The top 10 e-commerce countries are likely to be the US, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The most influential high-tech/entrepreneurial hubs are currently Silicon Valley, Boston, and Stockholm, according to Wired magazine. [E-Commerce Times, 12Jul00. NewsScan.]

Peer-to-peer computing appears to be the next big thing for venture capital investment. P2P allows Internet users to access one another's files directly, as with the popular Napster service. Critics worry about search capabilities and data security, but investors are pouring millions into P2P startups. Marc Andreessen has invested in the InfraSearch peer-to-peer search engine, even though the company has no revenue-generating model. [WSJ, 05Jul00. Edupage.]

Cybiko (New York) wants to create a social environment where teens (12-16) can chat and interact. Its $129 handheld device communicates with similar devices within 300 feet, offering MP3 sharing and email. [AP. NY Times, 12Jul00. NewsScan.] (I may never have to talk to a real person again.)

The next generation of computing will be mobile, combining functions of PCs, PDAs, and wireless phones. PriceInteractive (Reston, VA) is one of new "Speech ASPs" popping up to supply voice-activated services to consumers. (It currently has 10K inbound phone lines, with SpeechWorks recognition software.) Net2Phone, which is partly owned by AT&T, is investing in SpeechWorks, also partly owned by AT&T. Other winners in voice-recognition services will likely include Nextlink, Vodafone, Sun, and Cisco. Analyst Mark R. Anderson predicts that this will be a $10T market. [, SNS, 04-11Jul00.] (Nuance Communications, where Lily works, has had one of the most successful IPOs of this year. It opened at $17 and is now $109 despite a falling tech market.)

Even without speech recognition, wireless PDAs are useful. Vindigo offers PALM-based city guides for New York, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. For each, you get complete review information for restaurants, shops, and attractions, updated for recent service changes. Tell Vindigo where you'll be -- by street intersections -- and it will suggest restaurants, shops, or clubs. It will also give contact information, walking directions, and a chance to rate the services. Windows and Mac platforms can also be used. All of this is supported by advertising. . [TidBITS, 10Jul00.]

Benchmark Capital general partner Bill Gurley envisions Napster-style "desktop economies" separate from e-commerce. People will jack in and "play" these economies, perhaps by making investments online. He see a world like Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" developing within 20 years. [Wired , 05Jul00. NewsScan.]

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