5 Years Time...

Recently I was having a very interesting conversation with a fellow digital person on what will be big in 5 years time and the perceived answer was that we should already know. If it will be big, it already exists.

This idea could be considered incorrect, especially with the speed that Apps rise and fall (remember chatroulette). However when you look at the biggest of the big, Uber, it was founded in March 2009, over 5 years ago, Instagram was launched 5 years ago, 2010, although you could argue this is already here (& gone).

So what could be big in the next 5 years;  Smart Watches, have been around now for a while and Apple have just joined the market with the Apple-watch, however it does not feel like they are the finished article. Yet is leading the way for smart-tech and new companies like Ringly who just raised 5.1 million US to help take there unique designs of tech-rings to the next level. A lot like a smart-watch but for style conscious ladies, they have made smart jewellery, notifying you of emails, texts, meetings etc all through your jewellery. In the next five years Smart-tech integrated into your outfits and lifestyle.

Of the other areas which are likely to hit big, the sharing economy has huge potential. Sharing has been around for 100's of years (knock, knock, can I borrow some sugar..?) however the online rise of Onefinestay & Airbnb it has only just recently taken off and getting main stream traction (remember couchsufer?). With this success it could be the start of sharing in other areas with companies like Just Park, a app to rent people's parking spaces, Vayable, which lets you book a local expert who can share their knowledge or even Ski, surf and share equipment at Spinster. Who needs to own anything when you can borrow everything....

Music Friday

Songs of (our) week:

Periscope

So now radio 4 Today have covered it, Periscope is official uncool, & so time to take it on to the mainstream. Periscope is a new Twitter app for live streaming, the Meerkat killer, which if you read anything about SXSW had the Tech press going crazy with excitement.

So Periscope, will it be the new Vine or the new ChatRoulette (remember that?).

Realtime reporting by journalists is the ideal use  and they are already starting to make the most of it, The BBC, Sky & The Guardian have already started using it.

Citizen journalists will also start reporting and realtime updates on what is happening before the mainstream press even get close to having a camera truck on the scene.

Quality can be a issue, you are generally streaming on 3/4G but the realtime interaction and link to Twitter with realtime notifications means it has a major audience instantly.


Downsides, what if it turns into the new ChatRoulette, lewd comments, men showing people themselves naked (it is always almost always men) and will it just become another way to Troll (read bully) people online.

If Periscope can avoid the many pitfalls, it could truly change media, giving a voice to the protester on the street, a lot like twitter did in the Arab Spring but this time giving live images of what is happening on the ground.

For brands it can give a live insight behind the scenes, I would be very surprised if this does not appear in the next Burberry London Fashion Show and sure it is only a matter of time before Cara D becomes a advocate of it and starts bringing live updates.

Tidal

Ok, so we all know that over the last few years the music industry has been losing it's mind trying to save itself. Now, Jay-Z and a shed load of his mates have come up with a idea... which seems to simply translate to pay double because Beyonce thinks she needs more money... We are talking about Tidal & they just held the maddest press conference ever.


Ok, so this is Jay-z's new business,  don't get me wrong, I love the Hova and Bee has been the Queen forever but really is this the answer. I have talked before about Spotify and the gripes artists have but this press conference really does not do them any favours. However everyone seems to be putting there eggs into the basket which is high definition sound streaming, Neil young is at it with the crowd funded Pono and now Jay-Z is offering this with Tidal and also exclusives etc. Yet no free version..

Techcrunch have a piece about it being destined to fail here

& Gawker have gone in hard with the boot. Here.

Next time I will do a full review of Tidal.