The evolution of equipment and devices has already proven the trend : everything becomes digital. Cameras, telephones, TVs, radios, … The continuous miniaturization, the constant improvement in power consumption, batteries, memories, screens, user interfaces, chips etc make this trend unstoppable, so it seems today.
Good things will clearly come out of it. New uses, new means, new services. Improved healthcare for people at home. Distant learning for disabled people. Domotics, intelligent buildings, electricic grid, DIY power generation, remote maintenance of home electronics, etc.
And we will see many more sensors at home. We already have those for burglar alarm systems. But we will see more built in the cell phone or MP3 player for example. Chips with GPS + movement tracking (gyroscopes) already exist, the size of an euro coin. The chip will be able to calculate your exact location when temporarily out of GPS coverage (inside thus), such that your cell phone will be able to indicate this to whoever should know it.
Devices will become so small that some talk about “intelligent dust”. Self powered with built-in solar cells, of course. Compared to IBMs water cooled mainframes in the ‘70ies, we have gone a long way, and the road ahead is still very long.
And we will need communication networks. Everywhere. Wired or wireless. As these small devices will start to talk, we will see many more sources of wireless radiotion as well. Since it is short range communications, it is low power and will not be of big health impact.
Where do you see new devices in your world ? Allowing which new applications and services ?
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Posted by: Jonathan Beesoon
@J-M-Stas: Devices on their own have a lot of potential and I am glad you tout about them. However to my sense, application and data is the key! i.e. What can a GPS chip device do without a software and valuable maps with as much information on terrain topology etc. I indeed see that all objects will be interactive but they only will be more that fun and sci-fi when valuable data is in use. an example is I meet you and I can with natural gestures have a picture of you, search for you, know your curriculum and interact with you accordingly - or I take a product in a shop and have review instantly about it from all sorts of social nets. In a couple of words the devices will always be exciting, expensive at launch time and commodities in short/medium term.
The value is in the data !
Posted by: Jean-Marie Stas
Jonathan,
I totally agree with you : it is device + software + data.
But we also face an evolution whereby the devices become smaller and smaller, self powered, and omnipresent.
Question is then : how far can we go ?
Cheers and thanks for the reaction.
Posted by: Jonathan Beesoon
@J-M-Stas: this is more of a philosophical question than technological one. Technology wise there are no limits or boundaries that cannot be cross. Ethically speaking we will face more challenges in addressing privacy, compliance, safety, liberty.. but also will will live in a world with a mega-ghetto for those having no access (or refusing access ) to technology. Are we ready for this ! has our education evolve in order to prepare our kids for this type of world? are we questionning ourselves? IMHO: Not enough; We are living in a world of momentum and most of us watch it passively…