Historically, technology innovation and economic growth have been driven by BIG innovations, e.g., the Internet, smartphones, and tablet computers. Yet, most technology announcements we’ve heard lately seem incremental. Is there a “next big thing”?

Technology analyst and author Bill Meisel thinks so. He says that technology such as speech recognition and natural language understanding that allow a tighter human-computer connection, one that can help unify the increasing number and complexity of digital devices we deal with every day. By addressing this problem of “digital overload,” companies can create a closer and cost-effective connection with customers. The overall impact to individual companies and to the overall economy can the tightening human-computer connection “the next big thing,” he claims. See if you agree!