The Future is Mobile

Intelligent phones are taking over; it’s the reason Apple is so dominant.  It’s the reason Microsoft isn’t.  And the sad thing is Microsoft has some bitchin’ phones.  But they have this association with things like crashing and a bad mobile OS.  It isn’t true anymore but the public doesn’t know.  Apple is a juggernaut.  They are shiny, simple, great at marketing and they have the image.  They are way too damn expensive.  And for you fan boys out there Apple had some bots targeting them recently so you can talk about safe but with apple grabbing such a large market share expect more malware to target the operating systems of apple products.  And if you thought malicious code attacking computers was dangerous wait till it’s truly unleashed on an object that also stores all that fun contact info, personal pictures and call history as well.  Hooray!

Smart phone and tablets are grabbing more and more of what people buy.  It is rare to hear of people excitedly telling about this new PC build they are excited about.  I still hear it because I know so many nerds,  I’m like the raft in a sea of socially awkward males.  There is something very off about that last sentence and I am going to chose to not analyze it at all and walk gingerly away.  IT never happened people.  Anyway most computer devices being purchased are not desktops or laptops.  They are phones and tablets. 

This is important for several reasons.  One a lot of companies are going to go belly up.  This is generally bad.  Also a lot of new companies will explode into being with wads of cash swelling their pockets to bursting.  This is good.  It’s like a forest fire.  The old trees die off making room for a bunch of young trees.  They do really well but in a few years only some of those new trees will still be around.  Tech companies unlike other industries, need to be agile and quick moving.  Having a great sales team is awesome.  It gets your product out there fast.  Better than a sales team is cutting edge.  Stay cutting edge and offer a cool product and clients come to you.  But with tech the tide shifts constantly.  What was new yesterday seems boring tomorrow.

How fast are things moving?  Let me steals some facts from a PowerPoint (linked below*) from a new start up monitoring tech trends.  You would assume I wouldn’t need the world new if I’m pairing it with start up but I digress.

AOL, which was pretty popular for a while before it became a joke, grabbed a million users after nine years.  That’s a long time but a lot of users and a lot of users paying money.

Facebook grabbed that same million in nine months.  Facebook has had its ups and downs but is running strongly.   it dethroned Myspace; actually I think dethroned isn’t an apt enough description.  Myspace was smacked so hard it had to pretend the downsize was on purpose so it could focus on the music.  Facebook constantly updated.  We bitch about the changes, the stupid timeline, the annoying apps and all the other constant patch whining but Facebook is always fresh and we won’t leave.  It is entrenched in our social media culture.  Plus Google+ blows.  It might not I haven’t even spent more than a minute or two on it.  But we don’t want more than one of something like this.  We won’t split our attention.  If we give up Facebook we go to the new thing.  It usually isn’t the new thing and Facebook.  Those relationships never work out.  Oh, and Facebook is very aggressive about staying on top of keeping updated for mobile use.  That is part of their core strategy.

Now, Draw Something, the new game app for mobile phones and tablets; guess how long it took them to reach one million users?  9 days.   A stupid little game with a simple interface is making millions of dollars right now. Over one hundred thousand a day from advertising fees alone.  That’s like an opening weekend of a box office summer blockbuster every day all the time.  It’s that kind of nonsense that makes me want to quit work and make silly little time waster games.  Look at the success of Minecraft.

Console games may be doomed.  With sales of casual games emerging as the new profitable thing designers are going to flock to these kind of companies. It makes sense no one works for free and they want to work for the profitable company.  Big console video games cost close to a movie now.  Why put so much work and time and effort when you can make simple drawing game?

So gaming is going mobile.  Computer is going mobile.  What’s next?  Virtual glasses from Google?  Computing on par with old school star trek?  Siri is going there.  So is Wolfram Alpha.  This trend is only getting bigger.  Even small things.  Like maybe waiters using iPads for the order and transferring to the kitchen.  No paper pads then walking to the POS.  They can take your card and print at the table.  The tech is coming fast and furious.  Take advantage and be a first adopter.  You might find some extra money in your pockets.  Or not, Kyle, you fucking luddite.

 *http://www.businessinsider.com/the-future-of-mobile-deck-2012-3?utm_source=twbutton&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sai#-29

Ben