than to bring Facebook, Twitter, Google, Netflix, and Amazon to the party. Stay with me now. Let’s say you just came in after a long day of work. All you want to do is collapse on the couch and fire up that new 46 inch LCD TV. You press the guide button in search of a good show, but instead of scanning through channels you click “recommend.” This new social media powered recommendation feature has just analyzed data from your Facebook account, Netflix profile, and Amazon Wishlist to generate a real time recommendation of shows beginning in the next five minutes. Taking it one step further, you also are granted access to Netflix streaming media, YouTube, and Amazon Video on Demand. You find a show that was recommended to you because of 22 “Facebook likes” from friends, 89% compatibility to your Netflix Queue, and 14 movies in your Amazon Wishlist. After you press play, your Facebook and Twitter status both are updated, informing friends of what you’re watching – your Gmail status switches to busy, and your voicemail greeting changes from your professional greeting to your personal one. This all may sound a bit intrusive (and anyone familiar with the Facebook Beacon debacle would probably agree) but evidence gathered from the actions of Generation Z would suggest otherwise. This generation, born after 1990, wants to broadcast their likes, activities, and opinions to anyone who will listen.

What’s Next?
The decentralization brought upon us by wireless broadband networking, laptop computers, and smart phones is changing the way we incorporate technology into our daily lives. From the way we network our homes, to the social networks we participate in, the real convergence of communication, entertainment, and computing has begun. Imagine telling someone five years ago that you were video chatting with your mom on the living room TV, ordering takeout from a touch screen phone, and wirelessly downloading a high definition movie to your laptop, they would have thought you were crazy. Just imagine what the next five years will bring.

July, 1st 2009

Haircut near Boston MA. Sushi near Cambridge MA. Dry cleaner near Lexington MA. Sound familiar? Well, for millions of Americans these concise search terms have entirely displaced the need for the dusty old phone book. However, this evolution of search for local business has gone far beyond a phone number and an address.

I believe it to be a fairly safe argument that the vast majority of my generation now expects to see any worthy local business, large or small, appear on the Internet. And this doesn’t just mean appear with a name and a phone number but with photos, reviews, prices, hours, directions, nearby parking info, etc.

When I perform a search in Google maps, I have come to expect the following:
1. Photos of the business, the more the better
2. At least a few user ratings, yes this may be a false sense of security, but if there are no user reviews or ratings, I’m most likely moving on
3. A business web site, I don’t care if it looks like a 13 year-old made it, as long as it contains the appropriate information
4. Street view of the location, this is not a deal breaker as local businesses have no control over where the Google street view car travels

Adding to the importance of web presence is the increasing number of smart phones on the street. The Blackberry Storm, Palm Pre, and iPhone have changed the way people get information. Many of these phones combine Google maps (or similar) and geo location to make local searches very easy to execute on the go. Say you are a few towns over from where you normally reside and are craving some great Mexican food. Pull up your iPhone’s maps feature, tap current location, type in Mexican food, and instantly you will have the names of all nearby Mexican restaurants. It’s just a matter of sorting through the results. The point of this story isn’t to sit back and say, “Wow, this is cool,” but rather stress the importance of being found in these searches.

Local business owners: if you don’t show up on an Internet search and you don’t have a website, how do you ever expect people to find you? Yes, there may be that trendy 10-table French bistro that prefers its patrons find it via word of mouth, but this boutique status is not common. Get registered with Google maps, get a website, encourage user reviews, and reap the rewards of being found.

One of my photos made it to the Friday Flickr Finds posting on Consumerist.com! Check it out here (last photo in the post). If you’ve never been to The Consumerist, check them out. Very entertaining and informative articles about the wonderful world of consumerism!