Praise for Consumer Gadgets “This book is perfect for the technologically curious— those wanting to know about the technology behind the things we call gadgets. As a technologist specializing in telematics, I was delighted reading about the technology behind other consumer gadgets.” —Dave Acton, Director, Global Telematics Portfolio Planning, General Motors Corporation “...Nick Evans covers a lot of technical subject matter and at the same time makes it understandable for the everyday consumer. It is a great ‘how-to’ resource for every household….” —Jerry Grossman, Vice President, Marketing Consumer Digital Products & Compact Cameras, Nikon, Inc. “Nick Evans’ insights into current and future applications of technology are second to none. With the visibility he has into the uses of leading-edge technology among the biggest and brightest corporate technologists, he has built up an impressive level of knowledge and expertise. It is this experience and insight that lends great credibility to his latest work on some of the most compelling technology advancements for consumers. This book is authoritative and comprehensive, but it features an appropriate level of skepticism to prevent consumers from rushing headlong into purchasing the latest gadgets without understanding some of the challenges that come with them.” —Tom Smith, Editor, CMP Media, InternetWeek.com “Many gadgets can complicate life with technology for technology’s sake. But some can add real value, simplicity, and ease of use. Nick Evans’ new book points out some of today’s and tomorrow’s winners in this must-have, benefit-oriented read for the gadget-inclined.” —Carl James Yankowski, Former President of Sony Electronics & CEO of Palm, Inc.
Consumer Gadgets 50 Ways to Have Fun and Simplify Your Life with Today’s Technology . . . and Tomorrow’s
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Consumer Gadgets 50 Ways to Have Fun and Simplify Your Life with Today’s Technology . . . and Tomorrow’s
Nicholas D. Evans
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A Cataloging-in-Publication data record for this book can be obtained from the Library of Congress.
Editorial/production supervision: Nicholas Radhuber Cover design director: Jerry Votta Cover design: Talar Boorujy Interior design: Meg VanArsdale Manufacturing buyer: Alexis Heydt-Long Executive editor: Jim Boyd Editorial assistant: Linda Ramagnano Marketing manager: Laura Bulcher
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FINANCIAL TIMES PRENTICE HALL BOOKS For more information, please go to www.ft-ph.com Business and Technology Sarv Devaraj and Rajiv Kohli The IT Payoff: Measuring the Business Value of Information Technology Investments Nicholas D. Evans Business Agility: Strategies for Gaining Competitive Advantage through Mobile Business Solutions Nicholas D. Evans Business Innovation and Disruptive Technology: Harnessing the Power of Breakthrough Technology…for Competitive Advantage Nicholas D. Evans Consumer Gadgets: 50 Ways to Have Fun and Simplify Your Life with Today's Technology…and Tomorrow’s Faisal Hoque The Alignment Effect: How to Get Real Business Value Out of Technology Thomas Kern, Mary Cecelia Lacity, and Leslie P. Willcocks Netsourcing: Renting Business Applications and Services Over a Network Ecommerce Dale Neef E-procurement: From Strategy to Implementation Economics David Dranove What’s Your Life Worth? Health Care Rationing…Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Decides? David R. Henderson The Joy of Freedom: An Economist’s Odyssey Jonathan Wight Saving Adam Smith: A Tale of Wealth, Transformation, and Virtue Entrepreneurship Oren Fuerst and Uri Geiger From Concept to Wall Street David Gladstone and Laura Gladstone Venture Capital Handbook: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Raising Venture Capital, Revised and Updated Erica Orloff and Kathy Levinson, Ph.D. The 60-Second Commute: A Guide to Your 24/7 Home Office Life Jeff Saperstein and Daniel Rouach Creating Regional Wealth in the Innovation Economy: Models, Perspectives, and Best Practices
Finance Aswath Damodaran The Dark Side of Valuation: Valuing Old Tech, New Tech, and New Economy Companies Kenneth R. Ferris and Barbara S. Pécherot Petitt Valuation: Avoiding the Winner’s Curse International Business Fernando Robles, Françoise Simon, and Jerry Haar Winning Strategies for the New Latin Markets Investments Harry Domash Fire Your Stock Analyst! Analyzing Stocks on Your Own Philip Jenks and Stephen Eckett, Editors The Global-Investor Book of Investing Rules: Invaluable Advice from 150 Master Investors Charles P. Jones Mutual Funds: Your Money, Your Choice. Take Control Now and Build Wealth Wisely D. Quinn Mills Buy, Lie, and Sell High: How Investors Lost Out on Enron and the Internet Bubble John Nofsinger and Kenneth Kim Infectious Greed: Restoring Confidence in America’s Companies John R. Nofsinger Investment Blunders (of the Rich and Famous)…And What You Can Learn from Them John R. Nofsinger Investment Madness: How Psychology Affects Your Investing…And What to Do About It Leadership Jim Despain and Jane Bodman Converse And Dignity for All: Unlocking Greatness through Values-Based Leadership Marshall Goldsmith, Vijay Govindarajan, Beverly Kaye, and Albert A. Vicere The Many Facets of Leadership Frederick C. Militello, Jr., and Michael D. Schwalberg Leverage Competencies: What Financial Executives Need to Lead Eric G. Stephan and Wayne R. Pace Powerful Leadership: How to Unleash the Potential in Others and Simplify Your Own Life
Management Dr. Judith M. Bardwick Seeking the Calm in the Storm: Managing Chaos in Your Business Life J. Stewart Black and Hal B. Gregersen Leading Strategic Change: Breaking Through the Brain Barrier William C. Byham, Audrey B. Smith, and Matthew J. Paese Grow Your Own Leaders: How to Identify, Develop, and Retain Leadership Talent David M. Carter and Darren Rovell On the Ball: What You Can Learn About Business from Sports Leaders Subir Chowdhury Organization 21C: Someday All Organizations Will Lead this Way Subir Chowdhury The Talent Era: Achieving a High Return on Talent James W. Cortada Making the Information Society: Experience, Consequences, and Possibilities Ross Dawson Living Networks: Leading Your Company, Customers, and Partners in the Hyper-connected Economy Robert B. Handfield, Ph.d, and Ernest L. Nichols Supply Chain Redesign: Transforming Supply Chains into Integrated Value Systems Harvey A. Hornstein The Haves and the Have Nots: The Abuse of Power and Privilege in the Workplace… and How to Control It Robin Miller The Online Rules of Successful Companies: The Fool-Proof Guide to Building Profits Fergus O’Connell The Competitive Advantage of Common Sense: Using the Power You Already Have Richard W. Paul and Linda Elder Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Professional and Personal Life Matthew Serbin Pittinsky, Editor The Wired Tower: Perspectives on the Impact of the Internet on Higher Education W. Alan Randolph and Barry Z. Posner Checkered Flag Projects: 10 Rules for Creating and Managing Projects that Win, Second Edition Stephen P. Robbins The Truth About Managing People…And Nothing but the Truth Ronald Snee and Roger Hoerl Leading Six Sigma: A Step-by-Step Guide Based on Experience with GE and Other Six Sigma Companies Jerry Weissman Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story
Marketing Michael Basch CustomerCulture: How FedEx and Other Great Companies Put the Customer First Every Day Deirdre Breakenridge Cyberbranding: Brand Building in the Digital Economy Jonathan Cagan and Craig M. Vogel Creating Breakthrough Products: Innovation from Product Planning to Program Approval James W. Cortada 21st Century Business: Managing and Working in the New Digital Economy Al Lieberman, with Patricia Esgate The Entertainment Marketing Revolution: Bringing the Moguls, the Media, and the Magic to the World Tom Osenton Customer Share Marketing: How the World’s Great Marketers Unlock Profits from Customer Loyalty Yoram J. Wind and Vijay Mahajan, with Robert Gunther Convergence Marketing: Strategies for Reaching the New Hybrid Consumer Public Relations Gerald R. Baron Now Is Too Late: Survival in an Era of Instant News Deirdre Breakenridge and Thomas J. DeLoughry The New PR Toolkit: Strategies for Successful Media Relations Strategy Thomas L. Barton, William G. Shenkir, and Paul L. Walker Making Enterprise Risk Management Pay Off: How Leading Companies Implement Risk Management Henry A. Davis and William W. Sihler Financial Turnarounds: Preserving Enterprise Value
Contents
Preface xvii Acknowledgments xxi
Part I Today’s Technology 1 1
Getting High-Speed Connections: Broadband Internet 4
2
Getting Wireless Connections: Wireless Local Area Networking 8
3
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Toshiba Pocket PC 13
4
Combining Mobile Phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Smartphones 18
5
Personalizing Your Cell Phone: Ring Tones and Images 23 xi
xii Consumer Gadgets
6
Keeping One Phone Number across the Globe: World Phones 27
7
Single Log-In and Profiles: Microsoft .NET Passport and the Liberty Alliance 32
8
Increasing Your Security: Fingerprint Readers and Facial Recognition 37
9
Remote-Control Software for Your PC: GoToMyPC 41
10 Using Voice-Activated Services: PCS Voice Command from Sprint 46 11 Communicating via Instant Messaging: Nokia Communicator 50 12 Receiving Alerts and Notifications: Microsoft .NET Alerts 55 13 Using Voice over the Internet: Groove Networks 59 14 Video Conferencing with Your PC: WebEx 63 15 In-Car Safety and Security: OnStar 68
Contents xiii
16 In-Car Information and Entertainment: OnStar and MobileAria 73 17 Finding Your Way: Magellan Meridian GPS Receivers 77 18 Tracking the Kids: Wherify GPS Personal Locator 81 19 Taking Digital Photos: Nikon Coolpix 86 20 Viewing Digital Photos: Microsoft TV Photo Viewer 92 21 Filming with Digital Video 96 22 Camera Phones: Sprint PCS Vision 100 23 Sharing Images, Audio, and Video over the Web: Kazaa 105 24 Making Your Own Digital Recordings: CD and DVD Recorders 109 25 Listening to Digital Music: MP3 Players 113 26 Tuning in to Satellite Radio: XM and Sirius 117 27 Watching Digital Television: HDTV 123
xiv Consumer Gadgets
28 Digital Video Recording: TiVo, ReplayTV, and UltimateTV 128 29 Multiplayer Online Gaming: PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox 132 30 Printing from Your Mobile Device: ThinMail and PrintMe Networks 136 31 The Next-Generation Laptop: Tablet PCs 140 32 Simplifying Convenience Payments: ExxonMobil Speedpass 145 33 Securing Internet Shopping: American Express Blue 150 34 Shopping with Your Mobile Phone: Digital Wallets 154 35 Simplifying Shopping with Self-Checkout: NCR FastLane 158 Part II Tomorrow’s Technology 162 36 Connecting Your Home: Internet Home Alliance 164 37 Networking Using the Phone Line: HomePNA 169
Contents xv
38 Networking Using the Electrical System: HomePlug Powerline Alliance 173 39 Using Many Devices with One Connection: Personal Mobile Gateways 177 40 Talking to Your Mobile Device: Spoken Language Understanding 181 41 Using New Visual Interfaces: 3D Desktops 184 42 Artificial Intelligence and Computers that See: Intelligent Messaging 189 43 Digital Pen and Paper 193 44 Using Virtual Tours: Augmented Reality 197 45 Your Own Personal Robot: Honda ASIMO 201 46 Working with Virtual Keyboards: Electronic Perception 206 47 Objects that Communicate: Smart Labels and Electronic Product Codes 210 48 The Personal Transporter: Segway Human Transporter 215
xvi Consumer Gadgets
49 Fuel Cell and Drive-By-Wire Cars: General Motors Hy-wire 219 50 Next-Generation Transportation: The Moller Skycar 223 Appendix: References and Web Sites 227 Index 239 About the Author 250
Preface
D
espite the rapid rise and fall of the Internet economy, one thing is certain: Today we are seeing more and more tech gadgets being made available to inform us, entertain us, help us communicate with one another, and generally assist us in our daily living. We are experiencing the rise of ubiquitous computing. Computers are becoming embedded in everyday objects, and the personal computer is moving from the office into almost every other room in the house. Computers are helping us achieve more with our televisions, with our entertainment systems, with our cameras and videos, and with our personal digital assistants (PDAs). They are becoming embedded in our cars as well as our homes, helping us stay informed, be entertained, or be more productive with work. A decade or so ago, the only challenge for consumers in the world of technical gadgets and gizmos was to figure out how to program the VCR, set the date and time on digital watches, or install Microsoft’s Windows on a personal computer. Today, there are gadgets for keeping track of the kids, for communicating wirelessly, for navigating in xvii
xviii Consumer Gadgets
the car, for shopping without cash or credit cards, for securing Internet payments with smartcards, for typing without a physical keyboard, for digitally rewinding TV shows, and much more. Many of these gadgets are so new that most of us don’t even know they’re available. We may be masters at some of these tools via our hobbies, but we’re often unaware of the others, or have become slaves to them because of their novelty. Keen photographers know about digital cameras and digital video recorders, but do they know about voice-enabled PDAs, multimedia messaging or virtual keyboards? Keen music fans know all about MP3 players, but do they know about radio frequency identification key tags for making wireless purchases at convenience stores? Heavy computer users know about collaboration over the Internet and about wireless local area networks (LANs) but do they know about handheld global positioning system (GPS) receivers? This book was written as a way to help address this problem, to explore the benefits behind some of the new consumer gadgets on the market and to provide a glimpse of some of the ones to come. Rather than a product review or technical discussion, however, the goal of the book is simply to explore the merits of some recent innovations of which we may not be aware, but that can help us in our daily lives and activities. The book takes an activity-centered approach to show how you can have fun and simplify your life by using some of these new consumer gadgets. The basic philosophy of the book, therefore, is to explain what the activity is, what the relevant gadget is, and how you can benefit from it. I also touch on how the gadget works, but more at an operational or process level with step-by-step instructions rather than at a technical level. For example, if you want to know how you can keep track of the kids, there’s a section in the book on how to do this, why it may be beneficial to you, what gadgets are available, and where to seek further information. The book is divided into two major parts. The first part, “Today’s Technology,” describes consumer gadgets that are commercially available now. These are 35 activities that can help you have fun and simplify your life by using new gadgets or by using well-known gadgets in new ways. The second part, “Tomorrow’s Technology,” describes some consumer gadgets that will appear soon in a store near you.
Preface xix
These are some of the technologies coming out of research labs, or are in prototype stages or in early adoption, that may soon become embedded in everyday devices and objects. Each profile within the book is self-contained, so if you see a topic that catches your eye, you can jump right to it instead of having to read through the prior topics. If you want to read from cover to cover, however, you’ll find that the book starts out with the essential communications capabilities, such as broadband Internet and wireless local area networks, and then works progressively through various themes related to digital content, collaboration, and commerce. There’s a lot of ground covered in the book, and choosing the top fifty activities and their related gadgets and services was a hard task. I hope that you find value in many of the activities discussed and are able to benefit personally from the glimpse into the advantages and capabilities that these new solutions can provide. If any one of these solutions helps you save time or money, or simply helps you have more fun, then this book has served its purpose.
Acknowledgments
I owe a great deal of thanks to the people and products that have inspired me in the world of consumer gadgets—the executives and media relations contacts, some old friends and some new acquaintances, who have expressed interest and enthusiasm for this project and have provided trial devices for review. In particular, I’d like to thank (in alphabetical order by company) Michael Merrick and Terry Sullivan (General Motors); May Baccari, Maureen Farley, Eric Horvitz, and Peter Wootton (Microsoft); Caroline Leigh (NCR); Meredith Gordon and Amy Podurgiel (Nikon); Keith Nowak (Nokia); Carla Vallone (Segway); and Nancy Sherrer and Cindy Voss (Sprint PCS). I’d like to thank Jim Boyd, Executive Editor at Financial Times Prentice Hall, for his interest in bringing this idea to fruition and for his wise advice and support every step of the way. I’d also like to thank Talar Boorujy, Scott Carter, Gail Cocker-Bogusz, Nick Radhuber, and Jerry Votta for their great work on the production side. xxi
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Finally, I’d like to thank my wife, Michele, and my sons, Andrew and David, for their patience with me and for allowing me to take family time on evenings and weekends in order to put this book together. Without your encouragement and support, this book would not have been possible. Readers who would like to correspond with the author can contact him at
[email protected].
Part I
Today’s Technology
T
oday’s technology includes a wealth of products and services that are often even more amazing than some of the gadgets we see in the movies. These products and services are also readily accessible to us as consumers, often as close as our nearest electronics store or a few clicks on the Internet. Although we are well familiar with many of these products and services, such as digital cameras, smartphones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs), many other products and services are less familiar or are used by just a fraction of the population. Examples of items gaining visibility and strong interest among consumers include in-car telematics systems for safety, information, and entertainment; global positioning system (GPS) receivers and personal locators for determining your location or the whereabouts of your kids; satellite radio stations providing commercial-free CD-quality programming; high-definition televisions providing high-resolution images free of distortion; digital video recorders providing the ability to fast-forward through commercials; multiplayer online 1
2 Today’s Technology
games taking video gaming to the next level; tablet personal computers providing increased mobility and ease-of-use; and various wireless devices for more convenient payments while we are on the go. Part I of this book aims to walk you through the highlights and benefits of this broad and diverse collection of today’s consumer technology, from the basics of services such as broadband Internet and wireless local area networks, to the wide range of devices and services available for online collaboration, working with digital content, and conducting electronic commerce in the home, at the office, and even in your car. We start off with a look at how to get connected and explain the pros and cons behind broadband Internet and wireless local area networking for the home or office. For the frequent traveler or mobile professional, we look at some of the latest PDAs, smartphones (which blur the lines between mobile phones and PDAs), and world phones, which allow you to keep one number across the globe. Next we look at how to secure your connections by using advanced techniques such as biometrics and single sign-on, technologies that employ devices such as fingerprint readers, facial recognition systems, and services such as Microsoft’s .NET Passport for managing your online profile. If you need access to a remote computer when away from the office or traveling, the discussion on remote-control software for your PC will be of interest. Other communication-related coverage includes using voice-activated services with your mobile phone, communicating via instant messaging, receiving alerts and notifications, using voice over the Internet, and video conferencing with your PC. In this section, we’ll look at various offerings from companies such as Sprint, Nokia, Microsoft, Groove Networks, and WebEx. Our section on location-based services includes a look at services such as OnStar from a safety, security, and information and entertainment perspective, and also examines the offerings of companies such as Thales Navigation and Wherify related to GPS positioning. These GPS devices allow you to determine your location to within a few meters at any point on the earth. They can also be used to help monitor the whereabouts of your kids should they become lost or require assistance. Our look at digital content includes sections on the benefits, usage scenarios, and considerations related to digital photography, digital video, camera phones, peer-to-peer Internet file sharing, making digital
Today’s Technology
3
recordings with CD and DVD recorders, digital music and MP3 players, satellite radio, digital television, digital video recorders, and multiplayer online gaming. Some of the companies covered in this section include Nikon, Microsoft, Sprint, Kazaa, Apple, XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, TiVo and Xbox. We also look at how digital content such as documents and images can be printed and faxed directly from wireless devices by using services such as ThinMail and PrintMe Networks. Part I concludes with a look at the new breed of tablet PCs and some of the electronic commerce mechanisms available to make online or physical shopping more convenient. Tablet PCs may one day replace the traditional laptop and provide a superset of the laptop functionality that we enjoy today. They offer increased ease-of-use and portability, allowing the tablet PC to accompany us while on the road and in meetings, and to support a wider range of ways to interact with our machines by using digital pen and ink. On the electronic commerce side, we take a look at the ExxonMobil Speedpass, the American Express Blue credit card, various forms of digital wallet that simplify purchases made via your mobile phone, and the selfcheckout registers appearing at many of our familiar retailers. By the end of Part I, it should be clear that today’s technology is transforming how we collaborate, how we capture and exchange information and multimedia content with one another, and how we conduct business and go about our daily lives. The convergence of all these devices and services is already happening, and you’ll see many examples of cameras that are also phones, phones that are also PDAs, entertainment systems that are also computers, and much more. This look at the latest in today’s technology will help to prepare you for Part II of the book, which describes some of the even more exciting gadgets to come.
Today’s Technology
1 Getting High-Speed Connections: Broadband Internet
A
vital part of being able to use some of today’s hottest technologies and gadgets is a broadband connection to the Internet. Although getting connected is a somewhat mundane topic, we start here because it’s a basic requirement for us to get the most out of the more sexy gadgets that I profile in the upcoming pages. Having a broadband Internet connection will enable you to communicate and collaborate more easily with friends and business associates, and send and receive emails, photographs, music, videos, and other new forms of information with ease. We also begin here because many of us are still tied to slower dialup connections and may be looking to evaluate the best options for broadband service. Three of the most popular forms of broadband connection are cable modem, integrated services digital network (ISDN), and digital subscriber line (DSL). With any of these, you get the benefit of a faster connection plus always-on connectivity to the Internet. The benefit of this always-on connectivity is that there’s no
4
Getting High-Speed Connections: Broadband Internet
5
waiting for dialups to get connected; you simply open your browser and begin accessing the Internet. In terms of access speed, a broadband connection is generally defined as one that runs at over 200 kbps (kilobits per second) in both directions for uploading and downloading. This is a significant improvement over standard dialup connections which go up to only 56 kbps.
How It Works Cable modem is a popular choice for broadband Internet service. It runs over the standard coaxial cable that delivers cable television to your home. The cable modem converts the cable connection from the cable wall outlet to a standard Ethernet connection for your computer. Cable modem service is offered by cable providers such as AT&T Broadband and Cox Communications, and has download and upload access speeds of 1–3 megabits per second (Mbps), and 500 kbps to 2.5 Mbps, respectively. DSL is a high-speed Internet service delivered over your existing phone line. It is offered in a variety of packages that have different service levels in terms of their downstream (download) and upstream (upload) access speeds. Downstream access speeds, when you pull content down to your computer, are typically 384 kbps to 1.5 Mbps. Upstream access speeds, when you post information back up to the Internet, are typically 128 kbps to 768 kbps. ISDN is a technology older than cable modem or DSL and is typically more expensive. It runs over the standard telephone line and can be either a dialup connection or always connected. Connection speeds range from 64 kbps upwards depending upon the number of lines you set up. Typical ISDN connections are either 64 kbps or 128 kbps. Each phone line is able to carry 64 kbps, so to gain 128 kbps, you need two separate phone lines into your house from your local telephone company. To connect your computer to ISDN, you need an ISDN router such as the Lucent (Ascend) Pipeline.
6 Today’s Technology
Benefits The general benefits of cable modem, DSL, and ISDN are faster Internet access and always-on connection. This can help you be more productive when accessing the Internet and allow you to download streaming media such as audio and video files. For example, viewing movie trailers online, which is almost impossible over a dialup connection, becomes an easy task over broadband. One of the specific benefits of DSL is that it uses your regular phone line and splits it into a line for voice and a line for data. So if you currently have two telephone lines, one for voice and another for dialup access to the Internet, you may well be able to save money by canceling one of the lines and setting up DSL service on the other.
