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 John Blackford |
| Even homes without a computer are really filled with computers. The digital devices just don't have keyboards and screens, since they're buried inside stereos, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens, and almost anything else that plugs into the wall or runs on batteries. Today, these chips are silent, isolated islands. Tomorrow, they'll be jabbering back and forth, helping to make life a lot easier for us humans.
Wireless-communications technology is wrapping the earth in layer upon layer of interconnectivity. And those tiny chips embedded in everyday gadgets will keep getting more powerful, like their more famous cousins inside computers. Soon, the anonymous chips will get smart--and be aware of their silicon neighbors, thanks to integrated sensors and wireless telecom systems. Their transmissions won't carry very far, but that's O.K. The bedroom clock will just need to reach the phone to check on traffic patterns and flight schedules before deciding whether it should fiddle with its alarm time. When your rechargeable toothbrush detects signs of a cavity, it can send signals through the electrical wiring and get your electronic daybook to consult with your dentist's digital appointment book, then display a few options on the bathroom mirror. Software agents will roam the wireless Web, autonomously managing most routine business and household chores. Should a product-design problem come up at work, your smart-card companion will be informed, and it will activate the display circuits in the paint on the nearest wall so you won't have to make do with your 17-inch foldup display. Welcome to tomorrow's world of embedded intelligence. |