Apologies for
the title. The alternative was “Clouds on the Horizon”, "Cloudy with a
Chance of Awesome" or some other weather analogy with an attempted flare
of wit.
http://technologizer.com/2010/03/08/future-windows/
I think a lot of interesting points are made in this article. It’s definitely worth
the read, but it only touches on cloud computing and got me thinking about
where we're going. Of course, backing up data and sharing it
across devices is a given, but how will it impact the ways in which we consume
media? We're already seeing moves from Comcast and AT&T with cloud DVR
systems, and I'm sure that the other cable providers are following suit as
well. Meanwhile, on the other side of the fence, Apple recently acquired LaLa,
which is a cloud system for music (a much-needed facelift for iTunes perhaps?).
Outside of that, you have websites like Hulu and Pandora which are being
integrated into new devices including cell phones and TVs bringing their
content libraries to users when and where they want them. Even gaming is
getting on the bandwagon with new services like OnLive - allowing users to
access any game on any console they choose (including high-end gaming PC's)
without the need for the actual hardware.
So what's
this mean for us? Basically, there won't be as much of a need for massive hard
drives because everything you need will be accessible by different devices at
different locations. You will be able to order a pay per view movie on a plane
using your cell phone and finish the movie on a TV when you get the hotel. Your
iPhone will no longer need a large hard drive because your entire music and
movie libraries will be stored online for instant streaming. You'll even be
able to earn experience on a Facebook MMO that carries over to home and
portable console versions of the same franchise.
And what's in
this for the content producers? Reclamation of control for their licensed
products, and a virtual elimination of piracy. If they don't have a place to
store stolen content, how to people plan to steal it in the first place? We're
already seeing a race to control content. Cable providers, hardware &
electronics manufacturers, software companies, and websites are all choosing
sides right now because they realize that the industry and the consumer are
changing the way they consume content, and there is enormous potential to
corner the market before it's fully reinvented.
...and... GO!
