May 16 2012

I’m one of the 7 persons who have the honor of being invited tonight to a diner and open discussion with Vint Cerf, one of the co-founders of the Internet.

To grasp a little bit of Vint Cerf personality and sense of humor, I invite you to read these memos : The Internet is for Everyone and A view from the 21st Century.

I have asked the EmakiNation the questions they would like me to ask him. I don’t have the answers yet as the diner is for later tonight, but I think the list of questions is already an invitation to think about the future of the Internet, which is also our future.

Here are the (unedited) list of questions, some are fairly technical, some are naïve. this reflect the variety of talents gathered under our flag, ranging from designers to technical geniuses :

• Internet has democratized many things or at least enabled it. Knowledge in a larger sense and also entertainment forms like music, video,… Will it democratize democracy (in a state sense)? What i mean is do you think internet will be the future to able provide direct democracy or some other new form of democracy? What do you think about the metagovernment projects popping up?
• Which of the crowdsourcing strategies do you most believe in ?
• What is your feeling about the latest attempts to ‘restrict’ the internet SOPA, PIPA, ACTA, CISPA, … ?
• What of the technical chooses you made in the past would like to see corrected in the future?
• What were unfortunate technology changes (you feel was more a regression than an improvement in your feeling)?
• What is the most promising evolution of the internet you see today?
• How could we spread the use of internet even further to third world countries and thereby spreading knowledge?
• How are things evolving with the interplanetary backbone? (first successful test was already in 2008)
• Do you believe education should incorporate critical internet interpretation?
• In some countries like Belgium you have a minimum access to eg. water and electricity, would it not make sense to have a minimal access to the internet? Has it become that essential?
• Will the traffic remain fair or will it be prioritized based on content or origin ? Ex: a packet send from Youtube treated in higher priority by a network node than a packet sent from my personal blog.
• Evolution of social media platforms with the penetration of mobile: Is Facebook dead unless it goes full mobile?
• Est-ce qu’on peut imaginer l’internet sans l’ICANN ? Se qui veut dire se retrouver avec plusieurs internet…
• Does he think as well that “the web is dead”?! Cf. the Wired article:
  http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/all/1
  (e.g. I believe – or would like to believe – in the future of web apps because of their flexibility and +/- “device agnostic” philosophy, but not everyone has the same idea)
• Will Google and Facebook really disappear in 5 years?! (as an American analyst recently sayed) And who will be next “big ones”?
• As a general consideration, are the current technical evolutions supportive regarding non-industrial and emergent countries? Or will they rather reinforce the gap between those countries and the more “advanced” ones? (“advanced” is maybe not the proper word, but you know what I mean)
• Does the Internet need kind of a “world governance”? (as e.g. Jacques Attali recommends speaking about an “Etat-monde” : Cf. http://www.attali.com/livres/essais/demain-qui-gouvernera-le-monde
• Will the Internet keep its democratic & “free will” orientation? (cf. Google partially censured in China, the Pirate Bay and the Megaupload cases etc. – so both from a socio-political and socio-economical point of view)
• In our knowledge society, is the Internet market strong enough (in the long-term) to allow European countries (and their “knowledge workers”) to keep some competitive advantage on the big coming ones like India, Brazil and China? (cf. a recent discussion with a top manager at Accenture who roughly told me that “Europe is dead”, and that everyone there thinks the same way…)

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May 11 2012

The “enchanted era” is a French expression (originally, “la parenthèse enchantée”), describing a period of some twenty years between the 60s and the 80s. It started with the invention of the birth control pill. For the first time in history, women gained control of their own bodies and could actually choose if and when they would get pregnant. The effect of women’s emancipation and the resulting sexual revolution went far. They altered societal values like the nature of relationships between men and women and even of working ethics (in the context of a continuous economic boom). Later, the spread of AIDS in the 80s and the rise of unemployment, brought an end to this careless period, one which brings up nostalgic memories for those who lived through it. A similar kind of an enchanted era is about to end on the Internet.

