'I already wrote about this earlier this year and was pleased to see Fred Wilson write about it too. I think it’s a trend that will continue to burn in 2016 and I predict that a couple of big announcements will catalyse the space.
Many people are familiar with the concept of ‘computer vision’ and the many innovative ways in which it’s being applied. The same goes for sound and we’re going to see many more exciting applications in the year ahead. There’s a lot of innovation happening; better mic technology, cheaper components, improved sound recognition and more powerful AI layers in the cloud etc. Our ability to capture sound is increasing and we’re doing it more frequently. In parallel, consumer (and developer) acceptance of interacting with sound is being driven via the likes of Amazon Echo, Siri and Google Now. In 2016, sound will increasingly become the new UI.
The devices through which we listen to sound are improving too. The term ‘hearables’ might sound a little cliche, but smart listening devices of all shapes and sizes are starting to come to market. Techcrunch reported that over $50m has been invested into the hearables space in recent years. As the race for smart computing migrates from our wrists to our heads, I’m convinced we’re going to see a few other significant players enter this market over the next 12 months.'
WAC Price at posting:
2.3¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
