Difference between revisions of "Virtual Society: 2007"

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3G was well established by 2007. Almost everyone was using it.  Devices came and went.  New incremental changes to the technology further boosted the speed of 3G connections. WiMax was beginning to come on the scene offering even higher speeds. However, the cost was still substantially higher and the coverage limited to a handful of large, tech-savvy cities.
3G was well established by 2008. New incremental changes to the technology further boosted the speed of 3G connections. WiMAX was becoming more popular and offered even higher connection speeds than WiFi. However, the cost of WiMAX was still substantially higher than WiFi and the coverage was limited to only a handful of large cities.


As Moore's law continued to work, devices got even smaller. Web connected wristwatches were all the rage in Japan. Nanotechnology was beginning to appear on the scene.  While still a bit clunky, these devices were proving popular.  
As Moore's law continued to apply, devices became even smaller, thanks to nanotechnology. Internet enabled wristwatches were all the rage in Japan. While still a bit clunky, these devices were proving popular with users.


Biometric systems were being used by some companies for personal identification. Fingerprint scans were often required when doing particularly large and suspicious financial transactions. Some companies were requiring them to access company facilities. Israel's El Al Airlines had pioneered the idea of using these systems to identify passangers. Some other airlines were looking into the system.
Pioneering companies, such as financial institutions, government agencies, and airlines, were using biometric systems. Virtual workplaces were overtaking traditional workplaces. East Asian economies were booming while the US dollar had plunged to new record lows. To capitalize on the growth in East Asia, US firms found it easier and less expensive for people to telecommute across national borders than to invest in physical offices in Asia. Now, virtual local companies begin to compete globally in specific market segments.


Another new idea which came about in 2007 was the "virtual office".  East Asian economies were booming, while the US Dollar had plunged in value to new record lows. To capitalize on the growth in East Asia, US firms found it easier to allow for people to telecommute accross national borders than to invest in expensive new physical assets in Asia.  Seeing some of the advantages of this new model, companies from a number of other countries had followed suit.  However, in parts of Europe, the concept was still greeted with suspicion.
Some entertainment companies were beginning to come to terms with P2P file sharing. A number of television programs and movies were available for download over the Internet, some for free and others for a fee. Royalty based P2P file sharing was introduced and quickly became popular in developed countries where users’ feared of “terror” campaigns by the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry as a whole benefited from this new model as revenues, demand, and content increased.


While broadcasters and entertainment companies were still fighting P2P sharing of television programmes and movies, some were beginning to come to terms with the new realities.  A number of television programmes were available for download over the internet from the broadcasters, some for free and some for a fee.  Movie downloads were also available from studios.  However, the issues of copyright and property rights were still very much in flux despite these moves.
[[The sun rises over Shanghai]]

Latest revision as of 13:30, 16 December 2004

3G was well established by 2008. New incremental changes to the technology further boosted the speed of 3G connections. WiMAX was becoming more popular and offered even higher connection speeds than WiFi. However, the cost of WiMAX was still substantially higher than WiFi and the coverage was limited to only a handful of large cities.

As Moore's law continued to apply, devices became even smaller, thanks to nanotechnology. Internet enabled wristwatches were all the rage in Japan. While still a bit clunky, these devices were proving popular with users.

Pioneering companies, such as financial institutions, government agencies, and airlines, were using biometric systems. Virtual workplaces were overtaking traditional workplaces. East Asian economies were booming while the US dollar had plunged to new record lows. To capitalize on the growth in East Asia, US firms found it easier and less expensive for people to telecommute across national borders than to invest in physical offices in Asia. Now, virtual local companies begin to compete globally in specific market segments.

Some entertainment companies were beginning to come to terms with P2P file sharing. A number of television programs and movies were available for download over the Internet, some for free and others for a fee. Royalty based P2P file sharing was introduced and quickly became popular in developed countries where users’ feared of “terror” campaigns by the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry as a whole benefited from this new model as revenues, demand, and content increased.

The sun rises over Shanghai

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