The enchanted digital era started when the one described above came to an end. It all began in the 80s when corporate computing made its first steps, pioneered by IBM. This was also the time when Apple introduced its first microcomputer, and Microsoft presented its first personal computers. At this point in time, the Internet was only used for military applications and for scientific research.

During the 90s, computers first became a consumer good, now available to the wide public. Suddenly, the word “computer” did not only infer a gigantic mainframe machine, but there were new forms out there, such as the micro-personal computers, or simply PCs. IBM was pushed aside by Microsoft, which equipped (almost) all its computers with its newly-developed operating system, known as Windows. Yet, the software world was in need of much more significant investments than those made by a few pioneers. As for the Internet, it remained an experts-only arena, although at this point the Web already existed, with emerging products like Netscape. Even the first personal assistants, such as Newton and Palm, had already made their first appearance in the market.

The first decade of the 21^st century is the one which sees the reign of the Web. Google replaces Microsoft as the market leader (although the latter’s Internet Explorer continues to dominate the field of browsers) and the enchanted digital era begins: the Web is now based on solid foundations; on technologies which are widely accessible. A new virgin land is found; a territory with no entry barriers. The fact that (almost) anyone could create a website or launch a service created a startup frenzy, with Facebook standing out as the Web’s greatest success story. Apple comes back from its ashes, although its online services (like iTools, Dot Mac, and MobileMe) were still far from anything spectacular. Indeed, the burst of the dot-com bubble, and the 9/11 attacks that followed, slowed down the development of the Web. Yet, it was this decade which brought about an unprecedented wave of creativity, none of which would have been possible if it weren’t for the anarchic and decentralised system of the Internet.

Today’s landscape is again somewhat different. The 2010s will probably be remembered for the extensive use of mobile devices, smartphones, and of permanent Internet connection. The Net is now dictated by several giants who set the rules and impose them on all others. Google, along with its various services, remains the undisputed master of the Web. It is thus absolutely imperative to take into account the complex algorithms of this giant search engine and its way of prioritising digital information – in order to exist online and remain somewhat relevant. Facebook became a daily activity for hundreds of millions, thus having a great impact on our social interactions (like the disappearance of anonymity). Anything is now allowed… as long as you follow a few basic guidelines.

Apple did not only make a brilliant comeback; the company developed an entirely separate “ecosystem” of products which speak their own unique language to one another. It is thus impossible to put forward a new application or a podcast on the AppStore or iTunes without surrendering to the Apple hegemon. In sum, the aspiration for total freedom which prevailed during the dawn of the Internet has been replaced by a rather codified environment, one which is much more predictable. And yet, perhaps this is a necessary price for having large enterprises invest in interactive media and turn the Internet economy into a perennial one.

Of course, there will always be room for smart innovators and entrepreneurs who will introduce new products. But there is a long way to go until such new players could challenge the existing hegemony of the big ones. The latest success stories of startup companies prove exactly that. Zynga and Playfish were both entirely designed to fit the Facebook ecosystem. Angry Birds is an AppStore creature, and YouTube was very quickly caught into the world of Google. An important trend in the history of new technology is thus facing an end. Is this good news or bad news? We’ll find out soon…

*Translated from its original version in French

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Apr 25 2012

It’s been a few years now that the terms “food porn” or “foodography” have been used in culinary contexts. This new jargon was born in the United States but later expanded into Europe. First, let’s be clear: it’s not about pornography. Food Porn has nothing to do with the art of individuals exposing their bodies in front of a camera!

The concept originates from social changes that took place over the past generation. Cooking is above all a way of passing on a cultural heritage, often one that runs through the family. The redefinition of societal values during the 70s and 80s created a cultural deficit which deprived an entire generation of its own gastronomic heritage.

Logically, the Internet quickly filled this gap, becoming a new platform for sharing culinary know-how. Cooking blogs, typically maintained by passionate self-taught cuisine experts, have thus been multiplying, turning certain bloggers into mini web-celebrities. At a time when service providers are becoming cultural heroes, a manual activity like cooking is at the spotlight.

