Tonight I had the opportunity with about 200 others listen to and speak with Vinton G. Cerf, a founding "father of the internet" and Vice President & Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. It was amazing to meet the guy that built TCP/IP in his protein form and listen to a true technologist speak about what the internet would look like in 2035. But there's just one "problem" with tonight's talk ... I didn't hear anything new. No, I didn't listen to a similar lecture from Vint on YouTube, and no I'm not a genius like Mr Cerf. Off the top of my head's short-term memory, I recall him mentioning 2035 to include:

• IPv6 being necessary when billions of other devices connect to the internet
• Internet and RFID linked refrigerators and bathroom scales
• Ubiquitous wireless internet access
• At least 1Gbps to the home
• Geo-spatial information will be available in real-time over the internet
• Virtual worlds will let us control real-world instruments
• Cybernetic technology would enhance human life
• Haptic sensory technology will make us touch and feel the virtual

What I found truly amazing was not the future possibilities, but the fact that this man built a network that was able to provide me with all the above mentioned predictions even before the visionary man speaks. A  good "problem" the internet is. I'm in no way disappointed that I didn't learn anything new, but am in awe at the creation of a genius. It makes me think about the work we do now. Be it technologies we develop, methods of marketing and communication, or simply the culture and habits we evolve. How will they impact and affect the future in the next 50 years? Will you stand then in front of a crowd like Vint Cerf did today and talk about the next 30 years with gusto and passion? I'd love to know I've made a difference. Aside: Others who went tonight and blogged were: Raine Lai, Simply Jean, Ian. I'm sure more will blog soon.