Topic: The Future

David Glazer says that people are the killer app of the web. That is, finding ways to connect people easily and seamlessly is the next great wave in computing. There are barriers to overcome, but the desire to see it happen is great. In this presentation Glazer offers a snapshot of how we got to this point and where things will need to go from here.

We play many roles in our daily lives: colleague, friend, parent, consumer, family member. Yet, says Charlene Li, our multidimensional lives are not currently accessible or integrated in any significant way. In this presentation Li discusses what she sees as the future of social networks, where the media we use will both reflect and inform the lives we lead.

Adrian Cockcroft has coined the term 'Millicomputer' to cover any computing device that uses less than a watt of power; small enough to fit in your pocket, cool enough not to burn your leg. In this presentation, he takes us on a tour of the amazing technologies that already exist and gives us a glimpse of where this rapidly developing area of technology might take us next.

Former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, James Joseph believes we must support those over 50 launching new careers later in life so they may continue to make significant contributions to society. In this audio lecture recorded at the Encore Career Summit, sponsored by the Center for Social Innovation at Stanford, Joseph reflects on what it takes to be a great leader in the second half of life. Using Nelson Mandela as a prototype, he reflects on how skills such as the ability to work with one's enemies are critical elements of the mature leader.

Global technology team leader at Morgan Stanley Mary Meeker gives her update on all things tech and internet in her presentation at the 2008 Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. In this short, data-rich presentation she also gives her thoughts on the economy and the current recession.

How can the United States and the world benefit from the work of people who have been dedicated to social change over the last 30 years? What can those with the most diverse array of backgrounds and careers do to impact social, economic, and political policy, particularly in this unprecedented era of new political leadership? In this panel discussion from the 2008 Encore Careers Summit, activist leaders from the women's, civil rights, and environmental movements discuss how we can reinvent this country by drawing on lessons from the past.

In this talk from the 2007 Singularity Summit, James Hughes predicts that while artificial general intelligence is likely, it is also likely to seem alien to our way of thinking and difficult to control. He also discusses some of the rarely mentioned negative impacts AGI could have on society.

In this audio interview, forecaster Paul Saffo covers a range of interesting subjects, including different methodologies for forecasting social trends. Topics he offers predictions about include global warming, the mortgage crisis, and the decline of the nation state.

In a climate resistant to government spending on social causes, the focused donations of billionaire philanthropists may be the greatest force for societal change in our world. So says journalist Matthew Bishop in this Stanford Center for Social Innovation sponsored talk. Discussing his recent book, Philanthrocapitalism, Bishop shares anecdotes, analysis, and profiles of a small group of people who are influencing the lives of many by bringing their success in capitalism to giving, rather than to making money.

Geo is impacting many industries including automotive, retail, telecom and advertising. Emerging from these current technologies are applications for the GeoWeb, GeoMobile, GeoCar, and GeoVoice. These entrenched industries are wide-open for investments and this presentation provides some guidance and perspective for those looking to cash in. In this show, Dev Khare, partner at VC firm Venrock, discusses the current landscape on the GeoWeb from a VC perspective.