It’s all about sharing. We often associate cooking with love or affection. Several phases in the cooking process are important: there’s that of passing on the knowledge as mentioned above, then the creative part, and finally the actual action. But the moment which is mostly appreciated by those who sweat above their stoves is that of the feedback, of offering commentary. Cooking is a way of putting oneself at the forefront, of seeking recognition. TV shows like MasterChef or Come Dine With Me joined the online trend, bringing the commentary addiction to a new level, due to the competitive component, as well as the reinforced attention to food aesthetics.

Socials networks now allow any cook to share his or her activities with audiences larger than ever before.  Such “Foodies” (or cooking amateurs) have thus also become photographers, cherishing their work in pictures in order to later share it with followers and friends; a habit which is now known as “food porn”. The term was originally used to describe quasi-erotic TV commercials which presented food (often vegetables) in a sensual way.  Nowadays, the term “porn” can be found in various contexts, often describing a mix of images, meant to lure viewers towards a certain topic (architecture, automobile, etc.).

The more visually attractive the picture is, the more tempting its object becomes, and the more it will generate feedback and comments on social networks. In an era, known for its documentation of our almost daily existence, photography has become an image-based conversation tool.

In 1825, French gastronomist Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote: “Tell me what you are and I shall tell you what you eat” (which later evolved into the popular Anglo-Saxon idiom of “you are what you eat”). Things haven’t changed much since the time of Brillat-Savarin. Presenting in images what we eat is the new digital way of presenting oneself, of telling our story. The time when we eat makes up an important part of our daily lives, thus with three meals a day, food is a major part of our existence.

Mobile technology allows anyone to take a picture, share it, and comment on it. The wide spread of high-quality digital cameras plays an important role in this trend, well understood by brands like Nikon and Canon. Most of their models now have a “food mode” feature for optimising the quality of culinary photography.

Social platforms like Instagram or Pinterest are sometimes seen as the El Dorado of some (very) amateur food pornographists. Users’passion is often so great that it sparks mockery as illustrated in this “Read Write Web” article. Indeed, with Facebook pages such as this, it is hard to deny the article’s criticism… Sharing a picture of your pale ham and eggs from last Sunday is like thinking that your holiday photos resemble the Swimsuit edition of “Sports Illustrated”.

The most commonly-shared food pictures on social networks are desserts (18.3%) and vegetables (17.8%). High ranking of desserts can be explained by their aesthetic looks and colourfulness.  Vegetables, on the other hand, have become a symbol of a healthy lifestyle, a trendy concept on its own.

Different motivations drive the picture sharing of home-made versus restaurant-made dishes. The former satisfies our need to be recognised for our skills, also known as the “IKEA effect”, wanting to share all our “I-did-it-myself” items. The latter, however, celebrates our individual’s capacity of being a “discoverer” of the best eateries, using photos as “proof” on social recommendation platforms. Many mobile applications are currently riding this trend, including Foodreporters in France and Foodspotting in the US. The fact that consumers prefer their peers’ advice over those of brands or institutions is creating an earthquake in the world of food guides. While many of those guides try to join the digital revolution, brands like Michelin or Gault Millaut are the first to pay the price for the rise of food porn.

*Originally written in French by Théo Saulnier for the Emakina.FR’s blog.

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Mar 6 2012

In short, no. Surveys, published earlier this month by SodaHead and CNet, show that the vast majority of users do not appreciate the new Facebook interface and that they miss their good old Walls.  But this doesn’t mean that brands should refrain from switching to the Facebook Timeline. For a start, they don’t have much choice. As of the end of March, Timeline will become mandatory for all Facebook Pages; so instead of complaining about it, marketers should better yet learn how to make the most out of it. This article will help you prepare to the Timeline tsunami right before it hits your brand!

Let’s start with the good news. With its new ’cover-picture’, Timeline is much more design-oriented, allowing companies to visually express their brand identity, using a logo, a product, or a personality. Moreover, the chronological nature of the Timeline facilitates a very rich presentation of brands’ histories, especially for those that have been out there for quite a while. The ability to dig out some old information made many individual users uncomfortable, yet, on the corporate Page level it has great potential. The New York Times and Manchester United, for example, use Timeline to tell their stories, dating back to the 19^th century, in a very compelling way. Even younger brands can still use the Timeline to illustrate their major milestones like launching a new product, issuing stocks, or winning a prize.

