Futurist talk given at CeBit Australia 2009, WebForward conference, Barcamp Sydney June 2009. The mobile internet will evolve the human condition!

1. Futurist talk originally given at CeBIT
Australia WebForward conference
2009 with goal of provoking discussion.
... not your ordinary corporate deck ...
today
Mobile Internet
tomorrow
What?
Dr Michael Harries
Director Strategy and Communications
Citrix Labs and CTO Office, Citrix Systems
@michaelharries

2. Some of us surround
our children with
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music in order to ... 2

3. ... create musically aware, capable
people.
With the mobile internet - we‘re
surrounding our kids with ever more
connectivity. We have no idea where it
leads ...
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4. ... excepting that
they will certainly
see us as dinosaurs!
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5. I see three long term
trends for the mobile
internet ...
synthesis
society
awareness
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6. ... informed by current
trends best exemplified
by the iPhone.
1b!
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7. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
Today there are five
categories in the
mobile internet ...
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8. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
... ―Fart Apps‖ – 30 seconds
of amusement - gags that
work in social settings.
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9. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
... Games – much
like on the PC ...
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10. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
... Social networking
apps, much more
compelling on mobile
devices ...
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11. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
... Utilities – slices of
information made
easy ...
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12. fart apps
mobile
internet
games
social
networks
utilities
business
apps
... and business apps –
including email and calendar –
and now the Citrix Receiver for
ALL windows applications.
http://www.citrix.com/homeiphone
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13. The future for the
mobile internet holds
three major trends ...
synthesis
society
awareness
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14. synthesis
... Synthesis, the merging of
phone/ pda/ netbook/ laptop/
notebook/ desktop ...
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15. ... for example, the Citrix
Nirvana phone concept is very
near, remote Windows session
from a mobile phone with full
keyboard and screen.
http://nirvanaphone.com
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16. Society is about the future
technology and social/cultural
fulfilment of context sensitive
mobile devices with the social
networking gold rush.
society (More on this in another talk.)
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17. Both the Synergy and Society trends
are about how the devices evolve.
Awareness is about how the mobile
internet device will evolve us!
awareness
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18. Like the mobile phone, the mobile
internet is with us 24 x 7. This is
new and can be considered as
‗ambient technology‘. Previous
attempts at ―ambient tech include ...
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19. ... The Ambient Orb. This is an elegant
(wireless) device, that provides
‗information at a glance, rather than by
lookup. It can be configured to show
stock market trends, business KPI, etc.
http://www.ambientdevices.com/cat/orb/orborder.html ambient
orb
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20. The ‗ambient umbrella‘ is another
ambient device. It glows when rain
is forecast.
This device makes glancable
information contextual and ambient.
ambient
umbrella
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21. Devices have also been used
to address handicaps – in
some ways the ultimate
‗contextual‘ challenge
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22. “seeing”
with the back
Bach-y-Rita, 1969
A standout experiment from the 60s
showed that a 20 x 20 vibrating pad
against the subjects back could act as
substitute eyes. Subjects were able to
identify peoples expressions and to
build a 3d model of the room.
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23. Today, this line of work continues,
but with far more efficient
technology. Now people can be
made to see through a 12x12 grid
of electrodes on the tongue.
“seeing”
with the tongue
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24. Similar outcomes have
been reported with
rebuilding a sense of
balance.
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25. There are also some fascinating
experiments that add NEW senses.
This belt vibrates on the North-most
side and was used to experiment
with adding a sense of absolute
direction.
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26. All of these devices are examples of
a new science called Neuroplasticity.
For more information I recommend
―The Brain that Changes Itself‖.
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27. How do neuroplasticity and ambient devices
relate to the mobile internet?
Let‘s look at what‘s new. What does the
‗ambient‘ mobile internet bring us?
We‘ve already talked about 24 x 7 presence in
our lives, or ambience.
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28. The other major change is that the
‗channel‘ for new mobile applications has
been revolutionised by the app store.
New apps on mobile devices are
incredibly simple to get to market – in
―no‖ barriers contrast to the purpose built devices
shown previously.
to entry
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29. Let‘s look at a very pragmatic, down to
earth, ‗awareness‘ application.
Every year children are injured travelling
to and from school. To reduce this many
countries have introduced ‗School Zones‘.
However they are often missed by the
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driver.

30. iTraffic Australia is an audio focused
application that provides subtle ‗nudges
to awareness when the user is
approaching school zones, or traffic
cameras, and you could imagine it also
providing warnings about traffic black-
spots or traffic delays.
iTraffic
Australia
http://itrafficapp.com/
Disclosure:
iTraffic Australia is a product of a January 2009
Sydney Startup Camp.
http://www.startup-australia.org/startupcamp2
I was part of the team for this application, and
remain an advisor. © 2009 Citrix Systems, Inc. — All rights reserved 30

31. Taking this all back up a level.
Marshall McLuhan started the
field of media studies in the
60s. He coined the term
‗media‘. Among his many
quotable quotes is this gem.
―We shape our tools
and afterwards our
tools shape us‖
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32. ―the mind is just
less and less
in the head‖
To become even more
metaphysical. Philosopher Andy
Clark talks about the way we use
our tools and incorporate them into
our very minds. His conclusion is
that what makes us human is that
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we are naturally cyborgs. 32

33. Dinosaurs did not in fact become
extinct, they evolved.
We‘re at an exciting time of change.
The mobile internet brings change Long term trends
and literally new ways of thinking.
Synthesis –
desktop/laptop/mobile device
Converged social networks
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34. There are three major trends affecting
the mobile internet.
This is a time of major change. Look
beyond the current app store gold rush.
The future is nearer than you think.
synthesis
society
awareness
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35. Citrix Labs is the future oriented part of
the Citrix Engineering organization.
No Derivative Works
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