Internet Week Conference Tackles Information Overload

There is more information than an individual can process at the Internet Week conference, which began Monday in New York City. This fifth annual information festival is billed as a celebration of the city's thriving Internet industry and community. Electronic devices are driving the way information is processed and consumed.

Thomas Stimpson is attending Internet Week to learn the latest trends in information technology for his job as a tech-marketing consultant. For personal use, he relies on a laptop and tablet.

"Since I purchased an iPad [tablet], my video consumption has gone through the roof, because it's very easy for me to sit on the couch at night or lie in bed and peruse YouTube," said Stimpson.

Stimpson says his choice of device also changed the way he consumes news.

"I visit a lot fewer news web sites and general interest web sites than I did in the past, simply because I can now have that information come to me via Twitter on my phone. When I'm waiting around, I'll check Twitter quite a bit," Stimpson noted.

Stimpson and millions of people like him are but a click away from yet another source of information. Melissa Lafsy Wall, iPad editor of Newsweek Magazine, told an Internet Week panel that her news organization is counting on quality to hold reader attention.

"It's our job to give a fantastic mix of excellent editorial, original reporting, beautiful photography and wonderful interactives that will keep you engaged and involved," said Lafsy Wall.

But the Internet allows Stimpson to be his own editor; to curate or select content according to personal interests.

"What I love is that all of a sudden, the things that I'm interested in can all be right next to each other and they're not segmented in silos," added Stimpson. "I don't have to go and search for art news and go somewhere else to search for ideas for my next trip."

Information on demand is also challenging television manufacturers. They are responding with sets that combine traditional broadcasting with computer software.

"We're making it easier from a hardware perspective to search with an easy magic motion remote, for example," said Georg Rasinki who represents LG Electronics in New York. "You can type in with a keyboard or with a voice function as to search for the content that you need. Yes, the hardware is getting smarter to address all of the software advantages."

Modern electronic devices have unleashed a torrent of information. New York's Internet Week showcases some of the city's 500 digital companies involved in managing the torrent with better devices, aps and software.