The wristwatch as a mobile ICT device...
Increasingly, we are seeing convergence of functionality - one device to do all. Yet the bundling can make the devices less reliable.
WiFi not a good networking technology because it has a very short range but it can be supplemented by cellular communication networks.
Telecommunications Protocols
Primary: 2G, 3G - GPRMS, UMTS, WiMAX etc - give roaming access that merges voice and IP access.
Secondary: WiFi - cheaper, faster, and more reliable but need to be close to repeater station.
GPS
24 statellites in medium Earth orbit (20,000 km altitude) arranged in 6 orbital planes, each with 4 satellites. Satellites broadcast time-stamped messages to calculate time-difference between sending and recieving. You can then calculate distances to satellite if you know the satellites position. GPS uses distance rather than direction.
Each added function brings new possibilities:
Mic+camera+environmental sensors = baby monitor.
You can add network connectivity to personal devices to make them interpersonal. Even off-line devices can store information to be up-loaded to network later.
Bad Things are Happening!
Loss/damage/theft - if you keep all your personal information on your handy-dandy mobile computing device and you lose it - you lose everything. Not only this but the person who finds it finds everything. This is clearly a huge wind-fall for the cyberstalkers but not so good for you. Unless, of course, you wish to be cyberstalked. Actually, it is a windfall for regular stalkers as well...
No comments:
Post a Comment