Wrapping up our predictions for 2009, here’s a big free-for-all that didn’t make it into the last two categories – some short, some long, looking at tech, entertainment,
eBay will become more real-world and establish itself as an alternative route for charity shops, who’s stock is rapidly diminishing in the face of the recession.
Phone cameras will send images directly to on-line clouds or home email addresses – the soon the iPhone will sync over MobileMe, and other operators (especially Nokia, with their Ovi platform) will follow suit.
People will start to be paid for knowing where to ‘find’ information, rather than ‘own’ information – David Byrne said way back in the 80s that the real power will belong to those who filter information, and not who produce it, and this is becoming more true now than ever. Tools to overcome information overload will become more popular than ever – the RSS plateau that has been reached will be surpassed by more people using RSS without even knowing it – see Alltop for a vision of the future …
The development of a game that involve players’ emotions affecting the game and not the other way around.
These will be the following innovations most appreciated by the Brits in ‘09 – music on buses (let’s start the day happy), train fares will come down, the BBC will accept advertising and the world will keep turning, the burst water main outside the old Jack Straw’s Castle pub in Hampstead will get fixed, there will be several non political appointments at cabinet level (we finally get experienced business people in the government rather than career politicians), there will be a resurgence of support for the Royal Family.
Emergence of entertainment ‘muses’ to replace traditional entertainment schedules, with the uptake in internet TV and digital downloading. But by the end of the year people will start to really worry about piracy of books and TV and potential ensuing cultural dark age.
With the current climate affecting newspaper behemoths so drastically, philanthropists will aid in financing investigative journalism.
The tougher conditions could be really good news for the music industry. The labels have been under pressure for some time, but more innovative approaches from them will now be essential. You could argue that has already been the case, but too much old school thinking is still allowed there. Similarly, a big issue has been the complexity of rights – the downturn can act as a catalyst to really force action on reluctant rights societies. They must move to where consumers want to be and do – more action, less talk, and so on all around.
Mobile will be double edged – expect smaller innovative companies to struggle for funds and credit like other sectors. But you will also see acceleration of a better consumer focus from operators and vendors – consumer behaviour will continue to shift to using more on mobile, and mobile ’supertankers’ being forced to serve their consumers better, which is a good thing. But, not all will manage this because internal processes are too slow. Time to get dramatically nimbler!
And Finally
Our Chairman Matt has forced politely requested us to predict that this will be the year that Tottenham Hotspur will win the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, and narrowly avoid relegation – 2009 will be the year of the Glorious Double. Unfortunately this was predicted before Manchester United knocked them out of the FA Cup, so at least that’s one prediction we know won’t be happening this year …