The best part about working with yet2.com is learning about trends in technology before others see them. Based on some of these learnings I wanted to share a prediction – in the next few years we will see a New Now. 
What is ‘Now’?
Unless you are a physicist or an electrical engineer, your definition of ’Now’ is likely similar to an average 10 year old getting ready for school. ’Now’ is 5 to 15 minutes. (Read how Buddhists define now).
With the convergence of; faster cell networks, better location based computing, and real-time understanding of our environments - ‘Now’ is changing. Now is becoming right now.
What does this mean?
Your cell phone will tell you to walk faster to catch the train, or that your childhood best friend is on the the side of the street. Spontaneous and short conference calls with your family and friends will be set up when the ‘Now’ (your cell phone) thinks you would like it. Your Car GPS will reroute you based on a single red traffic light, or an ambulance ahead. It will be Tivo for life, we’ll skip through the distractions so we can focus on the content.
You wont ever spend time booting up, down loading, or waiting in line. Your attention, entertainment and focus will be carefully managed and optimized - to the millisecond - the network will adapt to you – not the reverse. You’ll spend more time doing the things you want to do – Now.
Thoughts? Any interesting new companies or technology in this space?
I was going to respond Now, however it took me more than 15 seconds to type this out, therefore please forgive my “Old Now” response. There are roughly 10^12 milliseconds in a lifetime, wow that’s a lot of new nows to deal with ……:-)
[...] Flash Mob A few days ago, I wrote about a new trend – the emergence of the “New Now“. I wrote about how our definition of “now” will change, how mobile computing [...]
The new now:
The UK’s major centers of population are now served by ‘super-stores’ (large supermarkets) with just-in-time delivery.
The heavy snows in Southern England Tuesday and Wednesday shut down the “new now”. Electric trains could not run – snow on the third rail. The infamous M25 ring motorway around London shut down (a la I95 in Buffalo NY after a Lake Effect snow) because of jack-knifed trucks. No just-in-time deliveries.
Small villages and hamlets that had not made the switch to the “new now” were not as incommoded !
The “new now” is one thing but let’s leave some slack in the system and plan for the occasional once in 17 years storm. Let’s leave in the ability to say “The master or lady of the house is not at home”. Today we do not wish participate, maybe tomorrow. Call again.