Wireless Thoughts

This just sort of popped into my head. I'll be short.

I'm so focused on the details of wireless and mobile technology lately that I haven't looked up at all at really what's happening. Yes, Bluetooth and WiFi and 3G technologies are all cool and wonderful, but the *most* cool of all is just the concept. "Wire"+"less". Our information is finally getting untethered and *we're never going back*.

Who knows what's going to happen in a year: Which spec will win against which and which company will take advantage of the new technologies the best and all that... What is for certain is that we're all going to become more and more and more and more wireless. There's no going back. We've crossed the line. The future which seemed like science fiction is now only a matter of time. There's a real difference there. We can all imagine flying at WARP speed across the galaxy, but in reality its far beyond what we know today to accomplish. Back in Dick Tracy's day, they could imagine video conferencing from a video-watch-phone, but the technology was decades away from being real. Well, now it's here and its real.

Once you start following the dots of smaller computers that are always connected everywhere, it's incredible what happens. Information becomes ubiquitous and people are always present. "Where's Mom?" you'll ask into the air, and your Mom will be located and her availability to talk will be instantly beamed to you (why? Because she gave you permission for all that). Then you say, "Hey Mom, what are you doing?" Into your paper thin wrist-band and your Mom's face will show up where there once was a clock face and you can chat with her like she's next door. But she's in her garden in New England and you're on a boat in California. But that doesn't matter. It's not a phone call any more. The person doesn't have to stop to chat. It's Ubiquitous Multimedia Instant Messaging.

And more... that's only Person to Person. Think about what's going to happen when you combine ubiquitous wireless technology to Person to Machine and Machine to Machine interactions as well. Cars that drive themselves, all the world's books at your fingertips, every video game, every movie, every tv show, every where you go.

It's all within sight now, whereas before it was just this sci fi dream. It's cool stuff to think about.

Okay... back to reality.

-Russ

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