Gartner has just released the latest iteration of its "hype cycle" - a graph which charts how technologies are built up and adopted. The idea is that technologies follow a basic path of adoption - going from a trigger point, through overblown hype and then cynicism, before finally becoming more mainstream and accepted.
So what's at the top of the curve right now? Convergent telephones, ultramobile devices and "portable personality" are heading up to the "peak of inflated expectations" while IPTV, mobile TV and broadband video on demand are racing towards the bottom.
Interestingly, this year's chart bears little relation to last year's emerging technologies cycle (maybe they just haven't emerged). It's certainly more narrowly focused, and very heavily focused on technology that's pretty much out there - certainly, there's nothing that it considers to be more than 10 years away from adoption.
I'm not sure I agree with the different things and where they're placed on the cycle - but then I might have a different perspective.
