Image: adamgreenfield | Flickr
THE PROMISE OF UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING
When discussing the topic of ubiquitous computing, there is a particular author that really stands out — his name is Adam Greenfield. In his book Everyware: The Dawinng Age of Ubiquitous Computing
Everyware is an attempt to describe the form computing will take in the next few years. Specifically, it’s about a vision of processing power so distributed throughout the environment that computers per se effectively disappear. (1)
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In everyware, all the information we now look to our phones or Web browsers to provide becomes accessible from just about anywhere, at any time, and is delivered in a manner appropriate to our location and context. (1)
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The vision is, without doubt, a lovely one: deeply humane, even compassionate. But getting from here to there may prove unexpectedly difficult. (1)
Ubiquitous computing holds much promise in certain ways; yet, it seems that it can fall short in others. As evolution brings us toward environments where there are a multitude of computers per person, it seems that such smart environments can indeed “streamline” our lives. The problem emerges; however, when we consider how this all might actually work.
HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTTER?
As more and more data is collected to help computers help us, privacy quickly becomes a major concern. Also important is how we plan to make “sense” this data, as sensors and actuating devices work together to “simplify” our lives. Because of such major issues, designers need to start establishing Read more
