Time to re-write the Past

We may have to rewrite a few reliable old sayings now that we're in Web 3 and one of them I think should be 'when times get tough, the tough go online'.
 
Well that's the only sensible conclusion that can be drawn from the new Cisco study that shows no let up in web traffic. In fact the company predicts we'll see a five fold increase in internet use between 2008 and 2013.
 
Not even the worst economic crisis since the great depression is having any real impact on the online phenomenon it seems, driven by a growing use of multiple, internet enabled gadgets, or 'consumer hyperconnectivity' as Cisco is now calling it.
 
While a lot of this growth is being pushed by a boom in mobile gadgets like smart phones, it also suggests that our homes are fast becoming major data centres as we plug in wired and wireless appliances all over the house morning, noon and night.
 
We're also 'cyberjuggling' Cisco says, meaning we're doing a lot of multiple, online tasks at the same time. Actually we've seen this happening for some time as survey after survey finds people at home are watching tv or talking on the phone while they do a hundred other activities via the net.
 
And of course a lot our entertainment is now also coming straight from cyber space as we juggle radio, streamed music and a whole host of video formats into our homes-and that's not just one person, but nearly everyone that lives there.
 
No wonder Cisco says that by 2013 the average house will be clocking up 48 internet connected hours a day!
 
It sounds incredible, but this is the reality as the internet continues to morph in to all aspects of our lives, and as Cisco also points out, all these video and data rich downloads will now quickly push a new, more powerful generation of chip technology built around 64-bit multicore processors.
 
In other words if your home is still wired for a toaster, a television and dial up then you're going to be left well and truly behind. And if you think that doesn't matter think again as it will not only affect how you work, but how your children ready themselves for the future, and that's just the start.
 
Does that mean we should now be saying 'home smart home'? I guess so.

John Fennell
jjfennell@copperdev.com