The Cloud is not just for enterprise SaaS solutions. Cloud services are also for consumers. Cloud storage and peer-to-peer decentralized applications are some example, but there is a flurry of new services that will be enabled by a direct connection to cloud-based applications, and that controlled by our smartphones, tablets or personal computers.

We’re going to get more Internet-connected to our bodies and minds. It will happen via our smartphones or other sensors, and it will be used for healthcare, or health wellness purposes.

Small, medium and big things are getting connected to the Internet and starting to fill our surroundings. Whether it’s in a room at home or at the office, a car, retail store, or a public space; smart things are talking back to us and to our smartphones and computers.

Online payments were just precursors to the upcoming onslaught of cryptocurrency-enabled services and wallets. Banking is being un-banked. And Bitcoin and blockchain-related services and transactions are emerging.

If you have never flown a drone yet, that’s OK. Most current models aren’t easy to fly and have limited functionality. But there is an emerging generation of drones and robotics software that will be a lot easier to use for entertainment and business purposes. The Sphero ball is just one example. What is common to these 5 areas is:

• they are fairly new and embryonic

• the leading players are still emerging

• as users, we need to learn how to use them (hint: it’s not straightforward yet)

• big companies like Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter are vying to occupy pieces of that stack

• venture capital is pouring into these areas

So, as users, let’s get more familiarized with these new stack options. They are the new “Internet user stack” layers.]]>