In comparison to the old Facebook Wall, Timeline is also much easier to administer, featuring new options to enhance communication with clients. It is now made possible to respond directly to private messages without having to alternate among various pages. In order to distinguish between the various posts, new Timelines features allow ‘pinning’ a post so it remains on top or ’starring’ it for a double-wide appearance. At least as important is the improved Activity Log, featuring analytic tools which allow much more strategic use of social media.

But your marketing strategists are not all going to fall in love with Timeline. They might very well complain and rightfully so. Their biggest concern will be the fact that, unlike Wall Pages, Timeline Pages do not allow setting a customised application as the default landing tab for non-fans. This was an extremely popular feature for promoting special content like coupons or contests. Without this feature it won’t be as easy to reach the same numbers of Likes or email subscriptions. On the other hand, to make things somewhat less gloomy, only 10% of Page traffic is generated by the default landing tabs. The remaining is owed to published links and ads which, of course, still play a central role on Timelines.

Despite what Facebook officials may claim, Timeline was designed for individuals to share their stories; it was not intended to serve as a marketing tool. Certain marketers may see this is a challenge, conflicting with their brand philosophy. Yet, brands too have their life stories to tell. The new Timeline interface will make their stories come through as more personal interactions than the traditional brand-consumer relationships.

The new infrastructure should thus change the way you think of your Facebook Page. Instead of message-board-like Walls, use Timeline as a means of viral communication.  If the Wall’s purpose was to serve as a destination point of as many users as possible, Timeline sees itself as a communication station, from which users can spread ideas by sharing them with their friends.

Think of Facebook as your brand’s online reality. When you decide to have a baby, you know you won’t bring her or him into a perfect world. Yet, you do your best to give your child the best tools to succeed in life. Timeline is no perfect either; in fact, it’s quite far from it. But if you do a good job in preparing your brand to its digital life, chances are it would mature into a popular and successful Page. Facebook is big enough to redefine social networking every time Mark Zuckerberg has a bad hair day. It is up to your strategic planners to adapt and learn how to leverage the new Facebook whim.

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Jan 27 2012

by Brice Le Blévennec

English version of a comment published in Datanews.

I surf a lot, the digital universe is my passion. Lately I’ve grown particularly fond of applications to feed my insatiable smartphone, but I still pass a lot of my time every day hooked to a huge screen, to ‘watchdog’ evolutions in technology, explore the web, dig up the latest innovations, sniff at new trends, in short to be inspired.

I must say I’m supercharged with suggestions from my 350 colleagues, who post daily links on our wiki, or exchange them through various email lists, that drive our working groups. As I’m too curious, I signed up for all our groups and I cannot resist exploring each new link I find there.

The experience it offers is broad: from online high impact experiences to sites with creatives’ portfolios, apps integrated with Facebook, interactive videos, games in 3D with CSS3, WebGL or Flash, new frameworks for web development or HTML5, new social networks, fresh online services, with API’s that allow us to do digital magic tricks, etc.. In short, each day of my life is packed with discoveries and I’m a very lucky person.

Yet when I scan the wiki, I notice a peculiarity. There is hardly any link to be found leading to exciting Belgian online work. The Belgian web is desperately boring. There are not many innovative projects. Few e-commerce sites. Rare original mini-site experiences. No Web services or  API’s of interest … In short, there’s not much happening on the web in our kingdom at the heart of Europe…

Yet our creatives are highly respected in the international advertising world, as are our engineers in the field of information technology and communication. How can we explain this striking poverty?

In fact, Belgium is a victim of its size, of the linguistic and cultural fragmentation of its population and of the high cost of Internet subscription and Mobile Internet.
A bit like Switzerland or Luxembourg.

Most sites have to be available in French, Dutch, often in English too and even in German. This complicates the creation and updating of sites. The CMS must be configured with workflows that take into account the availability of translations of content, often increasing costs of implementation and slowing down updates.

