Intel says we're close to a very cool future for mobile devicesPersonal digital assistants, cell phones, smart phones--whatever you want to call them--keep getting smaller, thinner, and lighter. Congrats to the engineers who keep coming up with this stuff, but I'm going blind trying to keep up with them.
"Anytime, anywhere connectivity"Some attempts to answer those questions will come out of the developer forum Intel is hosting this week in Shanghai, China, where the company will provide updates about the progress made by its researchers. In particular, Intel has been trying to find new ways to extend the intelligence of personal devices. The company's marketing term for this is "anytime, anywhere connectivity."OK, it's corny, but while this remains a work in progress, things are getting interesting. With enough computation resources and built-in sensors, Intel says a device could connect to the Internet via wide-area connectivity and sense physical motion (a la the Nintendo Wii), wirelessly dock with a nearby display in an office, or store and "borrow" the use of a bigger display. I recall sitting through sundry Comdex video keynotes, in which "tech visionaries" promised a future where regular folks would be able to easily do similar things, beaming business cards or enacting transactions wirelessly. To date, the performance hasn't come close to the hype, but Kevin Kahn, who directs Intel's communications technology lab, says the pieces are finally coming together. Kahn allowed that one big issue in the field of sensor research remains how to accurately interpret data so a device can recognize an activity, mood, or physical item. Still, he said, the research is bearing fruit. "One and a half years ago, this was entirely a PowerPoint presentation," he told me before leaving to attend the IDF conference. "Now, a lot of pieces are becoming real in a lab sense. We're looking at technologies which will be very real." "Obviously, the screen's a limit in terms of the visuals," he added. "Certainly, you can access the Internet but you have to be careful. Some sites don't render well on small screens. So we've been looking in the labs at what would be a more idealized version of mobility." Moving onIn Shanghai, Intel will demo a multi-band, power-efficient CMOS transceiver, with the ultimate aim being a true digital multi radio. But this will involve a lot more work on multi-radio integration and miniaturization, as well as the resolution of authentication questions so that a device knows that display X is the one where you want to display your data, and not some random screen.Beyond any technical hurdles, Intel also will face industry politics: The consumer electronics and computer businesses don't have a great history of talking to each other. But as fragmented as it often seems, the PC side has done a marvelous job when it comes to agreeing upon standards. When it comes to the consumer electronics business, well, just look at the pile of television remote controls piling up on your coffee table. But Kahn says 2011 or 2012 is a realistic time frame. If so, we're going to find ways to use everyday personal digital devices in very cool and unexpected ways. "I'm going to be in China," he said. "If I have camera and an Internet connection, I ought to be able to point that device and ask, 'What does that say?' and get back an answer in a sensible way." Via "Coop's Corner" blog at CNET News.com
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ferdiei says...
YES it would be too cool. imagine your grandpa/grandma & ordinary folks having their lives changed by this computing world...on the sidelines, but it is just too worrying until what technology could bring us into the future, with the fear & real havoc brought about by Global-Warming today. more companies should commit themselves to the reduction of pollutants & continue to strive in reducing these, while individuals must play a part by becoming responsible owners of EVERY bit of electronic devices.
Apr 01, 2008 17:08
YES it would be too cool. imagine your grandpa/grandma & ordinary folks having their lives changed by this computing world...on the sidelines, but it is just too worrying until what technology could bring us into the future, with the fear & real havoc brought about by Global-Warming today. more companies should commit themselves to the reduction of pollutants & continue to strive in reducing these, while individuals must play a part by becoming responsible owners of EVERY bit of electronic devices.
Apr 01, 2008 17:08
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