what's new in technology. I mean really, really new

September 10, 2008 4:28 AM

Sites for tracking new technologies, technology trends, and innovations?

I've recently been moved into a position that requires me to drive R&D projects and new innovations. I lead a small team that mainly looks at how to apply our existing IP and software to emerging technologies and social contexts.

I've got all the techniques down for turning my team into a gushing innovation factory. However, I struggle in providing the inputs: interesting new social contexts and emerging technologies. Currently I suck down the popular technology news sites and journals, but I always feel that we're behind the curve.

Are there blogs out there (or even subscription services) that discuss emerging technologies, social trends, etc? Perhaps a daily newsletter that showcases interesting new patent submissions, or top-secret products, or hype curves showing where VCs are putting their money?

posted by brandnew to Technology (4 answers total)

I read eetimes and physorg at least once a week. I think those two are what you're looking for. There's also more formal journals like Nature and Science, and then after that you have the really hard-core unfiltered stuff like Physical Review, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, etc. Sometimes I read them and find something really super interesting, but that's only happened maybe a half-dozen times in my lifetime. Most of the time reading raw journal papers on topics you aren't immersed in is just a very effective cure for insomnia.

Setting a google search alert on keywords relevant to your industry might be a good idea, too.
posted by thalakan at 4:36 AM on September 10, 2008

Try we make money not art. It's not quite what you're asking for, but I think you'll find interesting stuff there.
posted by Leon at 5:22 AM on September 10, 2008

Techcrunch
posted by mattholomew at 6:26 AM on September 10, 2008

I've recently started reading Xconomy.com. It's kind of Seattle- and Boston-focused but has a broad range of technologies it deals with and it talks a lot about venture funding, new contracts, new businesses, etc. Good columns from some of the bigwigs in the industries, too.
posted by olinerd at 8:02 AM on September 10, 2008