This fragmentation of audiences has a large impact on projects based on communities, like networks and social media, when they feed on written content generated by users. It increases their costs of managing and moderating the participants. Very few community projects have reached a decent national size, or else they had to ‘balkanize’ their public by language, as Netlog did.

The small size of our audiences slows down risk investments. To be a profitable venture, investment in design and development must be returned by interaction with a large enough audience, a market of a sufficient critical scale.
For example, to achieve the same ROI on a project In  the french-speaking part of Belgium, the penetration ratios must be ten times higher than a similar project in France.

Imagine the same project with equal ‘traction’, an online service capturing 1% of the Internet audience. In France, it could be a huge success, generating sufficient funds for the startup to develop and grow. With the same 1% adoption rate in Belgium, that initiative would not even cover the development costs; the project could easily collapse.

This may explain a certain reluctance of venture capitalist in this country. They tend to invest in projects that have already proven their business model abroad, rather than betting on real innovations.

Finally, the high cost of Internet subscriptions, especially mobile internet subscriptions, and – although the law allows it – the fact that mobile operators all strangely agree not to subsidize the terminals, combine to slow down the adoption of the Internet and its frequent use.

So in short, if you are a web entrepreneur, think from the initiation of your project to (also) attack a market outside of Belgium.

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Dec 9 2011

By Antoine Wellens – Emakina.BE

November has flown by. And once more the great concept of Movember came to life.  Come again? Movember? During the month of November each year, Movember asks men across the world to grow a moustache with the aim of raising vital funds for men’s health issues.

The formula is simple: take a good cause, add a fun challenge and limit the timeframe to participate: shake up well and you get “Movember”. While growing a Mo is left to the guys, Mo Sistas (women who support their men) form an important part of the action, by recruiting Mo Bros, helping to raise funds and attending Movember events. Movember, as in ‘Mustache and November’, also aims at educating as many as possible on men’s health questions and illnesses such as prostate cancer.

Born in 1999 in Australia and recycled in 2003 by the Movember association, the movement this year crossed all borders and went global. Teak a peak at www.movember.com and see what it’s all about.

Why does it work so well ?

The campaign is viral in many ways . In addition to a universal idea that it can be introduced in all countries – including Pakistan, Movember has managed to combine three elements that ensure its virality:

1. A good cause you really want join

Values you share ​​on your wall can bring respect and credibility from your friends. Even if Facebook would have been called MyBellyButtonEgoBook, it would still be a positive thing to share a good cause with others. By doing so, you suddenly feel useful and proud, when you can share: “you see, I do not only think about Me, Myself, and I !”

2. A fun challenge you always wanted to be part of

Proud of his three day facial hair growth, modern man seeks to distinguish itself. And what if I tried a mustache for a change? No, seriously…that would be  ridiculous. Enter Movember…and now you have a great reason to try it. It’s not for me, it is to campaign against prostate cancer!

3. An effective online activation with massive offline impact

A change of look, obviously, that’s a topic that gets talked about.  And in this lies the gene for the genious idea. Even if you ‘like’ the Movember page on your Facebook, Movember’s success is mainly achieved around the coffee machine . So the true virality, is not just the one we share just as soon forget. It’s the one that stays in the mind, and grows (like a mustache).

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Sep 2 2011

- By Brice Le Blevennec -

Is email ‘Out’? Social networks want to follow the Facebook model in the ambition to become full operating systems on the web. So yes, we would be tempted to believe e-mail is on its way out.

But electronic mail continues to receive the thumbs up of the Internet user.
A recent study made by Microsoft indicated that email is still the privileged channel for messages of an official nature. Social networks remain platforms dedicated first and foremost to recreation and private life. The same survey highlighted that only 50% of contacts are shared between the account for e-mail and and the ones for social networks.

So it’s not surprising that big actors of the web continue their cutthroat competition to offer the best tools to manage your daily life. The whole scope is available, from sharing your calendar with colleagues and friends, organizing your inbox content, checking your task list, managing documents to consult whenever you want…

On this market, all the giants of the Internet are competing:

• Google and Gmail:  flagships of the office suite Google Apps. Gmail also plays an important role in Android, the operating system the search engine giant wants to impose n in the mobile’s world.
• Microsoft and Hotmail, that finally opened up to other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
  Outlook recently chose the same course.
• Apple and MobileMe, successors of .Mac and iTools. Steve Jobs described MobileMe as Exchange for the rest of us, which clearly shows the ambition of the brand with the shining apple in this field.

