Age of context. Mobile, sensors, data and the future of privacy

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In 2006, Robert Scoble and Shel Israel wrote a book that encouraged businesses to embrace social media. Six years later, they return to discuss how social media is just one of five converging forces set to transform our lives: mobile, data, sensors, and location-based technology. Together with social media, these elements create a new generation of personalized technology that understands us better than our closest friends. This technology can anticipate our needs, serving us more effectively than a butler or assistant. The authors term this powerful convergence the Age of Context, where devices can wake us early due to weather changes, notify contacts if we're running late, and even suggest television content. These advancements hold potential for significant societal benefits, such as curing diseases and enhancing security. Remarkably, in this future, we may only receive ads that interest us. Scoble and Israel spent over a year researching, interviewing pioneers in the field, and examining contextual products. However, they acknowledge a pressing issue: privacy. As technology becomes more adept at serving us by monitoring our activities, the authors argue it's time to demand options that allow us to reclaim some privacy, recognizing that Big Data is always watching.