"Large space-time data sets combined with advanced analytics enable a degree of understanding, discovery, and prediction that may be hard for many people to fully appreciate. Better prediction means a more efficient enterprise and nifty consumer services.  Cellular companies are now receiving essential insight about their customers (e.g., to better understand and predict customer churn).  Major retailers can now better understand changes in consumer behavior (e.g., how far their customers are traveling on average this month compared to previous months).  Consumers are benefiting by getting real-time traffic information so they can avoid congested roads."

"Green party politician Malte Spitz sued to have German telecoms giant Deutsche Telekom hand over six months of his phone data that he then made available to ZEIT ONLINE. We combined this geolocation data with information relating to his life as a politician, such as Twitter feeds, blog entries and websites, all of which is all freely available on the internet. By pushing the play button, you will set off on a trip through Malte Spitz's life."

Advert seen during TED intro - very cool - "Japanese agency Drill Inc. got back to nature in this stunning spot promoting the wood-encased NTT DoCoMo SH-08C phone, set for launch later this year. The agency created a giant wooden xylophone in the middle of the forest. A wooden ball rolls down the instrument to play the keys, each of which make up individual notes of Bach's Cantata 147, aka "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire."

Convergence has a special meaning in the field of technology. It refers to the trend of different technologies evolving to fill the same function.

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