With all the gloom in the global economy, I got to wondering whether there is anything else going on in the world of business. I'm looking for growth because I think that's what will ultimately bring the economy out of the doldrums. Not surprisingly, that growth is coming from technology companies. In Growth Matters, I look at consumer technology companies that point the way to growth trends -- and in the process introduce services and products you may want to explore.

Do you like the idea of watching videos on your mobile? How about shooting your own videos and sharing them with friends? If that sounds good, Transpera may be the service for you. According to Transpera's CEO, Frank Barbieri, in January 2009, Transpera's "traffic increased to the highest day ever. It was up by a third [in the last week of the month]. Two years ago, I was sitting on the couch writing a business plan for mobile video at Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT). I was talking with a private equity firm that suggested that video on the phone would create significant change, and new technology including 3G and new handsets would change the delivery of video."