Features and Considerations One of the benefits of cable modem over ISDN and DSL is that you can often use just one full-service provider such as AT&T Broadband. Prices for cable modem service are typically $40 to $60 per month, which includes a small monthly rental fee for the actual cable modem device. You can also buy your own cable modem to eliminate this additional rental fee. Cable modems are available at most major highstreet electronics retailers. For ISDN and DSL service, subscribers typically require a phone company to provide the telephone line plus an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to provide the Internet connection. These are often two separate companies. ISDN in particular can be very expensive because of the ISP costs. A dedicated 128 kbps ISDN connection often can be $250 per month. DSL service, on the other hand, is much more affordable and has bandwidth superior to ISDN. It is available only in certain areas, however, because homes must be within three cable miles of a participating phone company’s central office. The static Internet Protocol (IP) addresses provided by DSL makes it also suitable for Web site hosting. The same is true for ISDN connections, but because cable
Getting High-Speed Connections: Broadband Internet
7
modem connections do not use static IP addresses, they cannot be used in this manner. Costs for DSL typically fall in the $60 to $120 per month range depending upon the service level you choose. If cable modem or DSL is not available in your area, there is one more alternative. Satellite broadband offers one-way or two-way access to the Internet for people in very remote areas. The one-way service uses a standard dialup line for the upstream direction and a satellite for the downstream direction. The two-way service uses the satellite communications for both upstream and downstream. One of the limitations of the service is that atmospheric conditions such as heavy rain can interrupt the connection. Access speeds are typically 60 kbps upstream and 600 kbps downstream.
Contact Information Service Providers AT&T Broadband, www.attbroadband.com BellSouth, www.bellsouth.com Earthlink, www.earthlink.com MSN Broadband, http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/broadband/default.asp Verizon, www.verizon.net/
Modem Manufacturers Lucent (Ascend), www.lucent.com
Today’s Technology
2 Getting Wireless Connections: Wireless Local Area Networking
0
nce you’ve set up broadband Internet access for your home or office, you may want to add the additional convenience of wireless connectivity. With a wireless connection you can roam around from room to room, or even from floor to floor or outside, without being physically tethered to a particular connection point. If this sounds attractive to you, then you’ll want to look into getting a wireless local area network (LAN) setup. What you need for a wireless LAN is basically a wireless card for your laptop or PDA plus a wireless access point (Figure 2-1). The wireless card is a small card that plugs into your laptop’s personal computer memory card interface adapter (PCMCIA) slot or into your PDA’s sled. The wireless access point takes your wired network and extends it by forming a connection point for any number of wireless devices to hook into. For example, you may want to extend your broadband Internet connection from just your desktop computer or server to other wireless devices as well. In this way, family members
8
Getting Wireless Connections: Wireless Local Area Networking
9
Figure 2-1 Symbol wireless LAN PC card and Access Point. (Source: Symbol Technologies)
can all access the Internet via your broadband connection without having to fight over a single machine.
How It Works To set up your wireless LAN, one of the first steps is to install your wireless access point. A wireless access point serves as a bridge between your wired network and the wireless network. It can also be used in a stand-alone manner to set up an ad-hoc wireless network without the need for any wired network at all. In terms of physical positioning, the wireless access point should be mounted as high as possible for best antenna coverage although placement at any location works well. After you’ve set up the wireless access point, the next step is to plug in your wireless card into your laptop. The steps involved are listed in the following scenario; basically, they involve plugging the card into the laptop’s PCMCIA slot, then simply running through the prompts once Windows 2000, or another suitable operating system, has detected a new hardware device. After that, Internet access is immediate, and you can begin surfing the Web or sending email as
10
Today’s Technology
needed. You can be up and running in a matter of minutes, assuming you have a wireless access point to connect with.
Sample Scenario: Installing a Wireless Card 1. Insert the wireless LAN PC card into your laptop. 2. If you’re using Windows 2000, you’ll get a Found New Hardware dialog box. 3. Using the Found New Hardware wizard, search for the appropriate driver for the device and click Next to continue. 4. Select CD-ROM and Next to continue (assuming the driver software is located on CD-ROM). 5. Allow Windows to find the driver, then click Next to continue. 6. Enter the appropriate ESSID (an identifier that tells your wireless card which wireless network to connect with) in the dialog box and click OK to continue. 7. Click Finish to complete the installation. This example assumes you are using Windows 2000 on your laptop and are installing a Symbol Spectrum24 High Rate Wireless LAN PC Card. The process will be very similar for other types of wireless LAN PC cards as well. Wireless LAN cards typically use the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11b open standard for wireless local area networking. Typical ranges for wireless cards using this standard are up to 1,500 feet outdoors and 300 feet indoors as measured from the wireless access point.
Benefits The main benefit of having a wireless LAN is simply mobility. It allows you to move around and conduct your work wherever you wish. In an office environment, that can be a large productivity boost when you need to get access to the corporate LAN from various meeting rooms or set up ad-hoc wireless networks with your coworkers so you can share information. At home, it can mean the benefit of sitting out in the sun on your back patio, or sitting in the living room with the kids.
Getting Wireless Connections: Wireless Local Area Networking
11
Another benefit with a wireless LAN is that the connection is very fast. Wireless LAN’s typically provide a connection speed of 11Mbps, which is equivalent to most wired LAN speeds, and can even go up to 54 Mbps by using the 802.11a standard. If you attend a conference or are at a hotel or other public area, such as an airport, you may well find that the facility provides wireless access points for you to tap into. In a hotel setting, these can be very useful for high-speed Internet access as opposed to the slower dialup lines often available within the hotel rooms. If your hotel offers this type of connection, you can be much more productive when accessing the Internet and working on email. Many hotels also offer wired broadband connections in the rooms, so you’ll want to check for that option as well.
Features and Considerations To ensure that you get compatible 802.11b products, look for the WiFi logo on the cards and access points that you purchase. This Wi-Fi logo is an official “seal of interoperability” granted to select products by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA). You should also check that your card supports your own operating system on your laptop or PDA. Most cards will support the typical flavors of Windows, including Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows CE 2.11 and 3.0, Windows 2000, and Windows ME. An often-mentioned technical consideration for wireless LANs is their security vulnerabilities. Without the right level of access control, authentication, and encryption, anyone in range of the wireless signals’ dispersion pattern can get onto the network and access your data. The best way to prevent this is to ensure that you turn on the security settings within the wireless access point. These typically can be configured by using a browser and entering an address that corresponds to the wireless access point itself. This is often something such as http://192.168.1.1 and is specified within the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Using the administrative Web pages within the browser, you can then turn the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) setting from its default “disabled” setting to “mandatory.” WEP is a form of encryption that can be used to encrypt your data while in transit over the air. As an additional security consideration, be sure to
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change the wireless access point password from its default setting of something like “admin” to a password that is more secure. Many wireless access points now include built-in routers with four-port switches. The built-in ports allow you to connect a number of standard wired connections via Ethernet in addition to your wireless devices.
Contact Information Wireless LAN Cards & Access Points D-Link Systems, www.d-link.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=22 Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/ products.aspx NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Nokia, www.nokia.com/corporate/wlan/index.html Symbol Technologies, Spectrum24 High Rate Wireless LAN PC Card and Access Point, www.symbol.com
Today’s Technology
3 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Toshiba Pocket PC
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ost of us already own desktop computers and laptops, and many own PDAs such as Palm Pilots. In the last couple of years, another version of the PDA has crept up on Palm’s market share and is becoming widely available across a number of name-brand manufacturers. The Pocket PC is offered by companies such as Audiovox, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard (HP), NEC, Toshiba, and ViewSonic. The Compaq iPAQ and HP Jornada are prime examples and have become highly popular devices in recent years. In this profile, we’ll take a look at the Toshiba Pocket PC e310 with its Pocket PC 2002 software suite. For those of you hanging on to an aging PDA, the goal here is to show some of the new functionality now available in these popular devices.
How It Works The Toshiba Pocket PC e310 (Figure 3-1), in common with other Pocket PCs, runs a version of the Microsoft Windows operating sys13
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Figure 3-1
Toshiba Pocket PC e310 (Source: Toshiba).
tem called Windows CE. It includes software such as Pocket Outlook, Pocket Word, Pocket Excel, File Explorer, and Internet Explorer together with applications such as Microsoft Reader, MSN Messenger, Terminal Services, various games, a calculator, and data backup capability. In addition, it features Windows Media Player for playing Windows Media and MP3 files. The device itself is approximately five inches high by three inches wide, and has a depth of less than half an inch. The color display is three and one-half inches in height and offers 240 x 320 pixel resolution. A built-in microphone, speaker, and stereo headphone jack mean that you can record memos or listen to music. In terms of processing power and memory, the e310 comes equipped with an Intel StrongArm 206MHz processor and 32MB of main memory. The Pocket Outlook application, much like the version of Outlook that you find on your desktop, includes applications for managing your calendar, inbox, contacts, notes, and tasks. Data from your desktop can be synchronized with data on your Pocket PC by using the Microsoft ActiveSync software provided with the device.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Toshiba Pocket PC
15
Sample Scenario: Synchronizing the Toshiba e310 Pocket PC with Your Desktop PC 1. Install Microsoft ActiveSync on your desktop PC by using the CD provided with the Toshiba e310. 2. Connect the e310 to your computer by using the Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable and device cradle provided. 3. Install the device drivers for your e310 hardware. 4. Choose the partnership model to use between your computer and your device. A standard partnership keeps items up-to-date in both places, whereas a guest partnership just copies and moves data instead of keeping data synchronized. 5. Select the synchronization settings in terms of which applications, such as Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer favorites, should be synchronized. 6. Microsoft ActiveSync will automatically connect and synchronize the requested applications with your device.
Benefits The benefits of a PDA include being able to catch up on email, read the latest news, listen to music, chat with friends, do your expense report, and work on various office documents—all while traveling or away from your desk. The synchronization capability means that you can also keep your device up-to-date with the data and files on your desktop PC and even use the PDA as a backup device for your various contacts, calendar items, notes, and tasks. Today’s PDAs have far more functionality than they had several years ago, when they were simple devices for personal information management. Today, they can serve as MP3 players, email devices, word processors, Web browsers, document readers, and much more. In terms of document reading, the Toshiba device offers the Microsoft Reader application, which can be activated to download and install eBooks that have been packaged for secure distribution. Electronic versions of popular books and magazines, eBooks are available for sale on sites such as Amazon.com. Prior to downloading
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an eBook, you’ll need to activate your reader via a Web site and a Microsoft Passport account so that the version of the reader on your device can be associated with your Passport account. In this way, publishers of copyrighted materials can download their content to your device knowing that their material is copy protected and your device is registered. The Pocket PC 2002 also supports the beaming of business card data to and from Palm devices. A Secure Digital (SD) slot allows you to add additional memory to your device or to add a Bluetooth card for wireless connectivity. Going wireless, of course, is one of the main benefits of PDAs, and companies such as Symbol Technologies offer a number of rugged PDAs that support either the Palm or Windows operating systems. Mobile workers or field service professionals using PDAs can capture their information at the point of business activity in the field and then synchronize their devices with the network once they get back to the office.
Features and Considerations The latest generation of PDAs, such as the Toshiba e310 running Microsoft Pocket PC 2002, have a tremendous amount of software and functionality beyond the traditional contacts and calendars that you may expect. Successive generations of these devices have made them lightweight, powerful, and easier to use. Wireless connectivity via Bluetooth or 802.11b means that they can connect to your home or office network and access the Internet with ease. The Pocket PC 2002 also offers virtual private networking (VPN) support for access to corporate networks, and a number of companies offer accessories such as biometric devices for fingerprint verification to keep the data on your device secure in case of loss or theft. If your PDA is showing signs of age, it’s definitely worth checking out some of the latest models. Given their current range of functionality, these devices may well become one of your most prized and most often-used consumer gadgets.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Toshiba Pocket PC
Contact Information Compaq, iPAQ, www.hp.com HP, Jornada, www.hp.com Microsoft, Pocket PC, www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc Palm, www.palm.com Toshiba, e310 Pocket PC, www.toshiba.com
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4 Combining Mobile Phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): Smartphones
N
ow you’ve got your home network up and running with broadband Internet access and perhaps a wireless local area network (LAN) on top, you’re probably ready to take your mobile communications to the next level as well. One of the ways to do this is via one of the newer models of smartphone, a combination mobile phone and PDA. Although smartphones have been with us for several years, they are continuing to improve in functionality and usability. They offer a way to combine the benefits of a mobile phone and a PDA into a single device. Some of the earlier devices were good at being one device or the other but weren’t good at both. PDAs tried to add phone functionality, and phones tried to add PDA functionality. The latest devices are now mature enough that they succeed in both functions. They now offer the expected mobile phone and PDA functionality plus color screens, familiar and easy-to-use operating systems, advanced messaging options, and features such as the ability to listen to music, take digital photos, and download and view video files. 18
Combining Mobile Phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 19
Smartphones provide a way for you to combine all your communication needs into one device so you don’t need a PDA for your calendar and contacts, a mobile phone for voice calls, and a pager for instant messaging. One of the recent smartphones to appear on the market has been the SPV (Sound Pictures Video) launched by Microsoft and Orange in the fall of October 2002. This smartphone, the world’s first powered by Windows, was manufactured by High Tech Corporation (HTC), the makers of the Compaq iPAQ. In this profile, we’ll take a look at the SPV (Figure 4-1; Plate 3) to understand some of the latest functionality and benefits packed into today’s smartphones.
How It Works The SPV features a Microsoft Windows-powered user interface and provides access to applications such as Pocket Outlook, Pocket Internet Explorer, and Windows Media Player. Using Pocket Outlook,
Figure 4-1
Microsoft SPV Smartphone (Source: Microsoft).
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users can synchronize with their Windows-based desktop PC to get their email, calendar, contact, and task information. This synchronization can be achieved over the air without having to connect the phone to the actual desktop. The device also supports the addition of a clip-on camera for photo messaging and the ability to play single- or multiplayer games. The Smartphone runs the Windows CE 3.0 operating system, which is the same operating system used by Microsoft Pocket PC devices such as the Compaq iPAQ. The difference between the Pocket PC devices and the Smartphone is that the Smartphone is a voice-centric handset that has additional data capabilities. Most Pocket PC devices, although they may have wireless modems for Internet and email access, do not support voice calling and are not voice-centric. Other features available in this device include a programmable home screen; personalized capability for ring tones, color schemes, images, and Web favorites; an ActiveSync capability to keep information up-to-date with your PC; MSN Messenger functionality for instant messaging; and additional services provided by the wireless carrier. One of the interesting features offered in the United Kingdom by Orange is the ability to back up contacts and calendar information on the Orange network so that it is safe and can be restored to a new device should you lose your original device.
Benefits One of the benefits of the SPV and the smartphone in general, in addition to it being a combination device, is the ability for users to multitask. Users can perform data operations such as checking their calendar or reading emails while speaking on the phone; a speakerphone makes this possible so that users don’t have to alternate between holding the device up to their ear for voice calls and holding it at waist height so they can navigate data. The inclusion of Windows Media Player means that users can download and play video clips, listen to MP3 music files, listen to music from wireless carrier services, and even listen to Internet radio. Device and software management is another benefit particularly relevant for business users who may wish to manage a large number of devices and applications within their environment.
Combining Mobile Phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) 21
One benefit that will affect the bottom line is that by using a smartphone, you may well be able to leverage just one, instead of two or even three, mobile devices to conduct your business or personal communications. Not only will this cut down your initial purchase costs, but it will also change your monthly service fees, providing you with a single bill for all your voice and data communications.
Features and Considerations Additional manufacturers for the Windows-powered smartphone include Compal, Mitsubishi, Samsung Electronics, and Sendo Ltd. Mobile operators working with Microsoft as trial partners include AT&T Wireless, Telefonica Moviles, Cingular, T-Mobil, Vodafone, Verizon Wireless, Orange, and Telstra. The phones run on Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) networks, and some, such as the SPV, offer tri-band functionality for use across Europe and in the United States. As we shall see in a later profile, this tri-band functionality means that the phones can function as world phones by supporting the 900 MHz, 1800MHz, and 1900MHz bands of various GSM networks throughout the world. Other profiles later in the book cover other aspects of smartphones, including their personalization, instant messaging, photographic, document printing and faxing, and wireless commerce capabilities. Because most of this functionality is finding its way into nextgeneration mobile phones, a good smartphone will also come equipped with these kinds of features in addition to its PDA functionality.
Contact Information Smartphone Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/mobile/smartphone/default.asp
Device Manufacturers Compal, www.compal.com HTC, www.htccorporation.com
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Mitsubishi, www.mitsubishielectric.com Samsung Electronics, www.samsungelectronics.com/ mobile_phone/index.asp Sendo Ltd., www.sendo.com
Wireless Operators AT&T Wireless, www.attws.com Cingular, www.cingular.com Orange, www.orange.com T-Mobile, www.tmobile.com Telefonica Moviles, www.telefonicamoviles.com Telstra, www.telstra.com Verizon Wireless, www.verizon.com Vodafone, www.vodafone.com
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5 Personalizing Your Cell Phone: Ring Tones and Images
M
any of today’s newer cell phones can be personalized by downloading ring tones and images to the handset. Ring tones are typically several bars of popular or classical music that play when someone calls your phone. Images can likewise be downloaded and set to display when a particular person within your phone list calls you or when you initiate a call yourself. To get set up, you’ll need a ring-tone-capable mobile phone and access to text messaging, the Internet, or a phone in order to select and purchase your ring tones. Most major wireless carriers, such as AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Sprint PCS, and Verizon, offer downloadable ring tones from their Web sites, as do some specialized providers such as YourMobile. Phone manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson and Nokia offer ring tone downloads from their sites as well. On Internet ring tone sites, you can preview ring tones by listening to them prior to downloading, select from hundreds of ring tones, or even compose your own custom tunes. Once ordered, the ring tones are sent directly to your mobile phone via the Short Message Service (SMS) 23
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Figure 5-1
Nokia 3360 Mobile Phone (Source: Nokia).
text-messaging protocol. This is the same two-way text messaging technique that you can use to send messages to friends over your phone. You can directly order ring tones and images from your mobile phone by sending certain codes via SMS to ring tone and image providers such as AT&T Wireless. The codes can be used to request lists of available ring tones and images, or to order specific items. Ring tone provider YourMobile allows you to purchase your ring tones either at their Web site or via phone. To make a phone purchase, you call a 900 number and then enter a special code for the tune that you’d like to download.
How It Works Sample Scenario: Ring Tone Access with Nokia 3360 1. Go to AT&T Wireless Web site (www.mobile.att.net/ringtones/). 2. Enter mobile phone number on Web site, have the phone turned on and displaying AT&T.
Personalizing Your Cell Phone: Ring Tones and Images
25
3. Code is sent to the mobile phone (e.g., 1113484). 4. Enter the following on the Web site and register: code, username, password, verify password, secret question/answer. 5. Gain access to ring tones page: The latest and greatest, Ring tone library, Top ten ring tones, Ring tone composer, Ring tone search. 6. Search for ring tones. 7. Listen to ring tone. 8. Buy ring tone (99 cents plus tax). 9. Choose to bill to monthly invoice or e-wallet. 10. Ring tone is sent. 11. Ability to resend for up to 72 hours. Note: The Nokia 8260 supports ring tones and graphics, but the Nokia 3360 and 5165 support ring tones only.
Benefits Some of the benefits of using personalized ring tones and images on your mobile include being able to recognize your own phone when it rings, which is very useful in public spaces, and being able to hear some of your favorite tunes. Additionally, having an image display when a friend calls you can be a quick way to recognize that it’s their call. The good news is that once you’ve purchased a ring tone, you get to keep it forever unless you have limited storage on your phone and can only store ten or so ring tones at a time. In this case, you may have to discard some of your least favorite downloads in order to purchase and install new ones.
Features and Considerations When purchasing a mobile phone with ring tone and image capability, be sure to check the number of ring tones and images that the device supports and whether or not the device will support color images. You can find this information on the manufacturer’s Web site or in some of the periodicals listed in the resources section at the back of this book.
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When purchasing the ring tones or images, you’ll need to decide how to pay. Typically, you can choose to pay with prepaid cards such as Club Nokia credits or credit cards, or to have the charge added to your monthly wireless bill. Typical charges for ring tones are about $1 per tune, with free downloads of the ordered tunes for a period of 72 hours or so. This time period helps to ensure that you can successfully obtain the ring tone and get it set up on your mobile. There is also a market developing for premium ring tones, which are priced slightly higher around $2, but which are associated with certain well-known brands such as Disney.
Contact Information Ring Tone Capable Mobile Phones Motorola, www.motorola.com Nokia, www.nokia.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Sony Ericsson, www.sonyericsson.com
Ring Tone Web Sites AT&T Ring Tones, www.mobile.att.net/ringtones/ Sprint PCS, www.sprintpcs.com YourMobile, www.yourmobile.com
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6 Keeping One Phone Number across the Globe: World Phones
I
f you’ve ever tried to place an international call on your mobile phone from within the United States, you’ve probably heard a message saying that “your account is not authorized to make calls to this phone number” or something similar. The majority of mobile phones in the United States work well within the country itself, but have no capability or are not enabled for international calling. For people who have business relationships or friends and relatives abroad, this can be an issue. Additionally, frequent travelers abroad may wish to use their own mobile phones and their own phone numbers to make and receive local in-country calls or calls to and from the United States. There is an answer for both of these situations, and there are many different phones and service plans available from which to choose. The whole issue around international calling stems from the divergent and incompatible wireless communication standards that have evolved over the last 20 years or so, particularly within the United States. One of the problems with wireless communications 27
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within the United States is that the technology has grown using standards that are very different from the rest of the world’s. While many of the countries within Europe and elsewhere have standardized on the Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM), the United States has adopted a variety of standards including Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD). For this discussion, the acronyms and the details behind these standards aren’t all that important, other than illustrating that each standard is different and incompatible with the other. In the United States, each wireless communication standard was developed by a competitive wireless carrier or network equipment provider, so each carrier pushed their own technology over the years. The solution for these differing wireless standards across the world is to purchase a phone that has built-in support for multiple standards and which can provide seamless switching between them as needed. For example, many world phones have dual-band or tri-band capabilities and support GSM frequencies of 900 and 1800MHz, or 900, 1800, and 1900MHz respectively. Because GSM is offered by more than 400 operators in more than 190 countries around the world, GSM is the way to go if you want to make frequent international calls. In fact, GSM accounts for 71.2 percent of the world’s digital market and 69 percent of the world’s wireless market according to the GSM Association, an organization that promotes the adoption of GSM standards. The dual-band features are useful for other purposes as well. The Nokia 6650 camera phone supports simultaneous use of Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and GSM bands so that end users can use its built-in camera features to take and transmit digital images while talking on the phone. In addition to still images, this phone also supports up to 20 seconds of continuous video recording.
