The Networked Society, On the Brink

Darryl Jonckheere

Posted on: November 20, 2013

Posted by: Darryl Jonckheere

Categories: Digital Culture and tagged , ,

On The Brink, part of Ericsson’s Networked Society series, primarily explores the future of connectivity and the changing dynamics set forth by our rapidly evolving digital economy.

We’ll live healthier longer lives as a result of nanotech sensors used in conjunction with embedded wireless devices that will constantly monitor and optimize our physiology by relaying data back to cloud based medical services.
We’ll engender a smarter more innovative culture and workforce because of widespread access to higher education and knowledge resources through wireless information networks

The barriers to running a successful business, building an audience, and reaching end consumers with products and services no longer exist because of the low cost of entry provided by networked tools and technologies.

These are some of the most encouraging ideas considered by the continued growth and development offered by our increasingly networked world.

At 13:40 a number of notable projections concerning the rising tide of mobile:

  • Kids aged 8 to 18 spend more than 7.5 hours a day with mobile devices
  • 1 in 5 global mobile subscribers has access to fast mobile internet
  • Mobile searches have quadrupled in the last year
  • By 2014, mobile internet will take over desktop internet usage
  • By 2020, more than 50 billion devices will be connected 



At 14:45 Rob Faludi demonstrates the ingenious Botanicalls system, a clever use of wireless sensors that allows plants to send out Tweets when they need light or water.

At 18:30 Ola Ahlvarsson, CEO of Keynote Media, cites an intriguing point made by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Bezos often compares our current use of internet based technologies to the introduction of the light bulb prior to the widespread application of electricity in things like home appliances. Essentially the idea that we’re at the light bulb stage of the internet, or in other words, only scratching the surface of possibilities.

On The Brink and other programs in this series can be viewed on Ericsson’s Networked Society Web site. The Technology For Good blog is also worth a visit and expands on many of the topics discussed in On The Brink  including how broadband can help address poverty, human rights, and climate change.



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