Sounds simple, but there's a lot going on here. First, this Web of the Future speaks English. It knows what the sentence "where should we go for dinner?" means, and gives a meaningful reply. Second, it's customized to your specific tastes, interests and schedule. Third, it pulls options for consideration from every imaginable source, from Zagat's Guide to today's Food section in the paper to your best friend's blog. And, finally, it's aware of contextual factors - what's happening right now (weather, traffic, etc.).

The Web 3.0 isn't just about food, either. It's about everything. You can ask it, "who played 'Trinity' in The Matrix?"; "where should I get my surfboard repaired"; or "what causes allergies?" And you'll be able to make requests: "Book me the cheapest flight to New York next Thursday"; "Send flowers to my wife on her birthday"; or "Let me know when the Matrix 4 trailer hits the Web."

In other words, the Internet becomes your personal assistant, the ultimate concierge, adviser, informant and spy.

So what does all this have to do with Microsoft' Bing 411 and the Palm Pre? Everything. These two announcements bring the use of cell phones closer to becoming prosthetic knowledge. Just imagine if the Web 3.0 I described were available today, and accessible via Bing 411 or Palm Pre's Universal Search. If you can imagine that, you'll envision just a tiny glimpse of what's coming in just a few years. (Of course, by then, everything will be much more powerful.)

All trends, including the improvement of voice-recognition services like Bing 411 and search tools like Palm Pre's Universal Search, plus the Web 3.0, add up to cell phones, not PCs, becoming the dominant tool we use for accessing knowledge of any kind.