How It Works The two problems we’ve discussed, making international calls from within the United States and making international calls or local calls from within another country, can be solved in two different ways.
Keeping One Phone Number across the Globe: World Phones
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For the international calling feature from within the United States, you can simply contact your wireless carrier and request that the international calling feature be enabled for your phone. In this case, you don’t actually need the dual-band or tri-band features, and you can use your standard phone. For the international or local calls from within another country, you’ll need a phone that supports the local communication standard, which is typically GSM. These world phones can be purchased or rented from your wireless carrier before you leave on your trip. Typical manufacturers of world phones include Motorola, Nextel, Nokia, Panasonic, and Sony Ericsson. Another option that can simplify things for you when using a world phone is to use your own Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card and place it into your new phone. This way, you can keep your original account information such as your phone number and your address book, because both of these items are stored in memory on the card and move with you from phone to phone. The SIM card is a small removable card that sits inside your phone under the battery. You can check with your wireless carrier to determine if your current phone is equipped with a SIM card.
Benefits The benefits of getting a world phone are that you have only one device and one phone number throughout your travels. You’ll also find that the costs for making calls are significantly reduced if you purchase a local prepaid SIM card, which contains prepaid minutes of airtime in addition to a local number. In that way, you’ll be making local calls within the country you’re visiting. Depending on the number of calls you make internationally and the number of overseas visits you take per year, you’ll be able to find a phone and service plan that is right for you. Some of the carriers, their rates, and their supported world phones are listed in the table within the Contact Information section at the end of this profile.
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Features and Considerations When you’re choosing an international wireless plan, look at the coverage in terms of the number of countries supported, the activation fee, the flat-rate fee per minute to or from the countries you wish to call, the monthly service charge, and any additional toll charges. Each wireless carrier offers a different type of service plan. For example, T-Mobile charges flat-rate fees and no activation fees, monthly service charges, or toll charges for their “WorldClass Service” plan. Most wireless carriers also offer rental options so that if you don’t own an international-capable device, you can rent a device for the period you wish to travel. The rental unit will typically be a tri-band GSM handset and will come with accessories such as additional batteries, a car charger, an international travel adapter, and a carrying case. Rental agreements are typically offered for up to 7 days, between 8 and 30 days, and on a monthly basis. Additionally, you can purchase loss-protection agreements in case you lose the device during travel. The rental fees from T-Mobile at the time of writing were $29 for up to 7 days, and $49 per month. If you have your own SIM card and just wish to rent the handset, the monthly rental is lower at $40 per month. To get service in Japan, you’ll need a phone that supports the Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) standard, such as the Panasonic J-P02. A final option for the frequent world traveler is to purchase a satellite phone. These types of services are offered by companies such as Iridium and Globalstar. Their coverage spans the entire globe, making this an ideal solution for people who live, work, or travel in remote areas outside of landline or cellular coverage. These services typically have required higher-priced handsets and higher per-minute charges because of the level of infrastructure required to provide the service, but per-minute charges are decreasing to become more competitive with the traditional cellular services.
Contact Information Satellite Phones Globalstar, www.globalstar.com Iridium, www.iridium.com
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Wireless Carriers AT&T Wireless WorldConnect Service, www.attws.com/personal/ intl_calling/world_connect/index.jhtml Nextel Worldwide, www.nextel.com/services/worldwide/ index.shtml T-Mobile International Services, www.t-mobile.com/international/ Verizon Wireless International Traveler (service provided by Renta-phone Limited), http://internationaltraveler.verizonwireless.com/default.asp
Wireless Carrier
Countries
Rates Per Minute (When outside the U.S.)
Sample Phones
AT&T Wireless
120
$0.99 (plus monthly fee and card fee)
Ericsson T18, T39 Nokia 3310, 3210, 6150, 3330, 6310 Motorola StarTAC, Timeport 250, V50
Nextel
Over 80 countries
$1.29 to $5.99
Nextel i2000plus, Motorola P280, V60
T-Mobile
Over 90 countries
$0.99 to $4.99
Motorola P280, V60
Verizon Wireless
Over 130 countries
$1.49 to $2.49 (plus monthly fee)
Nokia 3310, 6310 Motorola Timeport T280 Panasonic J-P02
Today’s Technology
7 Single Log-In and Profiles: Microsoft .NET Passport and the Liberty Alliance
I
f you’ve ever been frustrated by having to register your name, address, and contact information to make a purchase or to receive personalized content at almost every Web site you visit, there are now some solutions available that give you a single place to store your profile and to maintain your username and password. A single username and password can now give you personalized access to a growing number of Web sites. The Internet is rapidly becoming a “business operating system” for the entire universe of Internet users, devices, applications, and Web sites. Initiatives such as Microsoft’s .NET Passport and the Liberty Alliance Project founded by Sun Microsystems and others are calling upon consumers and business users to use their own networkresident authentication services as a universal gateway into this wealth of applications and Web sites. The concept of single sign-on authentication for a multitude of applications and Web sites across the Internet is highly attractive but will need to be adopted carefully on the part of consumers and businesses alike. The term “single sign32
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on,” by the way, means the method of logging in once and having that username and password automatically log you in behind the scenes to a number of applications and Web sites from different providers. As an example, with this type of functionality you’ll be able to log in to your favorite airline site and then automatically log in to your favorite car rental site with just one click; one login will do it all. As the benefits of single sign-on authentication beckon us, we need to be careful to understand the tradeoffs. The single sign-on services offered by the industry on this Internet business operating system are visionary but require some trust. Trust has always been one of the main barriers to adoption for businesses and consumers to leverage the Internet. Security is only a piece of the trust equation, but it is clear that security will play a key role in deciding the eventual take-up rate for these emerging solutions such as single sign-on. Its success or failure will rely upon how much we trust it. The era of “build it and they will come” passed many years ago, and today’s era is more likely called “trust it and they will come.” It is perhaps with this trust factor in mind that Microsoft Chairman and Chief Scientist Bill Gates wrote a memo to employees in early 2002 calling for a shift from focusing on software functionality to a new focus on security and privacy—something he called “Trustworthy Computing.” In this profile we’ll look at both the Microsoft .NET Passport service and the equivalent service named the Liberty Alliance Project from Sun Microsystems and others. Both aim to give consumers and businesses single sign-on capabilities and secure, private profiles.
How It Works Single sign-on in the case of the Microsoft .NET Passport system works by providing a user with a place to manage his or her profile that is associated with a specific username and password. On the .NET Passport Web site (Figure 7-1), you can currently store your first and last name, email address, country/region, state, zip code, time zone, gender, birth date, and occupation. These are the types of information that most people do not mind providing, because it avoids more personal information such as address, social security
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Figure 7-1
Microsoft .NET Passport Profile screen.
number, or credit card numbers. Microsoft uses your email as your username and allows you to use any password of your choice. You also can specify on the .NET Passport Web site how much of this profile information can be shared with other participating Web sites or services when you log in. By sharing your profile in this manner, you can register on new Web sites and gain access to personalized services more easily and more quickly. The .NET Passport site lists the names of participating sites including a number of MSN sites (such as MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger), eBay, Expedia, Monster.com, RadioShack, Starbucks, Bombay, Costco Online, Fossil.com, Gymboree, Hilton.com, OfficeMax.com, Oshman’s, Ritz Camera, The Sports Authority, and many others. The .NET Passport service was originally launched in 1999 and is the largest online authentication system in the world, with more than 200 million accounts performing more than 3.5 billion authentications each month.
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The Liberty Alliance Project was formed in September 2001. Some of its founding members include American Express, AOL, CitiGroup, GM, HP, MasterCard, Nokia, Sony, Sun, United Airlines, and Vodafone. The Liberty Alliance Project has issued specifications that will allow federated single sign-on so that consumers and busineses can link their profiles across different providers and benefit from single sign-on across these provider Web sites from any device. Although the two initiatives may seem competitive, as long as they work together and sites that use .NET Passport can communicate with other sites that use the Liberty Alliance specifications, all will be seamless for the consumer.
Sample Scenario: Sign-In and Purchase for .NET Passport 1. Get a .NET Passport from a participating site, such as MSN Hotmail, by visiting the Web site and registering. At a minimum you’ll need to enter your email address and password, but you can also enter more detailed profile information at this time. 2. Log in to a participating .NET Passport site by clicking on the Sign In icon and then entering your email address and password. If the site has stored a cookie on your machine and is able to recognize you, it may just prompt you for your password. 3. The site may also prompt you to register in its own database so that it can collect its own information from you and associate your Passport login with this database profile. The site may also want you to accept their own terms of use for their Web site. 4. Access other participating .NET Passport sites by following the same procedure. 5. Access shopping sites by clicking on the Passport Express Purchase icon.
Benefits The Microsoft .NET Passport single sign-in service offers benefits in two areas: streamlined sign-in for a number of participating Web sites and services, and streamlined purchasing on a number of Web sites. Sites enabled for these services show either the Sign In logo or the Passport Express Purchase logo (Figure 7-2).
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Figure 7-2
Microsoft .NET Passport Sign In and Passport Express Purchase logos.
The benefits really become noticeable once you have registered and stored your profile on a number of these sites and have chosen to link your accounts and use the same login. After the initial information has been collected, you’ll be able to move from one site to the other much more easily using the same username and password.
Features and Considerations One of the considerations when using single sign-on is that the Web sites you visit may support this feature but will still want to capture their own set of information about you. Although the single sign-on may speed registration by providing the basics of your profile, such as your name, birth date, state, and zip, you’ll still have to complete the remaining information that they require in order to register. So you’ll still need to half-register on all these other Web sites before you can start using the single sign-on to jump from site to site using the same username and password. Additionally, the site you jump to will still require you to enter your password. For example, logging on to MSN Hotmail and then going to eBay, you’ll still need to enter your MSN Hotmail password in order to log in to the “my eBay” section of the site. One of the benefits, though, is that you end up having fewer usernames and passwords to remember.
Contact Information Liberty Alliance Project, www.projectliberty.org Microsoft .NET Passport, www.passport.com Microsoft .NET Passport, Directory of Sites, www.passport.com/ Directory/default.asp?lc=1033
Today’s Technology
8 Increasing Your Security: Fingerprint Readers and Facial Recognition
O
ne of the issues faced when dealing with an ever-increasing number of personal computing devices, and software applications on those devices, is security. When we access an application or an online service, we want to ensure that the system knows who we are and that there is no chance of others stealing our identity or our data. Although there is no such thing as absolute security, we can apply some techniques to safeguard our security and our privacy. These techniques typically fall into access control, authentication, and encryption. The username and password has been the mainstay for authentication, but for sensitive applications, it can be insufficient as the only security mechanism. Recent techniques for improved authentication include what is known as biometrics. These offerings support the recognition of a variety of human physical attributes such as voice recognition, facial recognition, fingerprinting, hand geometry, and iris recognition. As we conduct more and more of our personal and business time online, these improved authentication offerings can help us feel more secure 37
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about using these applications and services and conducting electronic transactions. Facial recognition and fingerprinting are two of the most widely deployed biometric techniques currently available for consumers and businesses. Companies in the facial recognition field include Viisage Technology and Identix. On the fingerprinting side, a number of hardware companies, including Compaq, Key Tronic, Targus, Toshiba, and Identix, make readers. By adding these low-cost devices to your list of personal computing accessories, you can substantially increase your level of protection from unwanted access.
How It Works Viisage’s technology was originally developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and translates facial characteristics into a unique set of numbers that they refer to as an “eigenface.” Their technology can be applied for one-to-many identification processes that search large databases of millions of faces for a rapid match within seconds. It can also be applied for one-to-one verification of identity processes such as verification at automatic teller machines. Viisage has the world’s largest installed facial recognition database of over seven million images. Their current customers include federal government agencies; casinos; and local and state police, corrections, and social services departments. Identix offers a number of biometric solutions including their FingerPrinter CMS live-scan fingerprinting system and FaceIt face-recognition technology. Within the public sector, the FingerPrinter CMS system can capture, print, and transmit fingerprints electronically to the Office of Personnel Management, where they are submitted for searching against the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System database. The system can be used for a variety of background investigation purposes. For example, the Transportation and Aviation Security Act of 2001 mandated fingerprint background checks on all airport employees by the end of October 2002. A number of airports, including Los Angeles International Airport, have adopted the Identix FingerPrinter CMS systems for this purpose. The FaceIt face-recognition technology has been deployed in casinos, soc-
Increasing Your Security: Fingerprint Readers and Facial Recognition
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cer matches, and town centers, and the U.S. Army military police has used it as part of a wearable, hands-free, facial surveillance system. Biometrics is also starting to find more mainstream applications. IBM offers the FaceIt face-recognition software when customers purchase their UltraPort Camera for ThinkPad A, T, or X Series laptops. The software is part of a screensaver that can restore access to the laptop when the authorized face appears in view of the camera. On the fingerprint side, Targus makes a fingerprint authenticator that can be plugged into the Universal Serial Bus (USB) port of a desktop or notebook for improved authentication. Other manufacturers, such as Compaq, Identix, Key Tronic, and Toshiba, offer fingerprint readers that use PC cards or can be plugged in to your parallel port. Plate 5 shows an example of the Identix BioTouch PC Card Fingerprint Reader.
Benefits These types of systems are relatively inexpensive and provide a higher level of security for your computing devices, whether they are desktops, laptops, or personal digital assistants. This is because the strongest form of authentication occurs when systems combine techniques in order to achieve what is known as “three-factor” authentication. This technique combines what a person knows (such as a username and password) with what they have (such as a hardware key fob) and who they are (obtained via biometrics). However, not all security applications require this three-factor authentication or even a two-factor authentication. Facial recognition by itself can be applied to a wide variety of scenarios ranging from the identification of known criminals in public spaces like airports and shopping centers to being used as part of a broader verification mechanism for high-security corporate or government applications. If you want to move beyond one-factor authentication using just a username and password, the best bets are either to add a hardware key-fob, which comes with many virtual private networking products such as RSA SecurID, or to add biometrics.
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Features and Considerations If you’re looking for a personal security solution for your various computing devices, look for something that you will use on a regular basis. If you buy something that is too large or too heavy to carry around in your laptop case, the likelihood is that you won’t use it. Many vendors offer PC card fingerprinting systems that simply slot into one of your PCMCIA slots on your laptop. The reader actually pops out when you’re ready to be authenticated and can be pushed back into the slot when you’re finished. These devices typically work on Windows operating systems such as NT 4.0, 95, 98, and ME.
Contact Information Compaq, www.compaq.com Identix, www.identix.com Key Tronic, www.keytronic.com Targus, www.targus.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com Viisage Technology, www.viisage.com
Today’s Technology
9 Remote-Control Software for Your PC: GoToMyPC
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f you’ve ever left your laptop at home while you’ve been on a business trip and needed to get a file on your hard drive or get on your network, then this next solution may well be for you. There’s a variety of services on the market that now make it easier than ever to access your home or office desktop remotely from any other computer connected to the Internet by simply using a standard Web browser interface. One of the companies in this space is Expertcity. Their GoToMyPC offering is a hosted service that enables secure, browser-based access to any Internet-connected Windows computer (Figure 9-1; Plate 6). Their functionality includes screen sharing, file transfer, remote printing, guest invite, and chat applications. They also provide a Universal Viewer, which allows you to access a Windows host PC from any Internet browser running on a Windows, Unix, or Macintosh operating system.
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Figure 9-1
GoToMyPC remote access.
How It Works Setting up remote access with GoToMyPC takes just a few minutes. The host computer requires software to be downloaded and installed, but the remote computer just needs to load a plug-in within a browser window. Both PCs need to be connected to the Internet, of course, at the time of remote access. Even the software download for the host computer is just 1.4MB, which is substantially less than other remoteaccess software solutions such as virtual private networking (VPN) or products such as pcAnywhere.
Sample Scenario: Remote Access 1. Register for the free trial by going to GoToMyPC.com and entering your user information including your name, email address, and password. 2. Check your email account and click on the activation link sent to you.
Remote-Control Software for Your PC: GoToMyPC
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3. Enter your credit card information and click on Get Free Trial. 4. Go to the host computer you wish to access remotely and click on the link to install the GoToMyPC software. 5. The software installation on your host computer prompts you to create a nickname for your computer and to create an access code. 6. Go to another computer, log on to the GoToMyPC Web site with your email address and password, and connect to your host computer over the Internet. When you launch the remote session, GoToMyPC launches a window with a view into the desktop on your remote computer. If you happen to have both machines side-by-side, which is not typical in real use, but is good for trying out the functionality, you can actually see the screen changes and the mouse movements on the host computer as you navigate via the remote computer. If you work on the host computer, you can also see the screen changes and the mouse movements on the remote computer. Within the window that GoToMyPC launches on your remote machine are a couple of useful menus. A View menu allows you to set the size of the window you want to work in, and a Tools menu allows you to chat, go into draw mode, transfer files, or set up your printer. Chat mode opens a chat dialog box on both machines, and two users can easily conduct a real-time chat session. Draw mode allows you to draw on a presentation and have the drawing show up on the screen of the host computer. The transfer files option opens a window that enables you to move files intuitively between the host and the remote computer. In addition to performing file transfers, you can also create, delete, or rename folders, and delete or rename files on either machine. Although much of this functionality is reciprocal, it is only the remote computer that has the overall menu bars and menu items to control which functions are initiated. So, for example, the user (if any) on the host computer cannot initiate a file-transfer session until the user on the remote computer has selected this function from the menu. If you’re at your host computer, you can tell if someone is connected using GoToMyPC because the icon in the system tray at the bottom of the screen will be green instead of white, meaning that a session is in progress. Of course, the user will most likely also notice the screen and mouse movements occurring on the desktop.
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Benefits Remote access using software such as GoToMyPC is much easier to set up and operate than other solutions on the market, such as VPNs, and products such as pcAnywhere, which are aimed more at the corporate market. GoToMyPC can be a simple and effective way to get onto your home network, assuming that you have a host computer that is permanently connected to the Internet over a broadband connection such as cable modem or DSL. The client-side requirement of just a Web browser means that you can easily launch a session from any computer connected to the Internet without having to install software and perform extensive configurations as you would with a VPN client. Some of the potential applications for remote control of your PC include working on your office PC from home, accessing your home or office PC when traveling, accessing your office desktop after hours for working on email, or remotely accessing and managing multiple PCs. If you have a corporate plan with GoToMyPC, you also gain access to a variety of administration and management tools so that you can monitor usage and add or remove users on your account.
Features and Considerations One thing to keep in mind when you use GoToMyPC is that you must remember your email address and password to log into their Web site, plus you must remember your access code to access your host computer once you’re logged in to the Web site. Both of these passwords must be eight characters or more for security purposes, so keep a safe record of them or memorize them. In terms of security, the service uses 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption to protect the data stream passing over the Internet containing file transfers, chat, keyboard input, and mouse movements. This, combined with the passwords and access codes, makes the solution highly acceptable for most levels of collaboration and file sharing that you may want to perform.
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The GoToMyPC free trial includes unlimited remote access to a single computer for up to 60 minutes of connection time or up to 30 days. After the trial period, the service is available for $19.95 per month or $179.40 per year for a single computer. The company also offers discounts for two or more computers, and a special corporate plan for remote access for ten or more employees or for access to ten or more computers.
Contact Information GoToMyPC, www.gotomypc.com
Today’s Technology
10 Using Voice-Activated Services: PCS Voice Command from Sprint
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any of today’s wireless service offerings from the major carriers such as Sprint PCS, Verizon, AT&T Wireless, and T-Mobile offer voice-activated services. These voice services allow you to use your voice, rather than keys on your mobile phone, to initiate phone calls and access Web-based information such as news, stock quotes, sports scores, and more. As an example of this service, we’ll look at the PCS Voice Command service offered by Sprint. Using voice services can make calling people or accessing Webbased information much more convenient and safer when you’re on the go. For anyone driving a car, voice–activated dialing is a musthave feature for safety whether it is provided via a traditional mobile phone or via an onboard service such as OnStar.
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Using Voice-Activated Services: PCS Voice Command from Sprint
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How It Works The two categories of voice services within the PCS Voice Command offering include voice-activated calling and voice-activated information access. The following two sample scenarios illustrate how these types of activities are conducted using a PCS phone such as the Samsung A500.
Sample Scenarios: Voice Services Using Your Voice to Dial 1. Press “*” and “Talk” or press “*” and “Ok” and speak the name of the person you wish to call. For example, “Call Jim Boyd at home” or “Call Jim Boyd at work.” 2. The system automatically dials the number for you and connects. An address book allows you to store up to 500 names with up to five phone numbers each. To add names to your personal address book, you can use one of four techniques: 1. Press “*” and “Talk” or press “*” and “Ok” and say “Add a name,” then say the name and phone number you wish to add. 2. Use the www.talk.sprintpcs.com Web site to create and update contact names and numbers. 3. Use Sprint Sync services to merge contact information from personal information managers such as Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes. 4. Call PCS Directory Assistance and ask them to look up and add up to two numbers per call into your address book. Using Your Voice to Access Web-Based Information 1. Press “*” and “Talk” or press “*” and “Ok,” and say “Call the Web.” 2. Choose from a listing of information categories such as email, news, weather, sports, driving directions, stock market information, TV updates, traffic reports, horoscopes, flight information, lottery, package tracking, movie guides, restaurants, tipping guides, and measurement conversion.
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3. Some of the categories are grouped into broader categories within the main menu. For example, “Entertainment” on the main menu contains TV updates, lottery, movie guide, and restaurants. 4. Each menu option then has its own series of prompts to provide you with the information you need. For example, the movie guide option asks you for the zip code you are in so that it can narrow the choices of available movie theatres. Once you have chosen the theatre you desire, you can hear the show times for all the movies playing there.
Benefits One of the main benefits of voice-activated services is the safety aspect when you are on the go. Another advantage is that if you are traveling and do not have time to stop to read your email in the traditional manner, you can use a voice-activated service to read your email to you while you’re going to a meeting or driving home from work. In this way, the service can help you to make the most of what is typically unproductive downtime while still providing a level of safety and allowing you to focus on the task at hand. Another benefit to voice-activated access to the Web using your mobile is that it can be quicker than using a PC or laptop, which requires waiting while the machine boots and perhaps while dialing in over a phone line. For example, movie show times can be quickly accessed from your phone once you’re familiar with the voice prompts to get to the right section in the menu.
