2014 preliminary thoughts and predictions on technology
the rise of HTML5 as the new platform, inescapable surveillance and Google Military
2014 is going to be fascinating. I wanted to share a few thoughts around technology. I have added many links to make sure that you understand what I am referring to.
- The Year of HTML5
Finally…
Last year, there were more Chromebooks sold than MacBooks in the US. NPD thinks they will account for 10% of all computer sales this year.
Chrome will announce that they are now a billion-user platform.
There’s a battle between Google, Firefox and Intel to become the HTML5 standard for mobile and desktop apps.
Google will switch from Android to ChromeOS on larger tablets.
Google will still protect Android from lawsuits, especially from Oracle.
Google is already giving away Chromebooks to schools in India.
Chromebooks will be free if you buy Google apps.
2) The year of inescapable surveillance
In 2013, we learned that the world’s leading companies have been corrupted or deceived by the intelligence community.
This has eroded trust and will have a damaging effect on business within the Internet economy.
A number of class-action lawsuits will be initiated if the stocks of theses company are hurted.
It’s great timing for a Franco-German joint-venture with respect to cloud computing. They shouldn’t wait for Europe to get its act together.
It’s great timing for a renaissance of Japanese-made devices.
It’s great timing for the rebirth of European Brands. Just kidding!
(If only we could buy back Nokia, Alcatel Thomson and others that we gave away for nothing to the US or China)
It’s great timing to build new digital European Brands. If our governments really support us (by buying our products for example)
Cloud interoperability has a window : US companies who want to operate in Europe should be forced to open their APIs and enable customers to move their data.
European leadership was very weak in 2013 and I don’t see that changing in 2014.
3) The Year of Robots, Self-driving Cars and Drones
2014 is the year of the autonomous machine : Walking, driving,flying.
After investing in self-driving cars and robots, Google will focus on drones.
Robots, drones and self driving cars will produce more monetisable data than humans. Soon.
2013 was the birth of Google Military, created around the purchase of Boston Robotics and other robot companies.
Google is working on it’s very own Cylon, like in the Battlestar Galactica Spin-offshow Caprica. It’s called Atlas (designed Boston Dynamics)and looks just like a Centurion.
With such technology you can be sure data centers will be safely garded.
The coming challenge is about how we connect the ghost (brain) in the shell (body).
There will be a debate over the approach : the autonomous mind versus the connected mind. By connected mind understand cloud controlled.
This debate started with the use of military drones. It will continue with cars and robots. A car with it’s own mind. Built by an autonomous robot.
Amazon still needs humans in their warehouses because they have hands.
It’s 2014 and I feel like I am stuck in a Bruce Sterling book.
Happy new year!
