Radio’s preferred future
Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 at 9:20pm. #
Doing some tidying up this evening, and discovered my introduction to the recent Club of Amsterdam event. Worthwhile not just deleting it, but posting it here.
Radio is an interesting and, until recently, quite unique thing.
In 1954, a company called Regency Electronics made something called the Regency TR-1. It was the first transistor radio. And for the first time, we could get the latest music, news, and opinion, wherever we were – on the move, at home, in the office, on the beach. The first truly connected device. A device that changed our relationship with music forever.
The accelleration of change is getting faster – and now our connected devices talk back – they learn from us – they tell people where we are and what we’re doing, and we’re ever more comfortable with sharing more and more data, from wherever we are, to whoever wants to use it.
What the humble transistor radio did in the 1950s is now a world away from where we are today. Permanent connectivity is continually pushing new boundaries – new boundaries in technology; and new boundaries in social behaviour. And our preferred future depends on it.
I’m thrilled to be able to connect with all of our speakers and our audience this evening, and I very much look forward to an interesting night. Thank you.
Photo montage: John Ousby. The older radios are the Regency TR-1. Used under licence – thank you, John