Features and Considerations You can subscribe to PCS Voice Command from your PCS phone by pressing “*” and “Talk” or by pressing “*” and “Ok” and following the instructions. Once the service is activated, you can use it right away. The address book is automatically populated with a number of airlines, hotels, and car rental numbers.
Using Voice-Activated Services: PCS Voice Command from Sprint
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The most efficient way to use voice services is for executing simple commands and for listening to information. If you have a lot of information to put into the system, such as several contacts you wish to be able to voice dial, the best way to do bulk data entry is to go to the provider’s Web site and enter the information there. Adding a contact name and phone number via voice can be tricky, so the best bet is to load all your contact names into the system from the comfort of your PC or laptop. Most voice-activated systems have a set of keywords that they understand. A good way to become productive quickly with your voice-activated services is to print out this set of keywords and memorize some of your most frequently used activities such as placing a call or listening to your email. For the Sprint PCS service, it’s also worth remembering that “Call the Web” is the way to access the menu for Web-based information. One final consideration about voice-activated services is that it may still take several minutes and a lot of repetition to get the information you need. Please note that Sprint’s Voice Command service does not use speech recognition. It is phonetically based. These types of systems are still not perfect at speech recognition; depending upon your accent and your timing when using the system and answering the prompts, your experience may vary considerably. Although the first few experiences may be somewhat stressful, the good news is that over time, you’ll get better at navigating quickly and easily to what you need. As with any new technology, there is a learning curve even when, in this case, we use our natural voice.
Contact Information PCS Voice Command, www.talk.sprintpcs.com Sprint, www.sprintpcs.com, 1-800-480-4PCS (4727)
Today’s Technology
11 Communicating via Instant Messaging: Nokia Communicator
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nstant messaging is the ability to instantly communicate with someone over the Internet via voice or text. It differs from traditional email in that instant messaging operates in real time and you can actually see when your friends are online. There is no waiting for a response, because if your friends or colleagues are online, they will be instantly notified of your message and will be able to reply right back to you. Some of the types of instant messaging available include the Short Message Service (SMS), which is the instant messaging protocol of choice for wireless devices, and proprietary instant-messaging protocols from companies such as AOL, Yahoo!, and Microsoft. These proprietary messaging protocols typically operate between desktop computers and require the installation of client-side software on the PC. The service offerings for these three vendors are named AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger, respec-
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Communicating via Instant Messaging: Nokia Communicator
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tively. These offerings include functionality for seeing who’s online and exchanging messages, making worldwide phone calls over the Internet, carrying out voice conversations using your PC’s microphone and speakers, paging your friends on their cell phones and pagers, and participating in chat rooms. These computer-based services also let you know how many new emails you have and may even allow you to share files such as pictures or digital music and to invite your friends to play online games. In this profile, we’ll take a look at the messaging capability of the Nokia Communicator 9290 (Figure 11-1; Plate 8). The Communicator is Nokia’s combination mobile phone and personal digital assistant. Most people are already very familiar with the PC-based instantmessaging solutions, so a look at the solutions from a mobile device context should show some of the more interesting features and scenarios. It’s important to note, however, that the PC-based and mobilebased instant messaging solutions are converging. For example, the MSN Messenger service from Microsoft allows you to message not only to other PCs, but also to Pocket PC devices such as the Compaq iPAQ and even to television sets that have Microsoft TV Messenger enabled set-top boxes.
Figure 11-1
Nokia 9290 Communicator (Source: Nokia).
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How It Works In terms of messaging, the Communicator is able to send emails, faxes, or SMS messages. The following scenario describes how to send an SMS message. SMS messages can work across different wireless carriers. So, for example, if your Nokia Communicator is running on the T-Mobile network, and you wish to send an SMS message to a friend who is using the AT&T Wireless network, this is no problem. In this example, you could simply enter the 10-digit wireless phone number of the AT&T subscriber. The same principle also works for any other wireless carrier such as Sprint PCS or others. So in much the same way that the wireless carriers have established roaming agreements with one another for voice calls, they’ve also established the same kind of relationships to ensure that SMS messages can pass between their networks.
Sample Scenario: SMS Messaging Using the 9290 Communicator 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Turn on the phone by using the outside power button. Open the Communicator and select the Messaging button. Choose “Write Short Message” from the menu. Enter the address of the recipient in the “To:” field. Enter the body of the text message. Choose “Send” from the menu.
As you can see from this scenario, using SMS messaging on the Communicator is very simple. What’s more, the built-in standard keyboard means that you don’t have to struggle with the numeric keypad that you would find on a traditional mobile phone, which is time-intensive because each number represents up to three alphabetic characters.
Benefits The benefits of instant messaging include the ability to communicate with friends, family, or business associates in real time and to see when they are online. When you receive an SMS message using the Commu-
Communicating via Instant Messaging: Nokia Communicator
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nicator, the device beeps and indicates “1 message received” on the front black-and-white display. You can view and respond to the message by opening the device to reveal the larger color display and keyboard. To reply to an instant message, you can either reply with another SMS message, or, with some devices, you can select a hyperlink that is added to the message in order to instantly call the sender via voice. An additional benefit of instant messaging is that these services can be used to reach people over any device including pagers, PDAs, mobile phones, and PCs. Where traditional email is asynchronous, instant messaging fills the gap for synchronous communications and allows you to communicate in real time. Services such as the Blackberry service from Research In Motion (RIM) also tell you when your message has been sent, delivered, and read by providing a status message next to each message. Of course, these status messages only work when you’re messaging to someone who is also on the Blackberry network. If you send a message from your RIM to an email address, you’ll just get a “sent” message indicating that your message went out.
Features and Considerations One of the key considerations when selecting an instant-messaging service is whether it is readily available for the people with whom you wish to communicate. PC-based instant-messaging solutions from AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo! are all free, and it is almost guaranteed that your friends will be able to use these types of services. You’ll want to choose a solution that works for everyone on your contact list, or at least those with whom you want to communicate frequently. If you’re looking at wireless solutions, the next consideration is the coverage provided by the service. If you and your colleagues are typically mobile, you’ll want to find a wireless instant-messaging solution that is reliable and has good geographic coverage in the areas you typically visit. This type of solution will be either a proprietary wireless paging solution such as that provided via RIM’s Blackberry service or it will use an SMS service over a wireless carrier network as described previously in the Nokia scenario. Some of the newer RIM products now also support SMS in addition to their proprietary paging networks.
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Contact Information PC-based Instant Messaging AOL Instant Messenger, www.aim.com/index.adp Microsoft .NET Messenger, messenger.msn.com/ Microsoft TV Messenger, www.microsoft.com/TV/ Yahoo! Messenger, messenger.yahoo.com/
Wireless Instant Messaging RIM, Blackberry Service, www.rim.net Nokia, Communicator, www.nokiausa.com/communicator
Today’s Technology
12 Receiving Alerts and Notifications: Microsoft .NET Alerts
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lthough alerts and notifications are not gadgets in and of themselves, receiving them on gadgets such as mobile phones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), traditional desktop computers, and laptops can be an excellent way to stay connected to key items of information like news and weather updates, financial information, calendar events and appointment reminders, travel notifications, and shopping and auction alerts. Along with instant messaging, alerts and notifications have become one of the early killer applications on wireless devices for consumers and businesses alike. They have all the characteristics to be successful in the mobile medium. They are short in terms of content length (and therefore can be read easily on handheld devices), they contain important and timely information, and are able to be acted upon by the recipient. Alerts and notifications can be distributed over several types of messaging protocol, such as email and instant messaging, and can be 55
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sent to virtually any device type. Users can also specify preferences in terms of what types of information they would like to subscribe to and how and when they wish to be notified. The service we’ll look at for this profile is the Microsoft .NET Alerts service. This service is part of their family of .NET Services, which also includes the .Net Passport service discussed in an earlier profile. The .NET Alerts service is free and provides end users with access to alerts from a large number of service providers.
How It Works To sign up for the .NET Alerts service, you’ll want to get a .NET Passport. Once you have a login, you can go to the Microsoft .NET Alerts sign-in page at http://alerts.microsoft.com. This Web site allows you to manage alerts, add new alerts, view your alert history, set alert preferences, and turn alerts on or off. Although your alerts will be received on a variety of devices that you specify, this centralized alerts Web site is the place where you administer overall preferences and alert subscriptions. Figure 12-1 shows the .NET Alerts Web site. To add a new alert, you click on the Add Alerts menu item and select from a number of alert providers. These providers include companies such as Credit Suisse, eBay, ESPN Sports, Expedia.com, McAfee.com, MSN Autos, MSN Calendar, MSN eShop, MSN Money, MSN Music, MSNBC News, Nasdaq.com, uBid Online Auctions, and weather.com. You can also see alerts available in countries outside of the United States by selecting your country from a drop-down listbox.
Sample Scenario: Adding an Alert on Nasdaq.com 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Go to the Microsoft .NET Alerts Web site. Sign in by entering your .NET Passport email address and password. Choose “Add Alerts” from the menu. Select Nasdaq.com from the alert providers list. Choose where your alerts are delivered. Enter a stock symbol and the percentage change up or down on which you wish to be alerted. You can also enter an alert for an up target or down target for the stock.
Receiving Alerts and Notifications: Microsoft .NET Alerts
Figure 12-1
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Microsoft .NET Alerts Web site.
7. Select the time of day for which this alert is valid. This can be either premarket, regular hours, or after hours. 8. Click on Add Alerts and then Finish to complete your setup.
Benefits In general, alerts and notifications can provide you with key information that you may need in real time in order to make decisions. Stock alerts are a typical example of when timeliness is everything. You may also wish to take advantage of less time-sensitive but equally important alerts related to upcoming calendar events and appointments. The benefit of a service such as Microsoft .NET Alerts is that it can help you to simplify your management of alerts and notifications via a single, centralized Web site. Instead of having tens of different Web sites to log in to (most likely using different usernames and pass-
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words, and having to enter and update preferences for each and every Web site), you can maintain these preferences at a single site. Your preferences can include a list of your wireless and desktop devices and a routing order of how you wish to be notified based upon your status. For example, if you are online on your desktop, you may well wish to receive alerts via an instant messenger product such as MSN Messenger. Conversely, if your instant messaging status is offline, you may wish to receive alerts via your regular email inbox.
Features and Considerations One of the key considerations when setting up alerts is to get the number of types of alerts and the frequency of these alerts configured to a manageable level. Too few alerts may cause you to miss critical updates, and too many alerts may cause you to be bombarded with less critical information. If you receive too many alerts, you may also find that your wireless phone bill is affected. For example, receiving daily weather notifications or infrequent but large messages can add to your data charges on devices such as RIM pagers. You’ll probably find you’re paying a fee per kB of data transferred, so watching the size of the alerts and their frequency can help you balance their benefits versus their costs.
Contact Information Microsoft .NET Alerts, Home Page, www.microsoft.com/netservices/alerts/default.asp Microsoft .NET Alerts, Login Page, http://alerts.microsoft.com/ Alerts/Default.aspx
Today’s Technology
13 Using Voice over the Internet: Groove Networks
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any of us use the Internet for collaborating with friends and for telecommuting with fellow employees, customers, and business partners. Although we use the Internet for the email part of the equation and perhaps for online application sharing via products such as Microsoft NetMeeting or WebEx, we often resort to the plain old telephone for the voice part of these meetings. This can be costly and can also be difficult to juggle unless you’re equipped with a headset or speakerphone. The solution to this problem is close at hand. Products such as Groove from Groove Networks feature built-in support for voice over the Internet. Groove provides knowledge workers with the ability to create and manage ad-hoc groups to conduct business processes in a far richer, collaborative environment than the disjointed phone, email, and fax interactions typical of today’s home office and work environment. As Groove Networks states it, the technology helps people in different companies or different divisions reduce their
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“cost of connection” in collaborating with one another and performing their work. Groove Networks, based in Beverly, Massachusetts, is one of the major companies in this collaborative computing arena. The company was founded in October 1997 by Ray Ozzie, the initial creator of Lotus Notes. Groove’s product is a collaborative peer-to-peer technology that incorporates most available communications technologies, including live voice chat over the Internet, instant messaging, text-based chat, document-sharing, threaded discussion, and many other tools.
How It Works One of the most interesting aspects of the Groove platform is that it is based upon a peer-to-peer architecture using technology based on extensible markup language (XML). The platform acts as a client-side or “personal” portal. End users download and install the Groove client on their desktops and are able to create their own “shared spaces” and invite others to join. They can select from a variety of tool sets, such as a calendar, contact manager, discussion, files, notepad, or Web browser, to place into the shared space. A conversation tool allows end users to engage in live voice chat, which runs over their standard IP network connection. Joint activity tools allow cobrowsing of PowerPoint presentations and coediting of Microsoft Word documents. The Groove software also tracks who is online and who is active within a shared space. Figure 13-1 shows the Groove Project Toolset Space and the voice chat controls in the lower-left corner. Once your colleagues are online and active in your space, you can chat with them on the Internet by simply clicking on the Hold-To-Talk button. This button works like a walkie-talkie. You hold it down to speak, and then release it to hear your colleagues respond. If you want to talk for an extended period of time, you can click the Lock option next to the Hold-To-Talk button. The options for live talking include a default one-to-all setting where the user who presses the Hold-To-Talk button first can speak to everyone, and a conference mode that allows all users to talk simultaneously. You can adjust speaker volume via the control below the Hold-To-Talk button. An audio tuning wizard helps you to adjust
Using Voice over the Internet: Groove Networks
Figure 13-1
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Groove Project Toolset Space showing the Audio Chat buttons.
your speaker and microphone volume to their optimum settings for your equipment.
Sample Scenario: Conducting a Voice Over IP Conversation 1. Download and install Groove on your desktop. 2. Launch the Groove application and click on Create Shared Space… to create a shared space for online collaboration. 3. Select the software components, such as calendar, contact manager, files, notepad, and browser, that you wish to use within your shared space. 4. Enter a name for your shared space and enter the names of people you wish to invite to the space. 5. Click Finish to create the shared space and invite your participants. 6. Once people are online and active within your shared space, use the Hold-To-Talk button to use the Groove audio chat functionality.
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Benefits Groove’s voice over IP functionality means that you can save the cost for long-distance telephone calls by using your existing Internet connection to carry the voice communications instead. In addition, the overall Groove collaborative platform can help to increase your productivity over traditional email, phone, and fax-based techniques by bringing everything together under one roof, or one application. Beyond the collaborative functionality, some of the platform features that make Groove suitable as a robust business tool include its ability to automatically traverse enterprise firewalls by tunneling using standard Internet communication protocols, to encrypt data both over the wire and on disk to keep data confidential, and to provide an open application programming interface for custom enhancements. The platform also supports online and offline usage and synchronizes with other peers when reconnected. Groove’s customers include consumers and small-to-large businesses. Some of its larger corporate customers include GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever.
Features and Considerations The Groove product is currently a free download from the company’s Web site if for personal use. A free CD is also available. You can start collaborating with friends and business colleagues right away by downloading and installing the Groove client software, which takes just a few minutes to configure. The free download is for personal use or for a 90-day business evaluation. Business users who wish to purchase the product can select either a standard or professional edition of the software for $49 or $99 per user, respectively. Both of these editions utilize the Groove hosted relay and management services. Enterprises wishing to deploy these servers internally within their corporate firewalls can buy these services for an additional cost.
Contact Information Groove Networks, www.groove.net
Today’s Technology
14 Video Conferencing with Your PC: WebEx
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veryone who conducts business with customers and partners in other parts of the country or other parts of the world knows how expensive today’s travel can be. In addition, simply getting to and from meetings can take half a day each way, if not longer. For closing a key deal and getting to know customers, there’s really no better way than meeting in person and getting the face-to-face time, but for many business meetings with well-known customers, partners, or work colleagues, holding a meeting over the Internet can be a highly productive use of time and highly cost-effective. One of the companies that offers these types of online collaborative services is WebEx. The company offers data conferencing, teleconferencing, and video conferencing services over its global WebEx Interactive Network (WIN). Some of the features available include the ability to share any application and any document, to share your entire computer desktop, and to use live video conferencing. You can also record an entire meeting for later use. Being able to share your desktop and applications means that you can conduct events and sem63
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inars, product demonstrations, training, and even sales and customer support functions by walking your customers through an interactive demo over the Internet.
How It Works WebEx services are grouped into four main offerings: Meeting Center, OnStage, Support Center, and Training Center. All four have many features in common but also add their own unique features and benefits specific to the particular purpose. The WebEx platform supports numerous industry standards for collaboration, including instant messaging/presence protocol (IMPP), extensible markup language (XML) for access to various application program interfaces (APIs), H.323 for audio and video communications, and T.120 for real-time multipoint data communications. Meeting Center is used for running online meetings where you wish to make a presentation and walk your customers through a presentation, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or any other application demonstration. Online meetings can be held in either of two ways. They can be conducted instantly, or they can be scheduled for some time in the future. If a meeting is scheduled, participants are first notified of the meeting via email. The email provides them with a meeting invitation that includes a link to the WebEx Web address for the meeting, plus the appropriate telephone dial-in information. Participants also receive a meeting password in order to log in to your meeting. Meetings are conducted inside standard Web browsers on your desktop, so most office PCs or laptops are suitable for either hosting or participating in a meeting. The following features and considerations section provides some additional information on these technical requirements. You can even attend a meeting by using a wireless handheld device, such as a Palm V or VII equipped with a wireless modem. The solution itself is fully hosted, so there’s no requirement on your part to set up anything other than the actual meeting logistics. All the IT requirements and functionality are provided over the Web as a hosted service. Figure 14-1 shows a typical WebEx meeting in progress.
Video Conferencing with Your PC: WebEx
Figure 14-1
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WebEx Meeting Center showing a meeting in progress (Source: WebEx).
Sample Scenario: Hosting a Meeting 1. Register and log in to WebEx. 2. Click Host A Meeting in the menu bar. 3. Click Schedule a Meeting in the menu bar and enter your meeting’s date and time. 4. Enter additional meeting information, such as the topic of the meeting and an optional meeting password. 5. Enter attendee names and whether or not you want to require registration. 6. Select the meeting features you wish to utilize within the meeting, such as desktop sharing, application sharing, and so on. 7. Enter an optional agenda for the meeting. 8. Select Schedule to submit your entries and schedule the meeting. You can also schedule meetings through Microsoft Outlook.
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OnStage is focused on events and seminar presentations. It allows for presentation and application sharing, and it adds a number of features, such as voice over IP, question and answer capabilities, polling for instant feedback, and replay recordings after the event. Support Center is targeted at customer-support representatives (CSRs) and enables them to take remote control of a customer’s system or application to make fixes once they have the customer’s approval. The product also enables files to be uploaded or downloaded between the CSR’s system and the customer system. In this way, CSRs can install software upgrades or bug fixes without having to be physically present at the customer site. Additional functionality within the Support Center solution includes the ability to invite more CSRs or customer staff to the meeting, to redirect printouts from the customer’s system to the CSR’s system, to record support sessions, and to work across a number of platforms, including Windows and Sun Solaris. Training Center has many of the features of the other offerings and includes unique features such as integration with learning management systems, session registration and reporting, threaded Q&A, testing and grading functionality, breakout sessions for collaboration on a remote application or document, and the ability to deliver multimedia training content.
Benefits Benefits of online collaboration services such as WebEx include the time and cost savings of being able to conduct meetings remotely plus the depth of functionality provided. These services provide a wealth of features that can help small or large businesses with their sales, support, and training activities, and can add an extra level of professionalism to business presentations. Another benefit is the fine-grained level of user access that can be granted to each meeting and the level of access to documents and files. For example, you can use a WebEx meeting center to provide a presentation to clients while keeping your actual files and data secure. When you configure the initial meeting, you have the option of specifying attendee privileges, such as the save, print, and annotate permissions for your documents. With the Internet and email meaning that
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business plans and other sensitive information can be distributed around the world within seconds, having the security of being able to present a PowerPoint document without having to send out the actual files can be a valuable capability.
Features and Considerations When using a service such as WebEx, consider your organization’s frequency of usage and number of participants. You’ll typically pay per month for a bundle of services, or per user per minute on a pay-peruse basis. WebEx offers several payment plans that include a pay-peruse program starting at 45 cents per minute per user, and a business subscription service requiring a monthly fee. The Conference Center service from PlaceWare, another provider in the same software category, starts at 35 cents per minute per user, and offers monthly usage rates of $375 for a 5-seat license or $750 for a 10-seat license. The WebEx business subscription service offers additional functionality not present in the pay-per-use program. This additional functionality includes customized corporate branding, more customer and technical support, higher levels of security, a dedicated account manager, and WebEx APIs for integration with your enterprise applications such as learning management systems. In terms of system requirements, WebEx supports most flavors of desktop operating system, including Windows, Mac OS, Solaris, and Linux. Most recent versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers are supported and your Internet connection can be 56K or higher. Broadband connections are the preferred types of connection, because meeting presentations typically involve a number of screen transitions as the moderator moves from slide to slide or across application windows.
Contact Information PlaceWare, www.placeware.com WebEx, www.webex.com
Today’s Technology
15 In-Car Safety and Security: OnStar
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ne of the first words that comes to mind when we think about in-car safety and security is OnStar. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors and is the nation’s leading provider of in-vehicle safety, security, and information services using the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite network and wireless technology. The service was launched in fall 1996 and is now available on all Cadillacs, Buicks, Saabs, and Saturns, all GM minivans and sport utilities, and a large range of midsize sedans from Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile. In fact, for 2003, GM is offering OnStar services in 44 out of its 53 models. OnStar currently has over 2 million subscribers and has handled over 10 million responses since 1996. The service provided by OnStar includes automatic notification of air bag deployment, stolen vehicle location, emergency services, roadside assistance with location, remote door unlock, remote diagnostics, route support, OnStar concierge, and convenience services. Two additional services, introduced in 2001, include Personal Calling, which provides hands-free, voice-activated phone calls, and Virtual Advisor, 68
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which provides access to personalized Web-based information in a hands-free, voice-activated manner. We’ll look at Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor in more detail in the following section on in-car information and entertainment, but for now we’ll focus on the safety and security aspects of the service.
How It Works The OnStar service works by combining GPS satellite and wireless technology with personal assistance from OnStar advisors. The advisors work in the OnStar Center, which runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In situations such as an air bag deployment, an advisor is automatically notified and will call you in your car to see if you need help. If you don’t respond, they’ll immediately dispatch emergency assistance to your vehicle and provide them with your vehicle’s exact location. Inside a vehicle equipped with OnStar, all you’ll really notice from the front seat are the three buttons located just below the rear-view mirror, on the overhead panel, or mounted on the dashboard (Figure 15-1; Plate 9). These buttons are the blue OnStar button for connecting to the OnStar Center, the red emergency button for emergencies, and the white dot button for OnStar Personal Calling or for access to the Virtual Advisor service. Once activated, the buttons all work in a hands-free manner. An integrated microphone picks up your voice, and an OnStar advisor can speak to you through your audio system speakers. There are no displays that could distract you from driving.
Sample Scenario: In Case of Accident 1. Driver presses OnStar red emergency button, or OnStar is automatically notified in the event of an air bag deployment. 2. An OnStar advisor is notified at the OnStar Center via a wireless call from your vehicle. 3. Advisor calls you in your car to see if you need help. 4. If you request assistance, or if you don’t respond, OnStar advisor dispatches emergency assistance to your vehicle. 5. Your exact location is determined by GPS positioning, which is part of the OnStar service.
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Figure 15-1
OnStar Service (Source: OnStar).
Benefits The benefits of the OnStar service over traditional mobile phone usage for emergency or roadside assistance calls are obviously safety and ease-of-use. Pushing one button is a lot safer than fumbling for a mobile phone and trying to dial for help in the event of an emergency. The GPS satellite technology means that the OnStar advisors will know exactly where you are and will be able to remotely unlock your car doors or remotely perform diagnostics on your vehicle as necessary. The automatic notification in the event of an air bag deployment is another benefit to the system. The stolen vehicle tracking feature means that OnStar can inform the proper authorities of your car’s whereabouts in the event of theft. Roadside assistance and accident assistance are two other features that can also help to bring added peace of mind. The OnStar MED-NET service allows authorized medical personnel access to your personal medical history so that they can get infor-
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mation such as your physician’s name, your blood type, allergies, and medications. This information is kept secure and confidential and is made available only in an emergency.
Features and Considerations One of the considerations when evaluating the OnStar service is the type of package you want to select. Three packages are offered based on your interests. The Safe & Sound Plan offers the safety and security features, the Directions & Connections Plan offers everything in the prior plan plus some informational services, and the Luxury & Leisure Plan offers everything in both prior plans plus concierge services. The Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor offering are available with all three plans. According to OnStar, the Safe & Sound plan costs $199 per year or $16.95 per month. The Directions & Connections plan costs $399 per year or $34.95 per month. Luxury & Leisure costs $799 per year or $69.95 per month. Signing up for a two-, three-, or four-year plan will lower those yearly payments.
Safe & Sound Plan • Automatic Notification of Air Bag Deployment • Emergency Services • OnStar MED-NET • Roadside Assistance • Stolen-Vehicle Tracking • AccidentAssist • Remote Door Unlock • Remote Diagnostics • Online Concierge • Remote Horn and Lights
Directions & Connections Plan
Luxury & Leisure Plan
• Safe & Sound Plan plus: • Route Support • RideAssist • Information / Convenience Services
• Directions & Connections Plan plus: • Concierge Services
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Contact Information OnStar Service OnStar, www.onstar.com OnStar Subscriber Assistance, 1-888-4-ONSTAR OnStar General Information, 1-800-ONSTAR-7 (1-800-667-8277), or visit your nearest General Motors Dealer.
OnStar Availability Buick Century LeSabre Park Avenue Regal Rendezvous Cadillac CTS DeVille Eldorado Escalade EXT Seville
Chevrolet Avalanche Impala Monte Carlo Silverado Surburban Tahoe TrailBlazer TrailBlazer EXT Venture
GMC Envoy Envoy XL Sierra Sierra Denali Yukon Yukon Denali Yukon XL Denali Hummer H2
Oldsmobile Aurora Bravada Intrigue Silhouette Pontiac Aztek Bonneville Grand Prix Montana
Saab 9-3 9-5 Saturn VUE
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16 In-Car Information and Entertainment: OnStar and MobileAria
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he range of products and services now available for in-car information and entertainment is substantial. Today’s choices include services such as satellite radio from XM and Sirius, telematics services from OnStar and MobileAria, and many consumer electronics capabilities such as in-vehicle DVD players, MP3 players, and other types of entertainment systems. The satellite radio services from XM and Sirius are covered in another profile, so in this section we’ll focus on some of the telematics features from companies such as OnStar and MobileAria. In the information and entertainment category, OnStar offers two services called Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor in addition to their three types of OnStar packages. Personal Calling allows you to initiate voice-activated calls and to receive calls in your car. Virtual Advisor provides the ability to access personalized Web-based content, such as news, stocks, entertainment, and weather (Plate 10). Virtual Advisor can also read your email to you. In terms of content
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providers, Virtual Advisor includes content from Fidelity Investments, ESPN.com, Disney.com, ABCNEWS.com, Wall Street Journal online, CNN and CNNfn. To initiate either of these two services, you simply press the white dot OnStar button and wait for the “Ready” prompt, which is spoken via the vehicle’s speakers. The service then operates via a series of spoken keywords that inform OnStar of the action you require. Both of these services are automated, and you do not need to speak to a live representative. For example, to hear your personalized weather, you say “Get my weather”; to hear your stock quotes, you say “Get my stocks”; and so on. The nice thing about the weather forecast is that it’s based upon your vehicle’s current position as determined by the GPS system that is part of the OnStar service. So instead of just having a personalized weather forecast based on your home address and zip code, you can get detailed weather for your current location— whether it is hundreds of miles from your home or just a few miles down the road. If you require live assistance, you can press the blue OnStar button and contact the OnStar Center. This can be useful for requesting driving directions or other types of information requests, such as concierge services. Because the advisors know your vehicle’s position, they can give you step-by-step directions to find the location or service you seek. For example, when I evaluated OnStar in a 2003 Cadillac DeVille, I requested directions to the nearest FedEx drop-off location. The advisor provided me with detailed directions to a location that was just a few miles from my current position and also had a Saturday pickup. Despite living in the area for several years, this was a new location I had not previously discovered. MobileAria offers functionality similar to OnStar Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor; it includes voice-activated services for phone and voice mail, email, traffic and directions, a business finder, and news and information. MobileAria is also part of the Delphi Corporation’s TruckSecure solution, which helps to keep commercial trucks carrying dangerous materials within predetermined routes and away from areas such as airports and power plants. If these vehicles do enter a protected area, the trucks will automatically slow down gradually and come to a stop.
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How It Works Sample Scenario: Personal Calling with OnStar 1. Press the white dot button to connect to Personal Calling. 2. Say “Call” to call a contact by name, or say “Dial” to call a contact by number. 3. Say the name of the person to call, such as “Jim at home,” or say the number to dial one number at a time. 4. The Personal Calling service will place your call. When you receive an incoming call, your current radio programming will be interrupted and you’ll hear the ringing tone. You answer by pressing the white dot button from the three OnStar buttons (Figure 16-1) that are typically mounted below the rear view mirror in vehicles such as the 2003 Cadillac DeVille, and you can then conduct your conversation in a safe, hands-free manner. To hang up once you’ve finished, you simply hit the white dot button again.
Sample Scenario: Virtual Advisor with OnStar 1. Press the white dot button to connect to Virtual Advisor. 2. Say “Virtual Advisor” to connect to the service. 3. Listen to the menu of choices and then speak the service you require, such as “Get My Financial Services.” 4. Listen to your personalized financial services report. You can personalize your Virtual Advisor settings by visiting www.myOnStar.com from your home computer. For example, you can enter specific company stocks that you’d like to have tracked by the service and read out to you when you call Virtual Advisor. You can also speak a particular company name or stock symbol on the fly if there’s a stock you want to research but have not entered in your profile.
Figure 16-1
OnStar buttons (Source: OnStar).
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Benefits The benefits of in-vehicle information and entertainment include safety, convenience, and productivity. For commuters, sales people, and busy moms, hands-free, voice-activated phone calls and information access is far safer than having to fumble for mobile phones or personal digital assistants. Services such as Virtual Advisor can also personalize content so that these people have access to the information they care about rather than having to listen through lengthy newscasts or weather forecasts until they get the information they need. In the case of in-vehicle DVD and MP3 players, back-seat passengers can be kept occupied and the driver is more able to focus on the road. In-vehicle GPS navigation systems such as those found on many of the 2003 models from Ford and GM can help drivers get safely to their destinations even when driving in unfamiliar territory.
Features and Considerations For Personal Calling and Virtual Advisor, you pay by purchasing prepaid minutes of airtime. The packages range from 30 minutes to 1,200 minutes and are available for one-, two-, or twelve-month periods. When you need more minutes, you can simply press the white dot OnStar button and say “Units” then “Replenish” to connect to an OnStar advisor who can download additional minutes for you and have them billed to your credit card. The wireless service across the United States is provided by Verizon Wireless and is competitive with other prepaid plans.
Contact Information OnStar, www.onstar.com OnStar Subscriber Assistance, 1-888-4-ONSTAR OnStar General Information, 1-800-ONSTAR-7 (1-800-667-8277), or visit your nearest General Motors Dealer MobileAria, www.mobilearia.com
Today’s Technology
17 Finding Your Way: Magellan Meridian GPS Receivers
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or anyone who is an avid outdoors type, handheld GPS devices can be great companions. These products are lightweight, robust, and can provide your geographic location to amazing levels of accuracy—often to within three meters or better. In addition, whether you are on land or at sea, they can help you plot your course and track your position by providing you with a wealth of data, including your heading, bearing, speed, direction, estimated time of arrival, nearby points of interest, and much more. Many products allow you to upload detailed regional maps onto the device so that you can see your position in relation to major and minor roads and pathways, vertical topographies, and points of interest such as cities, airports, major waterways, and political boundaries. One of the major manufacturers in this field is Thales Navigation. The company offers a number of models, all designed with a slightly different end user in mind, such as outdoor enthusiasts, road warriors, or mariners. Their consumer brand of GPS receivers are the Magellan series, of which the Meridian Platinum is one of their most advanced models (Figure 17-1; Plate 11). 77
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Figure 17-1 Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS Handheld (Source: Thales Navigation).
How It Works GPS receivers work by connecting to satellites orbiting the Earth as part of the global positioning system (GPS). The United States GPS system is actually just one example of what is known as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Another example of a GNSS is the Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONAS), and a third, named GALILEO, is scheduled to begin service in 2008. The United States GPS system uses a network of 24 satellites transmitting high-frequency radio signals that are picked up by the handheld GPS receiver. Because these satellites are distributed around the world, any receiver will typically pick up just a few of these signals, but enough to determine an accurate positional fix for the user. Originally, the GPS system was operated with Selective Availability (SA) by the U.S. Department of Defense in order to prevent non-
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military applications from gaining access to the high levels of accuracy that the system provided. In the wrong hands, GPS systems could be used for missile targeting purposes. This SA setting meant that the signal was purposefully degraded for consumer applications so that positional information was only accurate to within 100 meters. In 2000, the SA degradation was turned off and consumers can now gain an accuracy of 15 meters using standard GPS devices. Additional signal correction techniques, such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), can enable today’s GPS receivers to gain accuracies of three meters or better. WAAS was developed by the FAA and provides navigation correction and validation to improve the accuracy of a fix by at least five times. It does this via monitoring stations and WAAS satellites that can send the GPS error correction information to a WAAS-capable handheld GPS receiver.
Benefits Besides safety, GPS receivers provide increased recreational benefits for outdoor enthusiasts and navigational benefits for shipping. These handheld units can tell you your current location; can track your course, direction, and speed; and can help you reach chosen destinations. The Meridian Platinum has seven navigation displays that include a map screen, compass screen, speedometer, and text displays for heading, bearing, speed, direction, and estimated time of arrival. Additionally, a satellite status screen provides information on the satellites that are in view, their location relative to your position, and their relative signal strength. The number of different screen displays are of great benefit to suit a variety of usage scenarios. For example, if you’re boating and have a receiver mounted to your boat, the large data screen display type can provide essential information such as heading, bearing, speed, and distance in a large font for easy viewing. The speedometer screen can be useful for a road style display with a speedometer and a graphical road that actually turns when you need to make a change in direction. Most of these screens are customizable so that you can have the positional information you need added to any of these screen styles.
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Features and Considerations Several considerations are necessary when you select a GPS receiver. Some of the main considerations include horizontal and vertical accuracy; battery life; number of configurable navigation screens; number of routes, waypoints, and track-points that can be stored; and the types of maps that can be uploaded. Some of the newer devices, such as the Magellan Meridian Color, also offer full-color displays. The Meridian Color has a 16-color, 120 x 160 pixel display. Battery life is typically up to 14 hours and is provided via two AA batteries. Waypoints are map locations you can store in the device to chart your route. A multileg route would have multiple waypoints including the starting and ending location. Most receivers have plenty of storage space for these waypoints and routes. The Meridian Platinum can store up to 20 routes, 500 waypoints, and 2,000 track-points. The amount of data you can upload is dictated by the amount of memory supported. Most receivers support anywhere from 2MB to 128MB of storage via a standard Secure Digital (SD) memory card. Data can be uploaded by connecting the receiver to a standard PC via a special cable, which is typically provided when you purchase the device. The Magellan MapSend software comes on a standard CDROM and provides an application for you to select the portions of the map that you wish to upload to your device. When you select a rectangular portion of the map by using the MapSend software, the program tells you the size of data that will be uploaded. In this way, you can upload the appropriate amount of data to your device while still staying within the size constraints of your SD memory card.
Contact Information Thales Navigation, www.thalesnavigation.com Magellan GPS, www.magellangps.com
Today’s Technology
18 Tracking the Kids: Wherify GPS Personal Locator
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ave you ever wanted a way to track your kids? A LoJack for kids perhaps? Well, this very type of device is on the market today. Wherify Wireless makes a GPS personal locator for children that is a wearable tracking device (Figure 18-1; Plate 12). Kids wear the device around their wrists, like a wristwatch, and parents can track them by either calling a telephone number or using the Internet. The locator relies on GPS technology for position determination plus a wireless network for transmission of that location information to the Wherify location service center. Beyond being a locator, the device also functions as a pager and a watch. The device is designed for children who are four to twelve years old and comes in two colors and two wrist sizes.
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Figure 18-1
Wherify Wireless GPS Personal Locator (Source: Wherify).
How It Works Sample Scenario: Locate Function 1. Go to WherifyWireless.com, enter your user ID and security code, and click on Locate. 2. Click on Locator Functions. 3. Select the locator (the device you want to track). 4. Select an action to perform (this can be Perform Locate, Perform Breadcrumb, View Location History, or Send Page). To locate someone wearing the device, Wherify provides two options. You can either call a special telephone number provided by Wherify when you sign up for the service, or you can use the Internet.
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For the Internet option, you go to WherifyWireless.com and log in as described in the sample scenario. A series of menu options allow you to perform various locator functions on the device. If you select Perform Locate, you can view your child’s location on either an aerialphoto-style map or on a traditional street map. A Locate means that the device is requested to take a GPS position fix and send that information over the wireless network back to the Wherify location service center, where it is made available via phone or the Internet; you’re basically using remote control to request the device to take a position fix and send it back to you. This locate process typically takes about one minute to complete. On the Web page, zoom features allow you to pinpoint your child’s location on the aerial map or the street map. The nearest street address, along with the date and time that the location fix was taken, is provided as part of the Web page. A View Location History feature allows you to view a group of prior locates on the aerial map or street map. The system allows you to view up to 30 days of prior data that has been captured. A Perform Breadcrumb feature allows you to perform periodic, automatic locates instead of having to initiate each one manually. Finally, a Send Page feature allows you to page your child on his or her device by sending a short text message. The device itself is lockable to ensure that it won’t get lost, and is also tamper and cut-resistant to make it harder to be removed forcefully. The device can be unlocked remotely either over the phone or over the Internet. A button on the device can be pressed in order to lock it, and a key fob can be used to lock or unlock the device in a manner similar to the way you lock and unlock your car.
Benefits Obviously, the main benefit of this device is that it helps ensure your child’s safety. With a variety of features on the device, you’re able to locate people remotely and allow them to send out their own distress signals in case of emergency. The user can simply press two buttons on the locator simultaneously for three seconds to have their location and direction passed on to the Wherify emergency operators. Once
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they have validated the emergency, they can dispatch local authorities directly to the wearer’s location. In this regard, the device functions much like the emergency call button on the OnStar system that we looked at in an earlier profile.
Features and Considerations If you’re contemplating this type of device for your children, there are a number of things to consider. If the cost and monthly service fee are not an issue, then the next consideration is whether or not your kids are willing to wear the device, and then how effective and reliable it will be in everyday use. Wherify seems to have thought about most of the practicalities concerning the use of these devices by young children. For example, if you are worried that your young child may accidentally set off the emergency response request, you can deactivate this feature as part of your preferences setup on the Internet. If someone tries to cut or tamper with the wrist band when the device is in locked status, an alarm will be activated at the Wherify location service center. The device is water resistant, but should be removed for swimming. The only apparent weakness for the device, in terms of its reliability in case of emergency, appears to be the wireless network coverage itself. This, of course, is an issue even with standard wireless phones. If the device is inside a building or in a poor wireless coverage area, it may not be able to send a locate request back to the location service center. The wireless connection is a vital part of the entire solution; without it, the service does not work. Another consideration is battery life. The built-in battery enables the device to work for close to 60 hours of standby time, and to perform up to about 40 locates when fully charged. If you intend to purchase this or a similar device, check that you have good cellular coverage in the areas where your child typically frequents. Wherify provides a way to check for coverage by inputting your zip code on their Web site. You’ll also want to spend some time training your child on how to use the device and ensure that you have the discipline to keep the device regularly charged. Although it is obviously not a guarantee of safety—and should not be used to leave
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your child unattended or as a virtual babysitter—this service can provide vital information about your child’s location in the event that they require assistance. The GPS Personal Locator sells for $399.99 plus a monthly service charge. The monthly charge is for the wireless service to the device plus the various locates, pages, and remote unlocks that you perform. A variety of plans offers varying numbers of locates and pages per month. For example, the base plan offers up to 20 locates and pages per month, whereas the highest level plan offers up to 80. If you go over the limit for these locates and pages, you pay a per-use fee, which is typically under a dollar. Live operator-assisted locates, pages, remote unlocks, or 911 panic alerts are charged at a higher fee of $5 to $15.
Contact Information Wherify Wireless, www.wherifywireless.com
Today’s Technology
19 Taking Digital Photos: Nikon Coolpix
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lthough digital cameras have been around for a while and may seem fairly mainstream, the fact is that they are rapidly gaining features and popularity and are dropping in price. If you’ve ever scanned your traditional print photos and stored them as images on disk in order to email them to friends and relatives, digital cameras can streamline the process and make photography literally a snap—if you’ll excuse the pun! Emailing photos to friends and relatives can now be as simple as taking the picture with a digital camera, plugging the camera into a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port on your computer, clicking a download button within a software program on your PC to send the pictures to your hard disk, and then clicking an email button within the same program to launch your email program. Cameras such as the Coolpix 4500 from Nikon provide everything you need to achieve this, including all the necessary cables and software (Plate 21). This camera also supports viewing of your digital photos on your television set. All you need to do is plug in the audio/video cable provided 86
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with the camera and use the camera’s playback button to display your pictures. Many cameras like the Coolpix offer the ability to add audio commentary up to about 20 seconds long to your photos, and may even include the ability to record movies for a short time. The Coolpix 4500 can take up to 35 seconds of film at a rate of about 15 frames per second. In this particular example, the movie is recorded in QuickTime format. With digital cameras you get the ability to preview your photos on an LCD display on the camera, annotate them with audio commentary; download them to your PC for viewing, editing, archiving, printing, and emailing; and view them as slide shows on your PC or television. As mentioned, you may also be able to shoot short movies with your camera. Gone are the days of having to wait hours or even days to have your pictures processed at the local store. Once you’ve paid for your digital camera, the rest is mostly free! Because there’s no film, all you need to buy are the memory cards to store your pictures. These are relatively cheap and can store tens or even hundreds of photos at a time. The typical cost items related to taking photos with digital cameras come on the printing side, because you’ll need to buy glossy photo paper and expensive ink if you wish to print your pictures. Whether you’re printing photos or simply plain text, ink is always expensive if purchased from the manufacturer, and some new alternatives include the ability to purchase refill kits from third-party suppliers.
How It Works The resolution of today’s digital cameras can easily equal that of traditional 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras. Professional photographers are able to enlarge prints of their digital photos, even to poster sizes, and still have them indistinguishable from equivalentsized prints from 35mm film. For digital cameras, the measure of image resolution is the number of pixels contained within the image. A pixel corresponds to a single “cell” or element on a computer screen. Digital cameras typically range from about 2–6 megapixels
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and even higher. The higher the number, the better the image resolution and the better suited it is to enlargement without becoming grainy and losing resolution. Entry-level cameras are often 2 megapixels, intermediate cameras are about 4 megapixels, and more advanced professional cameras are 5 megapixels and higher. As an example, a 640 x 480 pixel (VGA) computer screen image would be composed of 307,200 pixels, which is just 0.31 megapixels. A picture 2,272 x 1,704 pixels in size, such as that taken by the Nikon Coolpix 4500, is 3.87 megapixels and provides a much finer resolution. When printing a digital photo, there’s a simple formula you can use. By dividing the pixel resolution by the number of dots per inch (DPI) with which you intend to print your photo, you can determine the size of print that you can create. Print Size = Pixel Resolution of Image / Dots Per Inch of Print For example, the 2,272 x 1,704 pixel image taken by the Coolpix 4500 would be approximately 7.5 x 5.5 inches when printed at 300 dpi. So this type of camera is great for 4 x 6 and 5 x 7 prints. In contrast, a 640 x 480 pixel image would be satisfactory for viewing on a small VGA computer screen or for sending via email, but it would not print well at all. When you take photos, the images are typically stored on a memory card that is slotted into your camera. Cards come in capacities ranging from about 16MB to 1GB. The amount of memory taken by each photo depends on the resolution of the image. A 2,272 x 1,704 pixel image would take up approximately 800kB of disk space, so you could fit approximately 20 pictures on a 16MB card, 40 pictures on a 32MB card, and so on.
Sample Scenario: Transferring Pictures to Your Computer This scenario is specific to the Nikon Coolpix 4500 and the Nikon View 5 software that is provided with the camera, but other makes and models typically follow a similar process. 1. Take digital photos using your Coolpix 4500 camera. 2. Install the Nikon View 5 software provided on CD onto your PC.
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3. Turn off your camera and connect the camera to the PC by using the USB cable provided. 4. Turn on the camera and click the Transfer button on the Image Transfer pop-up window (Figure 19-1). 5. Images are downloaded from your camera to your PC, and the Nikon Browser software is launched automatically. 6. Using the Nikon Browser software, you can view the photos and optionally print them out, display them in a slideshow, email them, or publish them to NikonNet or to a personal digital assistant. NikonNet is a Web site where you can upload photos, arrange them in an album, and invite family and friends to view them. The whole process can be accomplished in just a couple of minutes and is easy to do. The photos also transfer quickly to your PC over the USB cable. Most recent PCs have a USB port that you can use for this purpose. Earlier PCs have serial connections, which can be used instead of USB, but the drawback is that they provide a slower data-transfer speed.
Figure 19-1
Nikon Image Transfer software.
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Finally, some other techniques for transferring your photos from your camera to your PC include the use of memory card readers and alternative storage media. Using a memory card reader, you can remove the memory card from your camera and plug it directly into the reader connected to your PC. This can help to avoid the use of cables for serial or USB connections. Alternative media types include standard 1.44MB floppy disks, and CD and DVD disks. Many cameras allow you to write to these media onboard the camera and then insert directly into your PC.
Benefits The benefits of digital photography include those mentioned previously together with more real-time image-distribution capabilities. This can be particularly important for photo journalists who need to get a story into circulation quickly for breaking news events, or for realtors and field service workers who need to get pictures back to their home base for posting on the Internet or for equipment maintenance approvals. You can edit digital photos on your PC to resize or crop the image, to take out red-eye, or to make other image enhancements. If you want to convert digital pictures back to print medium, you can also buy specialized printers that print your photos on glossy paper in standard print formats. Some examples of these printers are listed in the contact information section below.
Features and Considerations When you evaluate digital cameras, some of the technical features to consider include the image resolution (in megapixels), zoom capability, audio and video capability, and software for downloading to a PC and managing your images once on disk. You can also look at many of the features that apply to traditional 35mm SLR cameras, such as lens quality; battery life; size and weight; general ease-of-use; and the modes supported, such as manual, shutter-priority, aperture-priority,
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and fully automatic. The manual modes give you a way to customize your picture taking to ensure depth-of-field, sharp focus for fast-moving shots, or proper exposure. Although automatic modes typically do a decent job of this, manual modes provide you with ultimate control in harsher situations where you need to override standard settings. Some drawbacks to digital cameras are that it is harder to accurately compose a photo unless you have a through-the-lens viewfinder, the battery life is not as long as in a traditional camera, and the shutter often experiences a short delay in firing. For these reasons, serious or professional photographers will feel more comfortable with the upper-end digital cameras that have more SLR-like functions in terms of accuracy and responsiveness.
Contact Information Digital Cameras Canon, www.canon.com HP, www.hp.com Kodak, www.kodak.com Minolta, www.minolta.com Nikon, www.nikon.com NikonNet, www.nikonnet.com Olympus, www.olympus.com Sony, www.sony.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com
Photo Printers Canon, www.canon.com Epson, www.epson.com HP, www.hp.com Lexmark, www.lexmark.com
Today’s Technology
20 Viewing Digital Photos: Microsoft TV Photo Viewer
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nce you have purchased your digital camera and have downloaded several photos to your PC, you may wish to view your photos in the comfort of your living room to show friends and family. Connecting your digital camera to your television is one way to run a slide show, but the problem is that your slide show only displays the latest pictures stored on your memory card. Additionally, these pictures may not be in any particular order or theme unless you have arranged them on your PC, reloaded onto your memory card, and reinserted the memory card into your camera. One new way to easily display your photos on your television is by using the Microsoft TV Photo Viewer (Plate 22). The Photo Viewer allows you to organize photos into an album format on your PC, load them onto a standard floppy disk, and then display them on your television. You can even use a remote control to browse through your album from the comfort of your couch! In addition to photos, the TV Photo Viewer also allows you to import Microsoft PowerPoint files for display on your television. You can either create TV Photo Viewer–compatible floppy disks directly 92
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from your PowerPoint presentation, or you can import the files into the TV Photo Viewer software to edit or rearrange them prior to sending the files to floppy disk.
How It Works When you buy the TV Photo Viewer, the package contains a sleek floppy drive unit that connects to your television via your audio/video cables, a remote control to page through your photos, and some software for your PC that you can use to create albums and load them to diskette.
Sample Scenario: Using the TV Photo Viewer 1. Install the TV Photo Viewer software on your PC. 2. Launch the program and create an album from photos on your PC (Figure 20-1). 3. Create a floppy.
Figure 20-1
Microsoft TV Photo Viewer software.
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4. Connect the TV Photo Viewer unit to the audio/video connection on your television. 5. Select video input on your television. 6. Insert your floppy disk into the TV Photo Viewer. 7. Turn on the unit by using your remote control and start viewing your photos.
Benefits The TV Photo Viewer is a simple way to quickly create small photo albums, load them to floppy, and display them on your television. The remote control is a great bonus for moving forward and backward through your pictures or for automatically running a slide show. Another benefit is that you can add text titles to your photos to provide additional information when they are displayed. This is particularly handy for creating an opening title for your slide show and for making a record of the date and location where the photos were taken. The TV Photo Viewer unit can stay connected to your television, and insertion of new diskettes with new albums is straightforward. As an indication of how easy this is, my seven-year-old was able to run the slide show with a few simple instructions provided over the phone while I was away on business.
Features and Considerations One minor drawback when viewing photos is that you may notice a slight delay in displaying the next photo if the image has to be read from the floppy. This is similar to the delay you may notice when viewing the same images on a floppy drive connected to your PC. Once the images are loaded, however, the forward and backward navigation controls on the remote give you the ability to move almost instantaneously through your photos onscreen. When files are stored on disk, they are stored as .PVA files. This is the photo viewer album format that Microsoft uses to create your
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albums. When you import PowerPoint files, they are also saved in this .PVA format. The Preview Album feature allows you to preview each photo or PowerPoint slide, and it duplicates the functionality available via the remote control. In this way you can check your slide show before copying the files to floppy.
Contact Information Microsoft TV Photo Viewer, www.microsoft.com/hardware/ tvphotoviewer/
Today’s Technology
21 Filming with Digital Video
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ust as digital photography is changing the photographic world and replacing traditional 35mm film, digital video is doing something similar in the world of video. Instead of using standard-size VHS cassette tapes, VHS-C compact cassette tapes, or even the old 8mm film within your camcorder, you can now use a small digital format known as Mini-DV. The Mini-DV format offers better image detail and color accuracy than traditional camcorders do, and it is a much smaller tape. Due to the digital nature of Mini-DV, or the other digital format known as Digital 8, any copies made retain the same quality as the originals. If you’ve ever made copies of VHS, VHS-C, or other forms of analog tapes, you’ll know that with each copy you make, the picture and sound quality is degraded. In addition to superior image quality and perfect reproduction capability, digital video recording provides you with a way to perform advanced editing by downloading your movies from your camcorder to your PC. Using PC-based software tools, you can edit the footage, add music and titles, and even send video clips via email. If you have a 96
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CD or DVD writer as part of your PC, you can also store the footage on these media for distribution or archiving. Like digital photography, once you’ve tried it, it’s hard to go back to the analog formats because of the ease-of-use and control it provides.
How It Works Digital camcorders have many of the features of traditional video cameras, such as zoom, auto-focus, auto-exposure settings, audio and video inputs, remote controls, and rechargeable batteries. In addition, digital camcorders have flip-out LCD viewers that can aid in shooting from certain positions and provide an excellent way to play back footage. Most digital camcorders also feature an electronic viewfinder similar to those found on traditional camcorders. How you view and shoot your movies is really just a matter of personal preference; the electronic viewfinder and the flip-out LCD viewer do the job equally well. Two additional features of digital camcorders are their digital zoom capability and their image stabilization functionality. The digital zoom is not as good as a true optical zoom, because it simply enlarges your picture by interpolating between pixels and does not keep the true image resolution constant. It’s really just performing a digital sampling between the true pixel information within each image. The image stabilization functionality can help to smooth out your video shots even if the camcorder is shaking slightly from being hand-held. The best bet, however, is to develop a video-taking stance, either hand-held or on a tripod, where you can minimize camera shake and compose your pictures carefully. Like digital cameras, digital camcorders use charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors to capture their images. The resolution of these sensors is determined by the number of pixels supported per CCD. Many of the newer camcorders are designed to work in a video mode and a still photographic mode. For good-resolution stills, you’ll want at least 2 megapixels if not more. As described in the profile on digital cameras, the precise resolution to look for depends upon your specific usage requirements. If you want to print 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 prints, however,
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you’re probably better off purchasing a digital camera with 4 megapixels or higher resolution instead of trying to use a digital camcorder. To transfer your video shots to PC, you’ll need a connection such as FireWire, also known as i.Link or IEEE 1394 depending upon who’s marketing it, which provides a high-speed digital video and data interface between televisions and computers and other peripherals, such as digital camcorders. The FireWire link can transfer video to your PC at up to 400 Mbps and is the preferred method for transferring your data because of this speed advantage over other techniques, such as via the USB port or video capture cards.
Benefits Improved image resolution and color accuracy, the ability to make exact copies with no loss of quality, and the more compact storage for movies via Mini-DV cassette, or via CD or DVD, when compared to VHS or VHS-C cassette storage are all provided by digital camcorders. The ability to work with your movies on your PC can add tremendously to your editing and production capabilities. In terms of image resolution, digital camcorders can give you up to 500 lines of horizontal resolution and are often around 1 megapixel in overall resolution per image.
Features and Considerations When selecting a digital camcorder, look for one that supports both video capture and still-image capture. The still-image capture can be handy if you do not own a digital camera and want to have the device serve both purposes. Camcorders from manufacturers such as Sony include an expansion slot for a memory card to capture your photos and transfer them to other devices. For this function, Sony uses their proprietary Memory Stick, which can be inserted into certain Sony television models for immediate viewing of your photos onscreen.
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Other important considerations for selecting a digital camcorder include the sensor resolution, zoom capability, size and weight of the camcorder, support for both manual and automatic operation, and the amount of accessories and software provided. You may also be interested in the number of digital image effects supported, the quality of the sound recording, the size of the flip-out LCD viewer, and the battery life. In terms of software, be sure that your computer meets the minimum hardware and software requirements of the video editing package supplied with the camcorder. If the camcorder doesn’t supply this software, there are many products available as accessories from leading retailers that can add FireWire capability to your PC plus provide the video-editing software all-in-one package. If you want to turn some of your older analog videos into digital, you can purchase hardware that takes an RCA connection from your camcorder or VCR and connects to your computer’s USB port.
Contact Information Digital Camcorders Canon, www.canon.com JVC, www.jvc.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Sharp, www.sharpelectronics.com Sony, www.sony.com
Accessories & Video Editing ADS Technologies, www.adstech.com Creative, www.creative.com Dazzle, www.dazzle.com Pinnacle Systems, www.pinnaclesys.com/
Today’s Technology
22 Camera Phones: Sprint PCS Vision
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ave you ever wished you had your camera with you when an unexpected photo opportunity arose? Well, with the new breed of camera phones emerging, chances are that you’ll have that camera ready very shortly. Manufacturers such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Sharp, and Samsung have all recently released mobile phones with integrated digital camera capabilities or with snap-on support for these capabilities. Mobile phones with this functionality allow you to take a color digital picture, view it on a color display, and send the picture to friends with a similar device or via standard email. Additionally, some of the mobile phones feature a built-in photo album so that you can store several images at once on your phone or use the photos as wallpaper or for caller ID. Camera phones open a new world of possibilities for communications. Instead of just voice and simple data such as text messaging,
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they provide the opportunity to send voice, text, photos, and even video all in a single message. They actually combine two technologies in one. The first is the integrated digital camera and the second is the support for the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). An example of one of the new digital camera phones is the 7650 from Nokia. This phone first became available in Europe, Africa, and in Asia Pacific in 2002 and is now available in the United States. The camera can take photos with a VGA resolution of 640 x 480 pixels and display them on a color LCD that supports 176 x 208 pixels. The Sony Ericsson T68i and P800 are other examples. The T68i mobile phone supports MMS and uses a snapon camera, the CommuniCam MCA-25. The P800 was featured in the recent James Bond movie “Die Another Day” and is shown in Plate 2. The model we’ll take a look at to see how this all works is the Samsung A500 together with the Sprint PCS Vision Camera (Figure 22-1; Plate 7).
Figure 22-1
Sprint PCS Vision showing Samsung A500 mobile phone and Picture Inbox.
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How It Works Taking pictures with the Sprint PCS Vision Camera and the Samsung A500 mobile phone is fairly straightforward. The following scenario illustrates the basic steps involved in taking a picture and sending it to a friend or colleague as an email message.
Sample Scenario: Taking and Sending a Digital Photo with Sprint PCS Vision 1. Take photos with the Sprint PCS Vision Camera. 2. Attach the camera to your Samsung A500 (or N400) mobile phone. 3. On the phone, choose Menu, Pictures, and then Camera to view and scroll through your photos on the phone. 4. Use the Menu button on the phone to upload some or all of the photos to your Pictures Inbox at http://pictures.sprintpcs.com. Uploading photos to the Pictures Inbox typically takes about 20 to 30 seconds per photo. Other options on the menu include the ability to erase some or all of the photos or to page through them. 5. The next step is to share your photos. Share your pictures either from the Pictures Inbox on the Web, or directly from the phone by choosing Menu, Pictures, and then Album. 6. To share a photo, either enter a Sprint PCS phone number to send the message to, or enter an email address. 7. The email message contains a link to the Pictures Inbox, where friends and colleagues can view your photos. The messaging functionality for camera phones is handled by MMS, an industry standard that allows for the instant delivery of text, data, images, audio and video in the same way that SMS handles the delivery of text and data. The benefit of MMS is that it provides instant delivery of these rich media types from mobile to mobile, mobile to Internet, and Internet to mobile devices. Instead of the store and retrieve mechanisms used for email and unified messaging, MMS provides instant delivery. This makes it an ideal candidate for both pull and push types of communications. For example, MMS can allow you to receive a breaking news item, complete with audio and video from the announcer, on your mobile phone.
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Benefits The benefits of camera phones extend well beyond the ability to send a color postcard at any time and any place. Think of how this might help you improve shopping decisions if your spouse or significant other can view your potential purchase. The instant delivery capability can also be useful for small businesses and especially for repair work. You may be out of town or in the office and want to use multimedia messaging to have your service technician show you a photo of the problem with your car before you give approval for a repair, or you may want to see the repair prior to pickup. The immediacy of being able to send a live picture to someone can help ensure that work is done properly the first time to avoid costly return trips to resolve outstanding issues.
Features and Considerations When selecting a digital camera phone, one of the key features is the amount of memory supported by the phone. This determines how many photos you can store on the phone before having to upload them to the Web, erase them, or transfer them to a PC to free up space. The memory storage space is either on the phone itself, if you have an integrated digital camera, or on the snap-on camera part of the device. As an example, the PCS Vision Camera from Sprint PCS holds up to 15 pictures with VGA resolution. After this number of photos have been taken, you must plug the camera into your mobile phone and either erase some of the images or upload some to your Pictures Inbox on the Web. The other alternative for storing photos is the portable flash memory sticks. As an example, wireless carriers such as NTT DoCoMo in Japan are using memory sticks from Sony for their i-shot digital camera phones. If you’re looking for good image quality, look at the type of sensor that the device uses for digital photography. Charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors are preferable over complementary metal-oxide semi-
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conductor (CMOS) sensors, and you’ll want at least 640 x 480 resolution to create pictures suitable for emailing or viewing on the Web. Other modes of picture taking may also be desirable, including support for video capture and for other modes of image quality capture that can help you take more pictures. For example, the Sharp J-SH09 can take up to 1,000 photos in its low-image-resolution mode. The size of the LCD display is also important. Some cameras may offer a single LCD display for you to preview photos, but others may offer an additional display, perhaps on the outside of the phone. In addition to the size of the display, be sure to check the number of colors that each display supports; 65,536 colors is typical. Finally, the weight and form factor of the device are always considerations, as is battery life for talk time and standby mode.
Contact Information Digital Camera Phone Manufacturers Nokia, 7650, www.nokia.com/phones/7650/index.html Samsung, A500, www.samsung.com Sharp, J-SH09, www.sha-mail.com/lineup/list/j_sh09/voice/ flash.html Sony Ericsson, T68i, www.sonyericsson.com/T68i/ Sony Ericsson, P800, www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
Wireless Carriers Sprint PCS, www.sprintpcs.com Sprint PCS Vision, Pictures Inbox, http://pictures.sprintpcs.com
Today’s Technology
23 Sharing Images, Audio, and Video over the Web: Kazaa
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nternet file sharing is a way for Internet users to exchange various types of computer files, and it typically uses what is known as a peer-to-peer architecture. The concept of peer-to-peer computing was popularized by companies such as Napster, with their controversial file-sharing community for the exchange of MP3 music files. Recent entrants in the post-Napster world have included Kazaa, BearShare, WinMX, LimeWire, and many others. Each of these companies offer a way for Internet users to exchange media files with one another by sharing file folders on their desktops and using software that enables distributed searching and downloading. The controversy around these types of services arises because users are able to share files for which they do not own the copyright; therefore, they are violating the rights of the original artists and the recording companies. This profile aims to explain the concept behind peer-to-peer and describe the operation of a typical file-sharing Web site such as Kazaa for users who intend to use these services in a manner that does not breach the rights of the copyright owners. 105
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One warning about some of these consumer-oriented sites is that they often include spyware and mandatory programs that must be installed. There is also potential for downloading files infected with viruses. It’s worth reading the fine print prior to installing any of these programs, and you should ask friends and colleagues about their own experiences before deciding to proceed.
How It Works The peer-to-peer concept has actually been around for decades. In the early days of corporate networking, it was used extensively in local-area-network products from companies such as Microsoft, Novell, and IBM. Peer-to-Peer computing is now becoming an increasingly important technology within both the consumer and the business community. It basically leverages computers on the network’s “edge” (desktops) instead of centralized servers for performing various content, collaborative, and resource-sharing functions between client, or peer, computers on the network without the need for a centralized server. The Kazaa Media Desktop is the client software that you download and install on your desktop. Once installed, it lets you connect with other Kazaa Media Desktop users and search for and download files. When searching through music files, the searches show the artist and title plus a number of items related to the quality of the file and the speed of the download. This helps you locate a high-quality audio file, such as 128 kbps, that is on the desktop of a user with a fast connection to the Internet. Once you’ve downloaded a particular file, you can play it on your computer by using your own jukebox software or the software provided by Kazaa.
Benefits Internet file sharing enables users to share their original content, such as their own music, with millions of people around the world. As such, it can be an excellent way for emerging artists and bands to be heard and to distribute their music to others. Kazaa has had more than 179
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million Media Desktop applications downloaded, and the file-sharing phenomenon seems to be showing no signs of slowing down. In addition to consumer applications for image, audio, and video file sharing, peer-to-peer computing has the potential to address many of the knowledge management and information sharing pain points within businesses. It can help to leverage distributed computing resources, such as disk space and CPU cycles, for the searching and sharing of business information and for richer forms of collaboration. Some of the vendors and products in the peer-to-peer space on the business side include Groove Networks, NextPage, OpenCola, and Omnipod. One of the business benefits of peer services is improved employee productivity through the use of peer-to-peer collaborative platforms. These platforms allow groups to conduct business processes in a far richer collaborative environment than the simple email, phone, and fax interactions typical today. Business processes that can be enhanced and extended through the use of peer-to-peer collaborative platforms include purchasing, inventory control, distribution, exchanges and auctions, channel and partner relationship management, and customer care and support. Additional benefits of peer-topeer computing include the ability to better utilize computing cycles on workstations across the business, and the ability to better search and share content residing on knowledge worker desktops. Examples of peer-to-peer for distributed computing include the Intel Philanthropic Peer-to-Peer Program, which focuses on a variety of scientific research efforts, including cancer research and the SETI@home program, which focuses on processing data from the radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. SETI, (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) is a scientific program seeking to detect signs of intelligent life beyond Earth
Features and Considerations Current initiatives in the world of peer-to-peer include Intel’s Peer-toPeer Working Group and Peer-to-Peer Trusted Library, and Sun’s Project Juxtapose (JXTA). These initiatives aim to help build standards, protocols, and best practices so that corporate developers can
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focus on business applications for peer-to-peer technologies rather than building the infrastructure themselves. Some of the issues these initiatives currently address include the increased requirements for security, management, and interoperability that peer-to-peer requires as opposed to the standard client-server model. Business users are understandably nervous about opening their personal computers to resource sharing and for others to search and access. The same issues apply on the consumer side as well. The main barriers around peer-to-peer are the copyright issues and the security and trust issues that come with exposing one’s desktop to the world. Peer-to-peer can be a highly beneficial application that can enable productivity and enhance collaboration. The challenge is to do so in a manner that is legal and which respects your privacy and security.
Contact Information Consumer Peer-to-Peer BearShare, www.bearshare.com Kazaa, www.kazaa.com LimeWire, www.limewire.com WinMX, www.winmx.com
Business Peer-to-Peer Groove Networks, www.groove.net NextPage, www.nextpage.com OpenCola, www.opencola.com Omnipod, www.omnipod.com
Today’s Technology
24 Making Your Own Digital Recordings: CD and DVD Recorders
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lthough most of the world is well aware of CD and DVD players by now, many have not yet been exposed to the world of CD and DVD recording. To make copies of data, we’ve typically used floppy disks and other solutions such as Zip drives and magnetic tape backup, or in the case of audio, we’ve typically used regular cassette tapes. CD and DVD burners open up a whole new realm of possibilities for the recording, archiving, and playback of a variety of media content types and offer tremendous storage capacity as well. Although most older laptops and PCs offer drives that support viewing movies on DVD or accessing music or data on CD, the newer internal and external drives support actual recording to both CD and DVD. These burners are available either as stand-alone players or as peripherals for your computer or laptop. If we look at it from the computer-centric viewpoint as opposed to the stand-alone players, the evolution to CD and DVD recording has occurred in three phases. First, we had the plain CD-ROM drive,
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which offered the ability to access music or data on a CD. Second, some of these drives included on the latest desktops and laptops offered CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-ROM capability, which enabled the user to view DVD movies and to read or write to CD. The latest generation of offerings are combo drives that can both read and write to CD and to DVD formats. With CD and DVD recording, you can make backups of your data on CD and you can burn movies in DVD format for later playback on your laptop or even on your television.
