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Within the next decade, smart-device swiping will have gained mainstream acceptance as a method of payment and could largely replace cash and credit cards for most online and in-store purchases by smartphone and tablet owners, according to a new survey of technology experts and stakeholders. Many of the people surveyed by Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center and the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project said that the security, convenience and other benefits of "mobile wallet" systems will lead to widespread adoption of these technologies for everyday purchases by 2020. Others-including some who are generally positive about the future of mobile payments-expect this process to unfold relatively slowly due to a combination of privacy fears, a desire for anonymous payments, demographic inertia, a lack of infrastructure to support widespread adoption, and resistance from those with a financial stake in the existing payment structure.

"As of early 2012, 88% of American adults have a cell phone, 58% have a desktop computer, 61% have a laptop, 18% own an e-book reader, and 18% have a tablet computer."

"Higher education is rapidly changing--you don't have to even be paying much attention to see that. Universities have started streaming lectures en masse, schools like Harvard and MIT are teaming up to create content tailored for the web, startups like UniversityNow are creating reasonably priced online universities, and startups like Udacity offer online-only classes from renowned professors. None of this existed 10 years ago, and the field isn't done changing yet. A new report from Pew Internet looks at what higher education will look like in 2020, based on survey responses from over 1,000 "Internet experts, researchers, observers and users.""

Recently the Pew Research Center found that 95% of teens ages 12-17 were using the Internet. But their statistics found that a significantly smaller percentage of teens were using video functions like chatting, uploading video and streaming live video footage. The study did find that 80% of teens using the Internet used social networking sites, and video use by teens on sites like Facebook and Twitter was much more popular than teens who didn't have social networking accounts.

Le chiffre d'affaires sur Internet des journaux américains est très loin de compenser le recul de celui des éditions papier, indique une étude publiée lundi 5 mars. "Pour chaque dollar gagné dans le numérique, 7 dollars sont perdus en chiffre d'affaires papier", conclut cette étude du Pew Research Center.

Experts think tech-enhanced homes, appliances, and utilities will spread. But those systems are complex and so far there is low public demand, so they advise: Don't expect to see the 'Home of the Future' by 202...

"The transformation of the nation's news landscape has already taken a heavy toll on print news sources, particularly print newspapers. But there are now signs that television news - which so far has held onto its audience through the rise of the internet - also is increasingly vulnerable, as it may be losing its hold on the next generation of news consumers."

The report, part of the Future of the Internet/Imagining the Internet series, surveyed "1,021 experts and analysts from the tech world, universities, government agencies, corporations, and other stakeholders" on how close we are to a "smart" world, one which uses energy-efficient "smart structures," integrated appliances and automobiles and "smart grids" that enable a more efficient delivery of electricity and water.

And here we all thought we were changing the world and creating The Future. 74% of online adults say they use the Web for no reason whatsoever. The Internet is just there, dangling over our heads like a mobile full of planets and kitties and smiley faces, and we're just staring up at it from our cribs like a bunch of little babies.

Qui de l'industrie papier ou du livre numérique pèse le plus lourd sur l'empreinte carbone ? La question reste ouverte tant le marché est en pleine mutation. Pourtant au Canada, les effets les plus visibles ne sont pas écologiques.