10 Key Internet Trends From Mary Meeker

[dkf]

http://mobile.informationweek.com/80256/show/e1b3c2b8b840160bf57689a47337a1af/

Posted on Tuesday Oct 18th at 6:27pm
At the 2011 Web 2.0 Summit on Tuesday, Mary Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, reviewed Internet trends, as she has for the past several years.
Meeker's list, based on many data points, includes some positive trends and some negative ones.


Mobile
Mobile subscriber growth is continuing at a pace that matches the meteoric rise of Internet adoption, a rate that puts other technologies like TV to shame. Meeker cited 35% year-on-year mobile 3G subscriber growth and noted that smartphone shipments have surpassed feature phone shipments in the U.S. and Europe. She also highlighted the explosive growth of iPhone, iPad, and (particularly) Android.

User Interface
Interface matters. "Before Steve Jobs, computers were utilitarian tools for computation," said Meeker. "After Steve, computers became beautiful objects we could use in thousands of ways to aim to make life better."

In the wake of the iPhone and the iPad, there's a revolution in the way we interact with computers, through touch and voice, while mobile.

"We think the next big things are the things on the sides of your head," said Meeker. "Those would be your ears." She was referring to the innovation seen in voice recognition, sound creation and sharing, and audio interfaces like headphones recently.

[FarCenter]

1. Sound will be a challenge. Connected speech to text is a difficult problem.

Years ago while working on video conferencing, I suggested that we solve our audio problems with volume, echo, feedback, etc., by equipping each participant with a headset and mike, like sportscasters used.

It was summarily rejected.

Now folks run around with bluetooth ear pieces and iPod ear buds all the time. Things change.

[dkf]

3. I was skeptical of siri at first.

After heating the 4s was only marginally faster I was going to wait for the 5. But after reading Meeker's piece I realized there may be aspects I will miss if I can't see for myself how they are going to execute voice recognition. I'm really sick of this crappy iPhone keyboard too.

In short, I put my 4s order in yesterday.

[FarCenter]

4. I read that Siri uses Wolfram Alpha as a source of answers

So it should return the proper answer to "What is the meaning of life?"

[hifiguy]

2. It's all a Borg plot.

Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile.