They came to talk about not-so-distant future technology, where cash is a relic, we’ve all but ditched the PC in favor of the mobile phone and the entire cable TV 500-channel universe — including pay TV — can be seen online, any time of the day.
The Web 2.0 Summit, which wrapped up Thursday, has attracted some of the biggest industry players — including Google, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo, Adobe, Microsoft, AOL and MySpace — along with traditional media companies, such as General Electric (owner of NBC Universal and co-owner of the Hulu video site) and Comcast, the USA’s biggest cable operator and second-largest provider of broadband. Among the hot topics:
Mobile, Mobile, Mobile
The last few years have seen dramatic change as we shifted our lives to the PC and the Internet, but now it’s all about mobile. If you don’t sport a cool new iPhone, Android or Palm Pre smartphone yet, you will.
Smartphone technology — a PC in your pocket — “is ramping faster than any tech cycle I’ve seen in modern times,” said Mary Meeker, an influential technology analyst at Morgan Stanley.
“That this is all happening in a recession is a very good thing to happen to our industry,” she added.
Ah, yes, the recession. Hard times.
But not for gadgets, gizmos and the Web. Apple just reported record revenue and sales of Macintosh computers and iPhones. Last week, Internet giant Google said its revenue in the third quarter rose 7 percent year-over-year. And Microsoft, launching a new version of Windows this week, is expected to dramatically increase sales, thanks to new computers and upgrade purchases.
New Ways To Pay
Speaking of the greenback — well, that’ll be something we can talk to our grandkids about some day.
“Is it possible that innovations as young as ATMs … are already becoming obsolete? I hate to tell…