But we also discover smaller actors:

• Zimbra is a collaborative suite first bought by Yahoo!, then by VMware at the beginning of the year. This service is commercialized both as open-source and as a closed-circuit in its commercial version.
• ContactOffice is a Belgian company active in the virtual workspace segment for over ten years. Belgium can be proud that one of its companies, long before others, had the vision to bet on the emergence of new nomad users, even before high-speed and wireless were topics you heard about. In its last evolution, ContactOffice offers an interface completely in Ajax, nearly identical to the one you commonly find installed on the hard disk of a computer.

On this extremely competitive market, all companies continuously innovate, in order to offer the most fluent and flexible user experience. A state of the art service must offer for example ActiveSync, a protocol invented by Microsoft in 1996 that lets the users synchronize information (calendar, tasks, messages…) between their mobile device and their computer. Besides Microsoft, Google and Apple have also opted for this standard. They will soon be joined by ContactOffice.

The underlying stakes of this fight are immense. To become the reference of private users, SME’s in the field of cloud computing, … It’s the grail, creating a fundamental movement with thousands of applications migrating towards gigantic data centers. Here, software from now on is available on demand, like water or electricity.

In that new landscape, a key question remains unanswered: who will be the master of the data in the clouds?

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Aug 29 2011

- By Brice Le Blevennec -

Online television, it’s the next great battle. Already today, it’s making the minds of many race.

Announced some fifteen years ago already, the infamous convergence between Internet and TV is becoming a reality today. By the end of the year, the major TV manufacturers (Sony, LG, Samsung …) prepare to flood the market with machines permanently connected to the web. For their part, telecom operators also prepare the merger between the two media.

Social tv

As you read this, Mobistar launched its platform close to the Apple AppStore, which adds features such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr to the electronic program guide. And major players in the video game market like Microsoft and Sony have never hidden their dream to transform their respective consoles as privileged centers of all forms of digital entertainment.

Always online, television of tomorrow will also be mobile. Smart phones, tablets, laptops: the images begin to appear on all screens, a trend that will profoundly transform the way we consume television. Telenet launched Yelo, an application that allows you to watch (via wifi) a selection of channels on your iPad. Mobistar makes the same move, with 3G customers gaining access to a variety of broadcasters through an iPad/ iPhone application. And  Belgacom launched its mobile platform as well mobile in June. So  in short, welcome to television “AnyWhere, AnyTime, AnyDevice”, freed from the living room and dictated by the ceremonies linked to the schedule of TV programs.

A concept that we experimented with at Emakina in 2006  with VW EscapeTV, the first TV show that could be viewed via download on any mobile device.

American startups are already a step further and want to use mobile to combine the power of television with that of social networks. They are called IntoNow, Yap.tv, Miso, Philo, GetGlue … Some have already been bought up by large US “networks” or receive the  support of Internet giants (eg Miso is financed by Google Ventures).

Closer to home, the WizzChat application for the iPhone focuses on European channels and allows you to specify the TV program you are watching, share that information on Facebook and chat live with other users.

The beginnings of this trend arrived in 2008, during the U.S. elections. For the first time, televised debates did not stop at the end of the TV show; they continued on social networks. These social media became the natural ‘fora’ for comments and discussions between the viewers.

Mobile further accelerates this change: a study by Nielsen and Yahoo made ​​last year, indicates that 86% of mobile Internet users use their mobile device to talk live about a TV broadcast while they’re looking on their on their small frame.

Connected, mobile and social: these are the three attributes of the television of the future.
For advertisers, the consequence of these many changes is that the consumer’s attention is more fragmented than ever. Besides airing a 30-second TV spot, it will now necessary to be present at the same time on the major social platforms, if you want to activate your  brand by covering its entire target group.

