HP and Nokia just announced their joint sales of FM Radio delivered on phones.

Think of functional convergence like a theoretical Godzilla that is gobbling all media. The process of convergence is taking place on CPU's in hand-held devices, PC's, and cars. Any place where the addition of application software can enhance the functionality of the base chip by adding telephony, Music (MP3), Radio (Digital FM) or TV (Streaming from Internet and soon to be "real-time, point-to-point from your telephone).

Microsoft and Intel have laid their traps well and are going to capture your use of computers and entertainment.

This "pincer movement" is catching two big interests - Content Owners and Broadcast/Cable Video providers in a squeeze play. Much of what you may wish to consume may be provided by the Internet - a media that neither the Content Owners (Disney, Sony, MGM et. al.) nor the Network Television providers control.

They arn't frantic yet but wait. You are about to see plenty of gratuitous pleading as the traditional video mavens wake up to just how venerable they really are.

Views from Lisa Wellman & Terry Wellman

Welcome to the Network Society buckaroo.

Powered by CityMax.com