How It Works The first step in understanding CD and DVD recording is to get a handle on the acronyms used to describe the read and write capabilities of the device drives and the media formats they support. These acronyms may at first appear confusing, but the terminology is actually fairly straightforward once you are introduced to it. One caveat is that the DVD world still has a large number of varying and competing standards that add to the confusion. Basically, the two major formats for data storage are Compact Discs (CDs) and Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs). Each of these formats has varying standards for information storage and retrieval, such as read-only disks, recordable (or write-once) disks, and rewritable disks. Read-only disks are called CD-ROMs or DVD-ROMs (read-only memory). These are the disks that you can buy in the store and which typically contain a music CD or a DVD movie. DVD movies are actually stored in the DVD-video format, which can be read by a stand-alone DVD player or by a computer with a DVD-ROM drive plus suitable MPEG-2 decoding support in terms of hardware and software. With regard to the writable disks, if a disk can be written to only once, it uses an “R” designation, such as CD-R, DVD-R or DVD+R. If a disk can be written to multiple times, it uses an “RW” designation such as CD-RW, DVD-RW or DVD+RW. Once you understand this convention, choosing an appropriate CD or DVD burner becomes quite simple, although the DVD-R and DVD+R, and DVD-RW and DVD+RW formats are competitive. The “+” designation relates to the
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newer standards for recordable DVD formats and, although they are a faster format for recording, they are not recognized by all DVD drives and players.
Benefits CD and DVD burners are a great way to make backups of your data, music, and videos. The extra capacity of the DVD format over the CD format makes it useful not only for recording digital music, but also for backing up large amounts of data. Whereas CD formats offer up to 700MB of storage capacity, the DVD formats offer close to 5GB of storage for photos, video, graphics, data, and various other media types, including MP3. If you already own a digital camera or digital camcorder, a DVD burner can be a useful addition that allows you to permanently store your photos and videos and to make them playable on the home DVD player in your living room. Manufacturers of DVD burners include HP (Plate 24), Panasonic, Philips, and Samsung among many others.
Features and Considerations Beyond selecting the right type of CD or DVD burner in terms of its read and write capabilities and supported formats, you’ll also want to look at its speed of operation, form factor, connectivity, and added software. In terms of speed of operation, if a burner copies at a realtime speed, then its speed is designated as 1X. In general, this means that if you copy a three-minute song, it will take three minutes to make the copy. Most CD and DVD burners operate at speeds up to 12X for writing and up to 32X for reading, but this will vary based upon the specific type of format being read from or written to and whether the format is recordable (write-once only) or rewritable. In terms of connectivity, an external CD/DVD burner will typically support USB 1.1, USB 2.0, FireWire, or a PC card interface. USB 2.0 or FireWire are the preferred options if your laptop or PC sup-
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ports them due to their speed of data transfer. USB 2.0 transfers data at 480 Mbps, and FireWire transfers data at 400 Mbps. A combination CD and DVD burner can be an excellent addition to your home electronics whether you use it for music and video recording or simply for data backup and storage. Costs of both the devices and the media have dropped considerably over the past few years; you can purchase drives for well under $500 and media for a few dollars or less.
Contact Information HP, www.hp.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Philips, www.philips.com Samsung, www.samsung.com Sony, www.sony.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com
Today’s Technology
25 Listening to Digital Music: MP3 Players
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P3 players are a new way to listen to music. Basically, MP3 files are digital audio files that can be created on your computer’s hard disk by either copying from a commercial CD or downloading from the Internet. Once you have the file on disk, you can play it back using a software program known as a jukebox, or you can use the jukebox to transfer the file from your computer to a portable MP3 player. The jukeboxes allow you to create your own playlists and burn your own CDs with selections of music from a variety of sources. Playlists are collections of songs ordered according to your own preferences. The jukebox software is often downloadable for free over the Internet, and many Web sites are available from which to download actual MP3 music from thousands of artists. There are even MP3 radio stations that stream MP3 music files for you to listen to via your jukebox. What’s more, software is also available to help you create your own MP3 radio stations and broadcast your own programming.
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If you need more mobility than simply listening to MP3 files on your computer or laptop provides, you can purchase an MP3 player. This is a portable device with headphones similar to a portable CD player. MP3 players are available in most consumer electronics retail stores and are currently priced just higher than CD players, with the top-end devices going even higher into several hundred dollars. The difference between the MP3 player and the CD or tape player is that the music is stored in digital format in the device’s internal flash memory or internal hard drive rather than being played from a physical media source such as CD or tape. MP3 players are available from a large number of manufacturers, including Apple (Plate 23), Archos, Creative, Panasonic, and Samsung.
How It Works MP3 files are based on the MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) format. MPEG is the working group in charge of the development of standards for digital audio and video. MP3 files are highly compact compared to other audio formats. In terms of sound quality, the main factors are the quality of the original source file, the bitrate of the recording, and the quality of the output sound card and speakers. The bitrate determines the number of bits of information transferred per second. Bitrates can vary from 8 kbps to 320 kbps or so. Typical CD quality bitrates are 128 kbps. Below this bitrate, the sound quality can become degraded. The jukebox programs, such as the MusicMatch Jukebox, provide an easy way to play, rip, and burn MP3s and CDs, and to transfer the files to portable MP3 players. “Ripping” is the term used to describe the process where a song is copied from a commercial CD in your CDROM drive and converted to an MP3 file on your hard disk. The whole process can take just a few minutes per song and is accomplished via an easy-to-use graphical user interface much like a traditional jukebox. Figure 25-1 shows a screen capture of the MusicMatch Jukebox in action.
Sample Scenario: Ripping a Song from CD to Hard Disk Using MusicMatch 1. Click the Record button on the MusicMatch player. 2. Insert your music CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive. 3. MusicMatch reads the CD and display the artist, album, and track names.
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Figure 25-1
MusicMatch Jukebox.
4. Check the boxes next to each track you wish to record. 5. Click the Record button on the MusicMatch Recorder. 6. The Recorder rips your chosen songs from CD to hard disk. To transfer MP3 files to a portable MP3 player from your computer, you can use the same Jukebox software in conjunction with a suitable connection between the two devices, such as a FireWire port (IEEE 1394) or USB cable. Using FireWire, transfer speeds can be amazingly fast. For example, the Apple iPod advertises downloads of an entire CD in 15 seconds or less.
Benefits One of the benefits of MP3 is the high level of file compression achieved via this standard. Earlier audio formats, such as .WAV, required a large file size to store just a few minutes of music. Because of their small file size, MP3s are ideal for downloading from the Internet, storing on your computer’s hard disk, and transferring to MP3 players. A typical music file of approximately five minutes duration occupies just 4.5MB of disk space even when recorded at a CD quality bitrate of 128 kbps. The subsequent benefits that arise from this high level of file compression are the speed of data transfer between computer and MP3 player, and the amount of music that can be stored on the player at
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any one time. A 20GB hard disk, available on many players, can store about 400 CDs, which is equivalent to 4,000 songs.
Features and Considerations When purchasing an MP3 player, one of the primary considerations is the amount of storage space you’ll need for your files. MP3 players are available with everything from just 32MB of internal flash memory up to 20GB or more of internal hard drive storage. This is one of the main drivers of their price. The more you pay, the more disk space you’ll be able to purchase for your music. Other features to look for include battery life, the amount of skip protection, the number and type of accessories provided, and the ability to store data and use the device as a backup hard disk. The Apple iPod, for example, offers up to 10 hours of battery life when used for continuous playback. In terms of skip protection, the iPod has up to 20 minutes of skip protection provided via a 32MB solid-state memory cache. This means that if you’re walking or running, or the device is generally being bumped around, your music will play seamlessly because it’s buffered in memory rather than being read in real time from the hard disk.
Contact Information Jukebox Software MusicMatch, www.musicmatch.com
MP3 Players Apple, www.apple.com/ipod/ Archos, www.archos.com/ Creative, www.nomadworld.com/ Panasonic, www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/ portable_audio/default.asp Samsung, www.samsungelectronics.com/digital_audio_player/ index.html
Today’s Technology
26 Tuning in to Satellite Radio: XM and Sirius
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f you’ve ever been fed up searching the radio bands for your favorite category of music, or have been frustrated by the poor quality of the reception once you find something you like, satellite radio could well be for you. Satellite radio provides a large number of digital channels that are mostly commercial free. It is one of the first major advances in radio technology since FM appeared about 40 years ago. The two main providers at the present time are XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. XM first launched on September 25, 2001 and Sirius on July 1, 2002. Both companies provide digital-quality music, news, and entertainment directly from their satellites to cars and homes in the United States. XM uses two Boeing 702 satellites, one named “Rock” and the other “Roll,” to beam their service directly to listeners. Their programming includes 100 channels in categories such as decades, country, hits, rock, urban, jazz and blues, dance, Latin, world, classical, kids, news, sports, comedy, talk and variety, and premium (Table 26-1). Sirius also offers 100 channels in similar categories. 117
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Table 26-1
XM Satellite Radio – 100 Channel Listings
Decades The 40s The 50s The 60s The 70s The 80s The 90s Country America Nashville! X Country Hank’s Place Bluegrass Junction The Village Hits Top 20 on 20 KISS MIX The Heart Sunny MTV Radio VH1 Radio Cinemagic On Broadway U-Pop Special X The Torch The Fish
Rock Deep Tracks Bone Yard XM Liquid Metal XMU Fred XM Café Top Tracks Ethel The Loft XM Music Lab Unsigned Urban Soul Street The Flow BET Uptown Spirit The Groove The Rhyme RAW The City Talk & Variety Discovery Radio E! Entertainment Radio Sonic Theatre RadioClassics Ask! Buzz XM BabbleOn The Power FamilyTalk Open Road
Dance The Move BPM The System Chrome Latin Aguila Caricia Vibra Tejano Caliente World World Zone The Joint Ngoma Audio Visions Fine Tuning Classical XM Classics Vox XM Pops Jazz & Blues Real Jazz Watercolors Beyond Jazz Frank’s Place Bluesville Luna On the Rocks
News USA Today FOX News CNN Headline News ABC News and Talk The Weather Channel CNBC CNNfn Bloomberg News CNET Radio BBC World Service C-SPAN Radio CNN en Espanol Sports ESPN Radio ESPNEWS Fox Sports Radio The Sporting News NASCAR Radio Comedy XM Comedy Laugh USA Extreme XM Kids Radio Disney XM Kids
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How It Works XM Satellite Radio uses a broadcast center in Washington D.C. to uplink programming to their two satellites (Plate 25). The satellites, which are positioned in geostationary orbit over 22,000 miles above the Earth, then transmit the signal across the entire United States and use an extensive repeater network on the ground in order to ensure complete coverage to cars and homes subscribing to the service (Figure 26-1).
Figure 26-1
How the XM Satellite Radio works (Source: XM Satellite Radio).
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In your vehicle, satellite radio appears much like any other radio band, such as AM or FM, in that it is integrated into your car’s audio system. You can also see the XM channel name and number, the artist’s name, and the song title in the audio system’s display (Figure 26-2). You can cycle through these descriptions by pressing a button on the radio, such as the MSG button on the Cadillac sound system. Your car will also be equipped with a special antenna, either fixed or detachable, to pick up the satellite transmission. On the 2003 Cadillac DeVille, this is mounted at the top of the rear window near the OnStar antenna system (Plate 26).
Benefits The benefits of satellite radio include the near-CD-quality sound, the amount of diverse programming available, the lack of commercials, and the ability to see items such as the artist’s name and song title for the track playing. For many people who spend a lot of time in their cars, any one of these features is well worth the monthly service fee. During my trial service, in a 2003 Cadillac DeVille, the quality of sound was highly impressive. The programming was also a refreshing change from traditional AM or FM stations, and I was able to listen to kids’ channels such as Radio Disney (to keep the kids amused) or news channels such as the BBC World Service or CNN Headline News. This is definitely a consumer technology that you’ll miss if you don’t have it readily available to you after you’ve first experienced it. My trial service was for just a few days in the Cadillac, and after just a few hours of listening I was hooked on satellite radio and wishing I had it on my own vehicles.
Features and Considerations Your choices for obtaining satellite radio depend on whether you want to simply upgrade or replace your current car audio system, or you want to get the service in your next new car.
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Figure 26-2
Cadillac’s premium XM sound system (Source: XM Satellite Radio).
In April 2002, Cadillac was the first automotive brand to offer XM Satellite Radio on all of its 2003 models. The service is also available on 25 of the 2003 GM models. Nissan, Infiniti, Isuzu, and Honda also offer select 2003 models with XM as a manufacturer-supported option. Manufacturers of XM-capable radios include Delphi Delco Electronics Systems, Alpine Electronics, Clarion, Audiovox, Visteon, Pioneer, Panasonic, Sanyo, and Motorola. If you want a version that can work both in your car and in your home, you can also take a look at the XM Digital Audio Receiver from Sony. Although XM is predominantly available in GM models, Sirius has taken the Ford lineup. Their service is available in Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Volvo, Mazda, Dodge, Jeep, Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan, and Infiniti vehicles, as well as Freightliner and Sterling trucks. For Sirius-capable radios, you can look to manufacturers such as Kenwood, Panasonic, Clarion, Audiovox, and Jensen. Most major retailers offer both XM and Sirius radios and are listed in Table 26-2 that follows. Pricing is $9.99 per month for XM Satellite Radio and $12.95 per month for Sirius Satellite Radio.
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Table 26-2
XM Satellite Radio – Retail Outlets
Retailers
Auto Dealers
Online
Best Buy Car Toys Circuit City Pep Boys Sears Tweeter Ultimate Electronics Wal-Mart
Buick Cadillac Chevrolet GMC Infiniti Isuzu Nissan Oldsmobile Pontiac
Retailers Abt Electronics American Satellite C. Crane Company Crutchfield Orbit Communication Corporation Sony Style
Contact Information Service Providers Sirius Satellite Radio, www.sirius.com XM Satellite Radio, www.xmradio.com
Radio Manufacturers Alpine, www.alpine.com Pioneer, www.pioneerelectronics.com Sony, www.sony.com
Today’s Technology
27 Watching Digital Television: HDTV
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elevision is another area embracing the change from analog to digital. The current analog standards for television broadcasting and display have been around for decades; for this reason, they provide image quality that is actually comparable to the lowest resolution now available on your computer screen. With all the advances in other areas of consumer electronics and in wireless communications, it’s no surprise that the television standards are being upgraded as well. The most exciting new standard for digital television (DTV) is called High-Definition Television (HDTV). Digital television actually has 18 formats, 6 of which are HDTV formats and 12 of which are the lower resolution Standard Definition Television (SDTV) formats. Both standards are digital, but HDTV provides the highest resolution. The HDTV standard provides roughly twice the number of vertical lines and twice the number of horizontal points onscreen when compared to the current analog television standards, such as NTSC
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(National Television Standards Committee) in the United States or PAL (Phase Alternating Lines) in Europe. Another aspect of HDTV is that the aspect ratio (width of the display to the height of the display) of the picture is changed. HDTV has an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is a lot closer to the aspect ratio used within the movie theater. Current television aspect ratios are 4:3, which is why movies must either be cropped on both the left and right sides of the picture or formatted in letterbox to display on your standard TV screen. A final feature of HDTV is that it supports the transmission and reproduction of Dolby Digital sound. This type of sound has six channels instead of the two provided by the NTSC format, plus the second audio program (SAP). The Dolby Digital sound allows you to have a surround-sound effect with any of your HDTV broadcasts. So the most exciting features of digital television, particularly the HDTV formats, are increased picture quality, movie-theatre-like formatting, and Dolby Digital sound. A digital television can help your living room catch up to some of the innovations occurring in the gadgets within other areas of your home. Figure 27-1 shows some of the latest high definition televisions from Samsung.
Figure 27-1
Samsung digital televisions (Source: Samsung).
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How It Works Digital television requires a digital broadcast and an HDTV television for proper viewing. If you watch a conventional television broadcast on an HDTV set, you won’t see too much improvement, because the original signal cannot be enhanced by the set. Even if it is displayed at twice the resolution on your new screen, there is still only so much information embedded into the picture in the first place. Conversely, if you watch a digital broadcast on a regular set, your set will discard the additional picture resolution provided within the signal. The one benefit you will receive is a reduction in snow and other distortions that are sometimes present in analog broadcasts. So by watching a digital broadcast on a regular set, you’ll increase the sharpness of the picture, but you won’t see an increase in the picture detail. The answer for optimal viewing, of course, is to have a digital broadcast and a digital television. Buying the digital television is the easy part if you have the money to spend. Getting the digital broadcasts is harder; only a few stations currently broadcast in this manner because of the costs of migrating all their equipment. The good news is that the major networks are already broadcasting and are increasing the amount of programming delivered in this manner. Table 27-1 shows the 18 formats of digital television that include both the HDTV and SDTV standards. In the table, these 18 formats are comprised of unique combinations of the aspect ratio and the scan rate. Because the highest standard HDTV format contains 1,080 vertical lines and 1,920 horizontal pixels, it has a total of over two million pixels per image. The current NTSC format achieves 480 x 720 pixels for a total of 345,600 pixels. The HDTV format therefore contains six times the amount of information per image. The “i” and “P” identifiers within the table indicate whether the standard is for interlaced or progressive scan formats. Interlacing is the older television scanning technique, which paints odd-numbered lines in one pass and then even-numbered lines in the second pass. Progressive scanning paints each horizontal line consecutively in a single pass. There are three ways to receive a digital signal: TV antenna, cable, or satellite. If you use the antenna option, your signal will either come
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Table 27-1
Eighteen Digital Television Formats (Source: Samsung).
Class
Vertical Lines
Horizontal Pixels
Aspect Ratio
Scan Rate
HD
1,080i
1,920
16:9
30i, 30P, 24P
HD
720P
1,280
16:9
60P, 30P, 24P
SD
480
704
16:9, 4:3
60P, 30i, 30P, 24P
SD
480
640
4:3
60P. 30i, 30P, 24P
in strongly or it won’t come in at all. Digital transmissions suffer from an effect known as the “cliff effect,” in which the signal propagates from the transmitter and maintains its strength until, when a certain distance is reached about 50 miles from the transmitter, the signal completely drops off.
Benefits The benefits of digital television over conventional viewing are several. First, you have increased picture resolution and sharpness. As noted earlier, the image quality is over twice the resolution in both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, making it contain approximately six times the amount of information per image. Second, you can view movies closer to their original aspect ratio, thereby seeing the picture as it was originally intended to be viewed in the movie theater. You can also get closer to this original movie experience thanks to the support for Dolby Digital surround sound. Third, digital television can take advantage of new formats such as progressive scan DVD. On a final note, the FCC has mandated that analog television signals are to be completely replaced with digital broadcasts by 2006. At that time, you’ll need to replace your analog television or convert it to digital via an external converter. If you’re thinking of buying a new television anytime soon, you can futureproof it by purchasing an HDTV set and enjoy all the added benefits at the same time.
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Features and Considerations When you shop for a digital television, you’ll notice that sets are labeled as either HDTV ready or HDTV capable. An HDTV-ready set has a built-in tuner to accept digital signals, whereas an HDTV-capable set requires an external set-top box to do the conversion of the signal. Because most broadcasts are currently over the air, you’ll also need an antenna. To find out which stations carry HDTV programs, you can check some of the links below. The networks typically provide a list of the stations and cities where HDTV is available and will also tell you what format is used and whether Dolby AC-3, which is the Dolby Digital surround sound, is supported. For example, ABC is broadcasting in most major cities using the 720P format and Dolby AC-3.
Contact Information HDTV Manufacturers Mitsubishi, www.mitsubishi-tv.com/ Panasonic, www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/tv/ default.asp Samsung, www.samsungelectronics.com/tv/index.html Zenith, www.zenith.com
HDTV Broadcasters ABC, www.abc.abcnews.go.com/site/hdtvfaq.html CBS, www.cbs.com/info/hdtv/ FOX, www.fox.com NBC, www.nbc.com/nbc/footer/FAQ.shtml PBS, www.pbs.org/digitaltv/
Today’s Technology
28 Digital Video Recording: TiVo, ReplayTV, and UltimateTV
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igital Video Recorders (DVRs) are the digital equivalents of VCRs but without the tapes. They work by storing the programming on a digital hard disk inside the unit instead of on video cassette tape. These digital hard disks often can store up to 80 hours of programming, thus eliminating the need for a large number of bulky cassette tapes. Being digital, they are capable of much more functionality than a traditional VCR. They can record live television just like a normal VCR, but they can also pause, rewind, slow-motion, and instant replay live TV. What’s more, they have advanced features for recording content based upon your favorite actor, director, genre of show, keywords, or show titles. For example, if you want to skim through the commercials in a 60-minute “live” program, you can sit down 20 minutes past the start time and then use the remote control provided with the unit to skip through the commercials (already recorded on disk) at a variety of 128
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fast-forward speeds. By the end of the show you will have caught up to the “real” live portion of the program. On the content side, you can set up the DVR to record your favorite shows every week, even if the time slots change from one week to the next or from one show to the next.
How It Works DVRs work by plugging into your television in much the same way as a VCR system. They can work with a variety of setups, including TV antennas, digital or analog cable systems, and satellite systems for the input video signal. They may also use your regular telephone line in order to download daily programming information for advanced recording functionality. The DVR units themselves look much like traditional VCR units but have additional outlets in the back of the device for the phone line connection and ports such as Ethernet for broadband Internet connectivity. The audio/video ports are used for connection to your television and for optional VCRs, camcorders, and microphones which can be connected as necessary. In addition to your DVR, a standard VCR system can be a useful additional device for storing your video content. Once you have recorded a show, you can either save it for a certain time on the internal hard drive of the DVR or you can transfer it to a normal video cassette for more permanent storage if you have your VCR system attached. Content management on the DVR itself is simple since to delete a show and free up your hard drive space you simply press a button on your remote control.
Benefits The benefits of a DVR over a traditional VCR include convenience and higher levels of personalization in terms of the content that is recorded. The convenience comes from the elimination of VCR clutter
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in terms of the physical tapes and the speed with which you can move through your recorded programming. An additional benefit, not found in VCRs, is the ability to watch a prerecorded program while your DVR is recording a live program. You may also be able to set parental controls, lock certain channels, or set ratings limits on programs. If you live with young children, this latter feature could be a strong plus. Finally, for those of us who have struggled in the past with setting VCR timers to record shows, or whose parents or relatives have had these epic battles, the DVR technique for accomplishing the same objective is far simpler. You simply select your shows at the touch of a button—no clocks or timers to worry about!
Features and Considerations There are typically two costs involved when purchasing a DVR. First, you have the one-time cost of the unit itself. These usually range $199 to $599, depending upon the manufacturer and the amount of hard disk storage capacity you decide to purchase. Second, there is the monthly service fee, which allows you to receive the daily programming updates over your phone line in order for the service to be highly accurate when searching for your preferred content. These daily phone calls are made automatically by the DVR and do not interfere with your incoming or outgoing calls. You can use a standard phone line, and most DVRs come with an RJ-11 phone jack for easy connection. Monthly service fees are usually around $12.95 per month. The TiVo DVR Series2 includes two USB expansion ports for future support of other forms of digital content from devices such as digital cameras, MP3 players, Internet radio, or even from other TiVo DVRs (Plate 27). The service is available in the United States and in the United Kingdom. If you’re a DIRECTV customer, there is a DIRECTV Receiver available that includes the TiVo unit built-in. This way, you have the functionality of both devices rolled into one convenient box. Another
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advantage of this box is that you can record two shows at once and even watch a third prerecorded show, because the unit has a dual tuner feature. Two other DVR products and services are the UltimateTV service from Microsoft and the ReplayTV service from SONICblue. The ReplayTV DVR features up to 320 hours of recording space. Since all of these products have different features and capabilities, the best way to make a comparison is to visit the various product Web sites listed below and to read some of the product comparisons.
