Old way: You travel around looking for a Wi-Fi hotspot or other way to connect your laptop to the Internet.
New way: The Internet is everywhere and embedded in everything, from laptops and smartphones to intelligent alarm clocks and home infrastructure.
Soon it won't be just desktop and laptop computers and mobile devices that will connect to the Internet. It also will be myriad other devices, ranging from video cameras to heating and cooling systems at home. And access will be available from virtually anywhere.
Ubiquitous connectivity is already becoming a reality. Even medium-sized U.S. cities, for instance, have 3G data service offered by cellular operators, which provides typical speeds of about 500 Kbps. In addition to 3G, mobile broadband technologies such as mobile WiMAX will start being deployed widely in the next year. In other words, it won't be long before devices can be connected from virtually anywhere. The presence and location capabilities described above can also be integrated into these newly connected devices, according to our experts.
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• Pay By Phone • Commanding Presence • Internet Everywhere, In Everything • Ubiquitous Media • Remote Health Monitoring • People Tracking |
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Embedding the Internet into all manner of items is not a new idea. Several years ago, appliance manufacturers were showing off Internet-connected refrigerators, microwave ovens, and the like. At the time, they were touting applications such as the ability for the refrigerator to sense when, say, you are almost out of milk. It could then, in that early vision, automatically order more milk for home delivery.
However, things have changed since then, the experts agree. More useful applications are being developed. "Using the current 3G network, there are [potential] opportunities to interact with appliances in the home," said Karen Lurker, NTT DoCoMo's U.S. communications manager. "You could switch your burglar alarm on or off or have an alert sent to your handset if the burglar alarm goes off."
A service called Roborior has already emerged in Japan; a robot armed with wireless cameras enables users to monitor their home while they are away. If it senses a break-in, Roborior calls homeowners' cell phones to alert them.
In the future, Lurker said, systems are likely to emerge that can be set to automatically cool the house down (or warm it up, depending on the season) when you are a certain distance from home. Some vendors are starting to make home infrastructure applications available that work via text messaging, not only for heating and cooling systems but also for items such as burglar alarm systems. And at least one vendor offers control of ovens via cell phones so that you can start the cooking process before you get home.
When these new applications will be widely available remains to be seen, our experts say. But all the pieces are falling into place.
