Task 1C-1

I think the majority of the responses to this question have not really identified where the trends of the internet are moving, but have rather identified the current use for the internet. With an estimated 800million users world wide and e-commerce on the increase ( and estimated increase of 40% year on year over the European Union) the replacement of traditional business will continue to increase.

With regard to education, distance learning and educational research has taken on a whole new meaning but the potential for replacing traditional educational institutions by internet learning using web cam technology to bring the educator to the learner instead of the other way around is a future possibility.

The potential is limited only by our ability to adapt.

In the Tom Cruise Movie “Minority Report” which is set in the very near future, personalized advertisements are beamed holographically at passersby who have been identified by retinal scanning. A prediction of the future or mere fantasy? Retinal scanning and biometrics (electronic fingerprint scanning) are current technologies. In June 2008, an American senate committee sat to review privacy laws on the internet and in particular an advertising trend whereby user specific advertising is targeted using ISP records of your internet activities.

Other potential developments also include advances in voice recognition technology allowing vocal interaction, calling up web sites by name, not by the click of a mouse.

I have to agree with one of Steve's comments.

At the speed that the internet is growing and diversifying, the only set back that I do see is the ability to adapt.

I work within a company that in the last 12 years has expanded and changed their entire infrastructure in order to make use of the internet more efficiently.
The only set back that I personally see is the lack of knowledge within the company. For example the company is wide spread through out Southern Africa, being a tourism retail company. Implementations have been successful in well developed locations, such as Johannesburg, Cape Town. However, a remote area such as Kruger Park makes it much harder to implement in.

Why you may ask…?

Due to connectivity issues, to lack of knowledge when it comes to the internet. Never mind computers. I would say that at least 70% of the population living and working out there, have never interacted on the internet! Scary stuff, I know!

Just think of all the opportunities out there on the web, enabling us to learn, and improve all aspects of out lives.

So in a nut shell, I believe the one trend that is definitely growing in popularity, is the easy accessibility to the internet via handheld devices/mobiles.
The internet is growing everyday, as it also has started to spread to different platforms. http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/20071105_mobile_open.html
Most new handheld devices allow us to connect to the internet.
We are able to:

1. Surf the internet (using browsers like Google)
2. chat online (MixIT / Facebook)
3. check emails (Gmail),
4. access online banking (ABSA),
5. use of GPS/ satellite navigation (nav4all).

I recently watched a documentary on new Google technologies in the making.
It was mentioned that one of their main developments and objectives, is to provide easy accessible, informative information to anyone standing in the street.

“Imagine standing in the street, with a head ache! Using your cell phone, search for pharmacies found closest to you location. The search would provide you with a map to the all locations, as well as comparative prices of the specific item you require.”

The future holds many new developments and trends, all of which blow my mind to say the least!