Recalling IBM’s ‘InnovationJam’ – The first 'crowdsourcing’?

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — IBM’s latest “Next Five in Five” is interesting with its emphasis on “green” technology and personal genomics. But I humbly recommend IBM return to its “InnovationJam” format from 2006 when seeking to prognosticate.

That “jam” – perhaps the first example of the new “crowdsourcing” phenomena – drew more than 150,000 participants and, in The Skinny’s view, more exciting ideas:

• “We will be able to access health care remotely, from just about anywhere in the world."
• “Real-time speech translation – once a vision only in science fiction – will become the norm."
• “There will be a 3-D Internet."
• “Technologies the size of a few atoms will address areas of environmental importance."
• “Our mobile phones will come close to reading our minds.” (IBM calls this “presence technology.”)

That was pretty heady stuff – most of which doesn’t surprise any sci-fi reader or futurist. But a cell phone that reads our minds? Now that’s really frightening. Think about that for a moment. How many of you will have to leave the phone turned off?

Some of those five predictions certainly link well with the newest – such as accessing health care records remotely to see what your personal genome indicates. Or a “presence” phone that helps us remember.

Talking Web sites certainly would make a 3-D Web more immersive.

The 2008 “Five," after a "jam" with 1,100 corporate suits in October, reads:

• “Energy saving solar technology will be built into asphalt, paint and windows."
• “You will have a crystal ball for your health."
• “You will talk to the Web ... and the Web will talk back."
• “You will have your own digital shopping assistants."
• “Forgetting will become a distant memory.”

So which list of future tech do you prefer?

As for me, bring back the jam!