The Future of Magazines

In the US and Europe, magazines (like newspapers) are in trouble, with circulations either static or falling. Emap (UK) is up for sale and there are rumours that Time Warner will soon sell Time Inc, the world?s largest magazine company. In Germany it?s much the same story, with Bertelsmann allegedly attempting to offload Gruner + Jahr, its magazine division. So is the sun slowly setting on the magazine industry? Business models are definitely under threat as readers and advertisers migrate online, but things may prove to be healthier than suspected.

News, media & communications

Websites like Facebook and MySpace are among the main exports of the new Web 2.0 economy. At the last count, Facebook had more than 50 million accounts worldwide, while MySpace is allegedly topping 200 million accounts globally.The reasons for this stratospheric growth are legion and include the fact that sites such as these allow teens (the primary audience) to conveniently keep in touch and coalesce around an ever-changing universe of friends, interests and ideas.

An everlasting light bulb

A team of researchers working for British company Ceravision has devised a new form of lamp that could see the end of the traditional incandescent light bulb. Though a well-known symbol for a bright idea, the light bulb is not so smart ? wasting over 95% of the energy it consumes over its relatively short life span. The Ceravision team have devised a lamp that will not only be more energy efficient, but longer lasting and more environmentally friendly to boot.

Science, technology & design

Research labs around the world are developing technology that could see a new generation of unmanned vehicles take to the sky. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been around since the World War I (where they were used as flying bombs), but in recent time, technology has advanced to a point where UAVs are smaller, cheaper and more sophisticated ? some are small enough to fit into a briefcase. The affordability and adaptability of contemporary UAVs also means they are no longer just a military tool, but are now used by police, surveyors and scientists for any job in which a manned aircraft would be too big, costly or impractical.

Cyber-warfare and virtual espionage

According to a report published by McAfee, a software security firm, virtual espionage will be one of the chief online threats in 2008. The report ? the Virtual Criminology Report 2007 ? claims that around 120 countries already engage in virtual espionage and the Chinese government is one of the main perpetrators. How true these claims are is unclear but one can assume that cyber-terrorism is something we?ll be seeing more of. Potential cyber targets include financial markets, telecommunications infrastructure, government computer networks, electricity services and air traffic control systems.

Government, politics & public services

The next few decades are immensely important for China as the country moves from totalitarian rule towards a more lenient and flexible system. The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) no longer controls every aspect of daily life, although so far there appears to be no sign of it giving up total control in strategically important areas. So, looking ahead, what could go wrong?One of the biggest problems, according to John Lee, author of Will China Fail?

New Trends for 2008

1. The rise of N11 Countries.
Just getting to grips with the BRIC nations, ?Chindia? and the CHIME countries? Well prepare yourself for N11 ? a term created by Goldman Sachs to describe the 11 countries just behind economic powerhouses such as China, India, Russia and Brazil. The 11 specifically refers to: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam.
2. Reverse migration.
The next few years will witness the beginnings of a ?reverse knowledge migration?.

Az ember utáni jövõ

Despite the fact that you are reading what I have written, it?s not immediately obvious whether I can actually write. Spelling and grammar checks have the ability to cover a multitude of sins. There are even software programs such as Newnovelist.com that teach writers how to create characters and plot structure. Software like Auto-Tune does much the same thing for singers, including singers that can?t actually sing. In other words, we have entered a world where talent can be enhanced or totally manufactured through technology.

A számítógépezés szociális hatásai

One of my favourite subjects is the unintended consequences of technology. Linked to this is what some people call the social aspects of computing.Internet-users now have to strategise how to convey themselves in cyberspace ?something called ?impression management?. The issue has become complex because people tend to have an array of digital personas and personalities and these need to be tailored to different audiences ranging from co-workers to family and friends.

Társadalom és kultúra

If you ask someone over the age of 40, or even 30, where they most liked to play as a child they will invariably answer that it was somewhere out of sight from adults and their parents. But ask someone younger and you?ll probably get a different answer. The reason is that our notion of childhood ? and specifically the risks associated with childhood ? has shifted. These days we micro-manage our young, filling their every waking hour with ?useful? activities.