What will the future look like? What are some of the trends that are shaping the web and technology today? Founder of Paris-based tech conference LeWeb Loic Le Meur today spoke about 25 trends he thinks are emerging and will set the stage for the next 10 years.
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Opening up the 10th anniversary of the tech conference, the Google Glass-wearing Le Meur argues that wearable tech, the maker movement and the sharing economy will rule the future.
Mindfulness and meditation
According to the event founder, a tech bigwig, we will see more of mental wellness with apps such as Headspaces, which provides guided meditation and helps users learn how to unwind using through meditation and mindfulness techniques. Le Meur notes that car sharing service Lyft also fits into this category.
Creating communities
He also reckons that there will be more focus on community building and technologies that help us build better communities. He argues that these can already be seen in things like Burning Man, Zappos, Digital Detox and Summit Eden.
Reducing friction
According to Le Meur, there will be less friction in the way we get around our daily lives. This, he feels, can be seen in what Uber is doing in some markets by eliminating the need for personal cars. He also mentions last-minute hotel bookings service HotelTonight as a key proponent of this trend.
Online Education
A trend that has been around for a while now but Le Meur reckons will grow more. The online education space is growing rapidly and starting to establish its credibility in the greater education space.
Maker movement
One of the key trends to rise from the last 10 years is the maker movement. Technologies such as 3D printing from Makerbot and the like as well Virtox and DIY Drones are becoming increasingly prevalent. He thinks the future will see more makers.
Connected homes
Connected objects and homes are starting to become technological aware and ready. Companies such as SmartThings and Nest are helping people connect their homes to devices. Le Meur reckons soon all our homes will be connected.
The future in motion
Telsa and the Google car. The future seems to lie with driverless and technologically advanced cars, which don’t need to humans to function at their optimum.
Wearable technologies
Google glass and smartwatches. Le Meur argues that there will be more wearable tech in the future, as the tech is adopted by big tech companies such as Samsung and Google.
Quantified self
Because we are data fiends and want to count everything. According to the LeWeb founder, this trend is growing more and more as people continue to use devices such as the FitBit, Jawbone and the Nike Fuelband.
Artificial intelligence
Google and Siri will be the future. Le Meur toys with the idea of AI that predicts your needs before you even think of it because it knows you better than you know yourself.
Quick content
There is a big push on quick content creation tools that allows people to quickly create, consume and share easily. Tools such as Vine and Instagram are the big ones here.
A collaborative economy
This is becoming the biggest trend that is sweeping through the tech world. Collaboration and sharing economy that allows people to rent out their extra capacity, such as AirBnB and Lyft.
Geolocation dating
Who doesn’t want that? Tools like geolocation dating service Tinder might get more popular, allowing users to find people close to them with the intention of finding romance.
The way we pay
More PayPals will be in our future and cashless services such as Square. Le Meur argues that we are see less cash transactions and we will deal more with mobile payments.
New currency
Bitcoin, the much talked about currency of the net, is possibly going to rule our world in the future. According to entrepreneurs, it’s becoming a notable trend.
Disrupting old markets
The old ways of the doing things are being disrupted and traditional industries. Services building for a tech focussed world such as Rocket Lawyer.
Purpose/profit
The companies that are thriving or emerging are the ones with purpose and through their purpose and generating profit. So instead companies trying to sell consumers stuff rather get them to participate in a greater good and profit from their participation.
Crowdsourced funding
Kickstarter clones are rising and they will rise some more. More people will seek funding through crowdsourced platforms in the coming years.
The startup is you
Upstart.com is starting to gain traction and will probably will gain more. This service allows you raise money in exchange for a small share of your income for 10 years. It’s an investment in you, not your idea or your business.
The way we eat
Platforms that help us eat better and healthier. This trend is growing in Silicon Valley Le Meur says and will probably begin to grow globally as well.
The way we give
More tools that help people give better will rise and are rising. Platforms like Givengain already help people collect donations but what is emerging are a slew of platforms that help people give time and capacity.
The way we shop
We’re not just shopping online any more are increasingly doing so on specialist sites such as Fab.com and Esty. In the future, we’ll see more marketplaces that allow users to buy and sell unique products.
The way we buy media
More companies will look at more standard, dynamic and advanced retargeting mechanisms when it comes to media. Tracking users on your site and targeting ads to a specific user will become the norm.
Design
The way we do design is changing and it will continue to. Tech companies are being founded by designers rather than just technologists and businessmen.
Having stuff done by other people
Micro employments and giving people tasks is another emerging trend. Tools such as TaskRabbit, which allows people to give certain tasks to other people to do for them, are at the forefront of this movement.