For broadcasters, this “Television 2.0″ will also be a new, very different playing field. Regardless of the “format”, TV will have to be considered as an ongoing conversation with the audience, where both of these media mutually benefit from these interactions. Even if it was an abysmal idiocy, “Carré Viiip”, the already deceased reality TV show on TF1, was a fine illustration of this coagulation between two media: when the show ended, social networks took over and were used to generate content that was part of the next part of the competition.

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Dec 22 2010

Brice Le Blevennec, CVO

The need to belief is fundamental to mankind. The end of the last century witnessed the end of the authority of a lot of nonsense, form communism to monotheistic cults. Consumerism and rationality triumph and new technologies help us to quench our thirst for the absolute and the belief of a better life. Would this be the new form of spirituality?

Churches are emptier every Sunday, whereas keynotes of technology gurus have become high masses that are devotedly followed by thousands of passionate geeks. The parallel may shock you at first but it makes sense when we take a closer look at the gestures and words of these giants of technology.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Dec 1 2010

Brice Le Blevennec, CVO

Welcome to a new era, the digital era. I am convinced that in the future, we will look back at the beginning of the third millennium and realize this was the moment a new era has begun. The rules of the game are changing. We enter a new world of superheroes, aka Digital Natives.

Remember the time when we were all living in the anologue era? This ancient world was all about scarcity: scarcity of resources and raw materials, scarcity of communications means, scarcity of information, scarcity of means on how to reach your audience. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sep 3 2010

Microsoft dominated the 90’s with its Windows operating system. Google and its high-performance search engine have been the flagships of the 2000’s. The next decade will probably be a ménage à trois. While Google may continue to dominate the foreground, two other protagonists are now vying with it for the lead role: Apple and Facebook. Three players with the same ambition: to become the indispensable platform for access to the contents and services of the Internet. Read the rest of this entry »

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Apr 6 2010

If you closely follow new technologies, you are bound to have heard of the term Crowdsourcing. This concept, which was invented by two journalists of the magazine Wired, is a new approach through which a company outsources a number of tasks to surfers in order to find the solution to a problem at a lower cost. A typical example: the media commonly use the Internet to find testimonials, photo or video material etc. A more marketing-minded example: some brands have already asked the contribution of surfers when they are developing a new product or a new advertising campaign with a well-defined briefing etc. Another speaking trend are the prediction markets: these can be described as betting exchanges that want to predict the success of a product thanks to the major participation of several thousands of players.

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Feb 3 2010

Let me take you back to the middle of the nineties. At that time, there were two different, competing and radically opposed schools when it came to the future of digital networks. The first school, represented by Compuserve, defended a structured architecture of the web: Compuserve built a closed system with its own nomenclature and its own applications that were not accessible to non-subscribers. Others, including key players such as AOL and even Apple, offered access to their deceased eWorld to the first forerunners who paced the stammering network.

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Jan 8 2010

At the beginning of the twentieth century, French researcher and philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) developed the concept of noosphere, which was invented by Vladimir Vernadsk. Wikipedia describes the noosphere as the representation of a thin layer around the earth that would materialise all the consciences of humanity and the capacity of humans to think.

Teilhard de Chardin talks of the advent of a unified and global planet where ideas circulate freely amongst a humanity that has become self-conscious. For the author, this emergence of a planetised intelligence (as he calls it) would not be the result of a spiritual or mystical elevation but the result of rationality: the fusion of intellectual activities would lead to efficiency gains profiting the highest possible number.

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Dec 4 2009

The first part of your life, you were collecting books, CDs, video games, DVDs on your shelves. Tomorrow, these same shelves will be empty, or even absent from your home. You don’t believe me? Let’s have a look at the changes in the cultural and leisure industry…

We all know it: the CD is dying slowly but surely because of the internet, whether the new consumption of music is legal (like in the case of iTunes) or not. The last step in this transformation, which will also be the solution to the difficult question of copyright, could be the already renowned Spotify, a new Swedish start-up that offers millions of musical tracks in streaming. The audio quality is nearly equal to that of a traditional CD. Their cunning plan: you don’t own the music you listen to (not even the files) but you do benefit from unlimited access to an immense catalogue for the modest sum of ten dollars a month.

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