Contact Information Manufacturers SONICblue, www.replaytv.com TiVo, www.tivo.com UltimateTV, www.ultimatetv.com
Retailers Abt Electronics (U.S.), www.abtelectronics.com Amazon.com, www.amazon.com AT&T Broadband, www.attbroadband.tivo.com Best Buy, www.bestbuy.com Circuit City, www.circuitcity.com DIRECTV, http://directv.tivo.com Good Guys, www.goodguys.com Tweeter, www.tweeter.com Ultimate Electronics, www.ultimateelectronics.com
Today’s Technology
29 Multiplayer Online Gaming: PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox
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p to now, computer gaming has been confined to the desktop PC or the television. You can either buy a PlayStation, Nintendo, or Xbox gaming console and attach it to your television, or you can purchase games on CD-ROM to play on your PC. In either case most of the gaming is played either individually or with two, three, or four players at most. Today, gaming is entering an exciting new era. As the worlds of the PC and the television collide and both devices gain Internet connectivity, a new form of gaming is emerging: massively multiplayer online gaming (MMOG). This form of online gaming essentially takes players out of their living rooms and connects them to a world of other like-minded gamers located across the country or around the globe. This evolution of gaming has been no accident. When Microsoft launched their Xbox gaming console in late 2001 (Figure 29-1), they made the Xbox Live service part of the initial design by incorporating support for an Internet connection in the back of the box. On Novem-
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Figure 29-1
Xbox game console (Source: Microsoft).
ber 15, 2002 they launched the Xbox Live service, which allows gamers to take advantage of online gaming with a large number of new titles specially designed for multiplayer scenarios (Plate 28).
How It Works We’ll take the Xbox Live service as an example of multiplayer online gaming. The service requires a standard Xbox gaming console plus an Xbox Live Starter Kit. The Starter Kit includes a one-year subscription to the service and a Communicator headset and a minigame. The Communicator headset allows players to communicate with one another across the Internet while playing. It includes features for voice masking, global muting, and parental control for addressing various privacy concerns that may naturally arise. Another part of the overall Xbox Live service are the four data centers that Microsoft uses to manage the hosting, networking, security, and billing. This allows game developers to focus on creating content for their games without having to worry about the infrastructure items to support the games. For consumers, the benefit of the data centers and the service as a whole is that they can receive a single bill for all their game play.
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Sample Scenario: Setup for Xbox Live 1. Connect your Xbox to a broadband Internet connection using an RJ45 Ethernet cable. You can either connect directly to your cable or DSL modem, or you can connect through your cable/ DSL router. 2. Get an Xbox Live subscription and insert an Xbox Live Starter Kit disk or a game disk into the disk tray of your console. Make sure the game supports Xbox Live play. 3. Select the option for Xbox Live from within the game. The console will attempt to go online. Once you get online, you can create your Xbox Live account and enter your subscription code. 4. If the console cannot go online for some reason, you may need to enter some of your network settings in the Xbox Dashboard. You can contact your broadband service provider if you don’t have this required network information.
Benefits The benefits of multiplayer online gaming include a totally new experience that includes the ability to play with friends across the country or around the globe, to communicate with other players while gaming via special headsets, and to find players with skill levels similar to yours. You can invite friends into a game at any time, and you can download new game features, such as characters and missions, onto the hard disk of your gaming console. To date, the multiplayer gaming concept has been highly popular, with over 100,000 gamers signing up for the beta test of the Xbox Live service.
Features and Considerations For parents of young gamers, one of the concerns related to online game playing will be privacy. Gamers could well enter an online gaming situation and be talking with complete strangers. Even with voice masking or muting, these strangers will gain access to young gamers and be able to interact with them and potentially compromise their pri-
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vacy. At the time of writing, the service was only recently released, so it is hard to comment on the exact details and scenarios that are possible. The best option for parents wishing to use these types of gaming services is to evaluate them thoroughly to feel confident about safety and privacy aspects before handing over control and access to these services to your younger dependents. The parental control features on some of these systems may help to alleviate some of your concerns. Another interesting issue will be the matter of gaming etiquette. When playing video games or other games with friends and family, the etiquette is obviously to be a good sport and to finish playing a game whether you’re winning or losing. In the online world, when you’re playing with strangers, you may well find that they lose interest and abandon a game while in progress if they find that they’re behind. This pattern of behavior has been apparent in the Internet gaming world on simple kids games, so it’s likely that it can happen within richer, more sophisticated multiplayer online games as well. The good news is that because gamers are paying to play, some of this poor behavior may be stifled, but it’s probably worth going in knowing that this type of thing may happen. All in all, the rich, new gaming experiences that these MMOG solutions provide far outweighs some of their issues. But you should know about some of the risks and be prepared.
Contact Information Microsoft Xbox, www.xbox.com Microsoft Xbox Live, www.xbox.com/live Microsoft Xbox Customer Support, 1-800-4MY-XBOX (1-800469-9269) Nintendo, www.nintendo.com Sony PlayStation, www.playstation.com
Today’s Technology
30 Printing from Your Mobile Device: ThinMail and PrintMe Networks
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ne of the problems with receiving email with attachments (such as Microsoft Word or Excel documents) on your PDA, mobile phone, or two-way pager is that you typically have no way of printing out the attachment while you’re on the road. Sometimes you can’t even view the attachment unless you have a Pocket PC device or a special viewer software program. Even if you do have a solution for printing, it’s likely the solution involves cables and a lot of configuration to make it all work. For mobile professionals, dealing with email attachments and printing them can be a real hassle and can often force them to make extra trips back to the home office where they can get to a suitable printer or transfer the files to their laptops. Several solutions that enable you to send your attachments to a printer or a fax machine anywhere in the world directly from your wireless device are now on the market. These solutions take advantage of a centralized server, accessible via the Internet, that is used to store your documents. When you wish to make a printout, you can instruct this server to send the document to a printer, which is also 136
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connected to the Internet, or to a fax machine by specifying its unique number. In this way, your mobile device actually acts like a remote control, instructing the centralized server about where to print or fax your documents. Some of the service providers offering this type of solution include ThinMail and PrintMe Networks. ThinMail offers a number of solutions for mobile professionals, including a solution for sending email to fax machines (ThinFax) and a solution for sending email to phones (ThinPhone). PrintMe Networks offers a solution for sending email to fax machines or to printers that are part of the PrintMe network.
How It Works The ThinFax solution works by allowing you to email your message plus the attachment to a special email address by using a special subject line in the message. The ThinFax solution then uses this information to print your message and your attachment to the fax machine that you’ve specified through their addressing scheme.
Sample Scenario: Sending a PowerPoint File to a Fax Machine Using ThinMail 1. Register with ThinMail at their Web site (www.thinmail.com). 2. Send your message with the attached PowerPoint file to
[email protected]. 3. Put the number of the fax machine you wish to use in the subject line of the message, e.g., Subject: 8005551212. 4. Use your wireless device to send the email message. 5. Once the fax has been sent, you’ll receive a confirmation message informing you if the message succeeded or failed. When faxing from your wireless device, you can also place the number of the fax machine you wish to use in the email address instead of the subject line by using the naming convention of <10 digit fax number>@thinmail.com. This is useful for situations where you’re unable to modify the subject line of the email when forwarding from your device.
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In addition to faxing from your wireless device, ThinMail also allows you to use their Web site for general file management and for faxing your documents. In this case, you simply log in to the Web site and click a checkbox next to each file you wish to fax. Additional ThinMail services include ThinPhone and Identity Services. ThinPhone lets you send email to a specific phone number and have the message read over the phone using text-to-speech conversion. The text-to-speech conversion even works on attachments such as Microsoft Word, HTML, and .TXT documents. The recipient of the ThinPhone message has the option of replying to the message by pressing the “2” button. They can then record a response that is emailed back to you as a WAV file. If you receive the message on your text pager, which does not have a built-in speaker, you can forward it to a phone so you can hear it. The Identity Services allow you to replace your “From” address with a “Reply-To” address. This enables you to reply to someone with one of your wireless devices, but to have a “Reply-To” address that is your formal company address or some other address you wish to use.
Benefits The ThinMail and PrintMe solutions come in handy when you’re dealing with a variety of file types while on the road and have access only to your wireless device. These solutions increase the power of your wireless device by giving you a number of ways to communicate and to deliver these documents. Particularly powerful is the conversion capability of these services to translate proprietary document formats into readable text or graphics that can be sent to another user with a wireless device, a printer, or a fax machine. Another benefit is the centralized storage and file management capabilities that these services provide for your files. Using this location for your documents, you can attend meetings and sales presentations with just your wireless device and be able to use it like a remote control to pull up the appropriate documents on demand. This can be much easier than lugging around a laptop and searching for a printer while at your client’s site.
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Features and Considerations When you sign up for one of these services, the first items you should check are the devices and file formats supported, and how the usage fees are assessed. Table 30-1 shows a comparison of these features between ThinMail and PrintMe Networks. Both companies offer a free trial service to evaluate their offerings. If you have a fax machine handy, you can try out a few scenarios and see if this solution makes sense for your needs. Table 30-1
Comparison Table for ThinMail and PrintMe Networks
File Types Supported
Usage Fees
Palm VII, Palm V/ Omnisky, Visorphone, Treo, Blackberry Wireless Handheld, Motorola Pagers, Cell phone with two-way messaging
.TXT, .HTM/HTML, .DOC, .XLS, .PPT, .VSD, .PRE, .PRZ, .123, .LWP, .WK4, .PS, .PDF, .EPS, .WPD, .WPG, .WB3, .JPG/JPEG, .GIF, .TIF, .PCX
75 cents for fax calls up to 10 pages
Mobile phone, PDA, BlackBerry, and two-way pager
.DOC, .XLS, .PDF, .PPT, .TXT, JPEG
$9.99 per month
Company
Devices Supported
ThinMail
PrintMe Networks
Contact Information PrintMe Networks, www.printme.com ThinMail, www.thinmail.com
Today’s Technology
31 The Next-Generation Laptop: Tablet PCs
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ou may intuitively think of tablet PCs as providing a subset of the functionality offered by a traditional laptop and being more closely related to handheld personal digital assistants. In fact, the opposite may well be closer to the truth. Tablet PCs are becoming a superset of the traditional laptop, providing all the features you expect in a laptop together with powerful new features such as digital pen and ink, and speech recognition. Digital pen-and-ink capability means that these tablet PCs can be used to record your own handwriting directly onscreen by using a special pen, and the tablet PC will render your writing in a digital ink on the surface of the screen. What’s more, when compared to a traditional laptop, they often have longer battery life, are lighter weight, and feature built-in wireless capability. Their hot-docking functionality means that they can be quickly docked and undocked from standard keyboards, monitors, and mouse products at your desk.
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Many tablet PCs are offered in a “clamshell” variety, in which they include attached keyboards and offer displays with a swivel capability, in which the display attaches to the keyboard base. For laptop-style functionality, you simply open the clamshell tablet PC and swivel the display around horizontally so it is on the inside of the device above the keyboard instead of facing outward. The other typical form factor is the “slate” variety, in which the display faces outward the entire time and a detachable keyboard is required for data entry purposes (other than using the pen). Microsoft, together with support from a number of hardware, software, and microchip companies, officially launched their own version of the Tablet PC at the end of 2002. Some of the manufacturers of these devices include Acer, Compaq, Fujitsu, Motion Computing, Toshiba, and ViewSonic. Figure 31-1 and Plates 29 and 30 show the Tablet PC from Fujitsu.
Figure 31-1
Fujitsu Tablet PC (Source: Fujitsu).
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How It Works Microsoft Tablet PCs run a superset of the Windows XP operating system called Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. This version has all the features of Windows XP Professional plus additional features unique to the Tablet PC, such as a software program called Windows Journal (Plate 30). The Windows Journal allows you to take notes in your own handwriting by using the tablet pen to write directly on the screen. It functions as an electronic writing pad and includes a number of different background templates, including ruled sheets, blank sheets, sheets with grids for drawings, and even music sheets. To edit your handwritten notes, you can use what are known as gestures. Gestures are shapes that you draw using your tablet pen to send commands to the Tablet PC. Gestures include symbols for standard keyboard actions such as backspace, space, enter, and tab. These are unique symbols that the tablet PC can readily recognize as instructions rather than written text. A good example of a gesture unique to the Tablet PC is the scratch-out gesture, which allows you to erase previously written characters or words within the Windows Journal. To do this, you simply use a horizontal erasing action in the same way that you would use an eraser with a regular piece of paper, starting from left to right, over the characters or words you wish to erase. The tablet PC also features handwriting recognition software so that you can convert your handwritten notes into typed text, and speech recognition software in case you want to dictate your notes.
Benefits Three of the main benefits to using a tablet PC include mobility, versatility, and productivity. The tablet PC enables greater mobility by allowing you to hot-dock in and out of your desktop peripherals, such as keyboards and monitors, in a matter of seconds. If you’re rushing to a meeting, you can quickly undock the tablet PC and take it with you without having to worry about shutting down and rebooting, and carrying your mouse and power cord. The other features that enable
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mobility include the longer battery life, the wireless connectivity, the onscreen keyboard, and the generally lighter weight of the device when compared to traditional laptops. Tablet PCs commonly weigh just three pounds or less, and battery life is often up to eight hours. For example, the Fujitsu Stylistic ST4000 Series Tablet PC weighs 3.2 pounds and has a battery life up to four and one-half hours. On the versatility side, the tablet PC provides two new ways to interact that are more natural than the traditional mouse and keyboard interaction. You can use a digital pen and write directly onto the screen, use speech recognition to dictate your comments, or a combination of both. You can also use an onscreen keyboard as another data entry method if you’re away from your regular keyboard and don’t want to use the handwriting or speech recognition. With regard to productivity—although we all use laptops or desktop PCs, we still take meeting notes on paper. We often do this because taking notes directly into a laptop can be regarded as impolite during an interview or working session and can distract you from focusing on your audience. In situations like this, the folks on the other side of the interview may feel like they are being audited as well! Using a tablet PC and taking handwritten notes can increase your productivity in this case because it can be done in a meeting setting without offending the attendees, and can save you considerable time in having to type up your paper-based handwritten notes afterward. Another productivity boost provided by the tablet PC is that it can resume from a standby mode in a matter of seconds.
Features and Considerations The tablet PC is intended to be a user’s primary business computer and pricing for the systems is typically a few hundred dollars higher than a traditional laptop. The Fujitsu Stylistic ST4000 came in at around $2,199 at the time of writing. For this small additional cost, users get the benefits of a computer that is more portable and usable across a variety of daily tasks and activities. For users who like to take frequent handwritten notes, attend regular meetings, or like to add their own handwritten annotations to existing documents, the additional portability and versatility of a tablet PC will be a powerful advantage over
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the traditional laptop. Annotation can be performed within a number of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint as well as within emails using Microsoft Outlook. To use the handwriting feature within these Office applications, users must download the free Microsoft Office XP Pack for Tablet PC from the Microsoft Web site. Developers can take advantage of the software development kit (SDK) for the tablet PC in order to write applications that leverage the platform’s ink and speech capabilities. Although there’s a slight learning curve in getting up-to-speed with tablet PCs and in using them for note taking, they could well end up being your next laptop in just a couple of years.
Contact Information Acer, www.acer.com Compaq, www.compaq.com Fujitsu PC Corporation, www.fujitsupc.com Motion Computing, www.motioncomputing.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com ViewSonic, www.viewsonic.com
Today’s Technology
32 Simplifying Convenience Payments: ExxonMobil Speedpass
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f you’ve ever wanted to fill up your car or truck with gas and make convenience-store purchases in a hurry, lines at the cash register and fumbling for change or for credit cards can be a real hassle. The ExxonMobil Speedpass can help you avoid many of these situations. It automatically links to a standard credit or check card that you specify during enrollment and allows you to make payments for gas and other convenience-store items. The Speedpass system uses a 1.5-inch tag that attaches to your key ring. It uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to communicate with a special reader mounted in the gas pump or near the cash register. To make a gas purchase, you simply wave the Speedpass tag at a reader on the pump, and then you’re authorized to begin fueling. What could be simpler? The interesting thing about the Speedpass system, and about RFID tags in general, is that they are starting to be utilized for customer identification to enable an even wider variety of convenience payments. The ExxonMobil Speedpass can also be used for making car wash payments at company stations in the Chicago and Orlando 145
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Figure 32-1
Speedpass key tag (Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation).
area. At McDonalds, Speedpass can be used at more than 400 locations in the greater Chicago area (Plates 31 and 32). In addition, Stop & Shop Supermarkets will accept payments using the Speedpass and is linking its loyalty-card program to the Speedpass. This means that Stop & Shop customers gain all the discounts and rewards by using the Speedpass that they would by using their normal loyalty card within the store. Finally, Speedpass is also testing a Timex watch that contains a built-in tag. The watch can be used instead of the Speedpass key tag to make gasoline purchases and at the checkout counter or drive-through window at select McDonalds restaurants in the Chicago area.
How It Works The Speedpass system uses radio frequency identification (RFID) technology from Texas Instruments. The tag is actually a computer microchip that stores a unique identification code. When the tag comes within the proximity of a reader, it is energized by the radio frequency transmitted by the reader and transmits its unique code back to the reader. No personal or financial information is stored on the tag, so there is no risk of interception while the tag is in use. If the tag is lost or stolen, however, you will need to immediately report it to ExxonMobil in much the same way that you would report a lost or stolen credit card. Transactions appear on your credit card statement in the same way that they appear for other merchants.
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To sign up for the Speedpass, you can go to the Speedpass Web site and enter your name, contact information, and a suitable credit or check card for ExxonMobil to link with your account. At the time you submit your request, you can also select whether to have a receipt at the time of purchase, to not have a receipt, or to select a receipt on a case-by-case basis. This preference-setting at the time of registration helps to ensure a rapid transaction at the pump or at the checkout counter; the system knows your preferences and can act accordingly.
Sample Scenario: Purchase 1. Request and obtain the Speedpass key tag and/or car tag either online or via phone. 2. Once you have received the key tag and/or car tag via mail, call 1-877-696-6245 to activate your tags by using an automated system. You’ll be prompted to enter your credit card number that you have associated with the Speedpass, plus your five-digit zip code. 3. If using a car tag, mount the tag in the lower inside area of your vehicle’s rear window on the side nearest to the fuel door. 4. Pull up to a pump at a participating Exxon or Mobil gas station. 5. Wave the Speedpass key tag in front of the “Place Speedpass Here” panel, or drive up so that the car tag is within three feet of the pump in order to light up the Speedpass circle on the pump. 6. Select a fuel grade and begin fueling. 7. Once you’ve finished fueling, you can collect your receipt and be on your way
Benefits One of the main benefits of the Speedpass is simply convenience. The Speedpass enables you to take the hassle out of fueling by allowing you to avoid the line at the cash register and to avoid having to search for a credit card to swipe at the pump. During the winter months, particularly in northern climates, this can be highly beneficial because you spend less time out in the cold and more time driving. Beyond gasoline payments, the RFID technology in the Speedpass and similar systems promises a new level of convenience for making
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purchases and is ushering in a new era in wireless commerce. Although this new approach is a simpler way of making payments, it’s still vital to safeguard your tags and treat them as you would treat credit cards and cash. The Speedpass system is particularly convenient at restaurants such as McDonalds. As you go through the drive-through, you can order your meal, pull up to the payment window, check your total, and then wave your Speedpass at the McDonalds logo on a special board placed just outside the window. This is much faster than fumbling for the right amount of money or waiting for change.
Features and Considerations Speedpass is available in two varieties: a key tag and a car tag. If you elect to use the car tag, you can mount it on the rear window of your car on the same side as your filling cap. The car tag uses the same RFID process as the key tag and communicates wirelessly with the reader in the pump. One of the considerations to bear in mind when using the car tag is that you must place the tag in a position where the pump can read it; the tag must be within three feet of the pump for it to work. If the filling cap is at the back of your car by your license plate, you’ll want to attach your tag to the bottom of the car’s rear window. If the filling cap is toward the front of your car, you’ll want to attach the tag to the bottom of the car’s windshield. The main idea is to ensure that the tag comes into range of the reader on the pump when you pull up to fuel. Be sure that the tag is positioned on the correct side of the vehicle so that it is as close as possible to the reader when you fill up. If the tag is beyond the working range of the reader, your purchase cannot be authorized. Just watch for the red Mobil pegasus logo or the Exxon tiger logo to light up, and you know that you’re within range; this happens as soon as you pull up next to the pump, and the light stays on until you replace the nozzle in the pump when you’ve finished fueling. If you have trouble getting the Speedpass to work at the gas station, the cause is most likely one of the following reasons: The Speedpass is not activated, your credit or check card may have passed its expiration date, or the key tag or car tag is not pointed properly at the reader.
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In terms of the life expectancy of the tags, the key tags themselves are passive devices that never expire because they are energized by the RFID readers in the pumps. The car tags, which are active devices with an internal battery, last three to five years, according to ExxonMobil. One of the current drawbacks to Speedpass is that it has limited availability with regard to the types of retailers supporting it for wireless payments. You can use it only at ExxonMobil stations and some select restaurants, such as McDonalds. For price-conscious consumers, this may be a disadvantage because some of the lower-cost gas stations do not offer such a service and do not support Speedpass. In the end, you’re making a decision between price or convenience. As the Speedpass becomes more widely available, however, it will become more beneficial for the average consumer and will definitely become a better way to pay!
Contact Information Speedpass, www.speedpass.com Speedpass Service Center, 1-877-696-6245 Business Speedpass Account, 1-87-SPEEDPASS (1-877-733-3727)
Today’s Technology
33 Securing Internet Shopping: American Express Blue
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merican Express Blue is a credit card that includes a built-in Smart Chip for Internet security. The built-in computer microchip on the card holds a certificate of authenticity that helps to provide added security when you make online purchases using your PC. Instead of using your actual credit card number to make a purchase, you are given a unique, temporary card number and expiration date to enter that provides added protection from Internet fraud. Internet purchases can be verified by something you have, such as your card, in addition to something you know. This improves the level of Internet security because would-be thieves would need to actually possess your card plus know your personal identification number (PIN) in order to make a purchase that is secured in this manner.
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How It Works American Express makes these secure Internet payments available on the Internet via their Smart Chip Private Payments system. They provide a Smart Chip Reader that can read your card and identify you to the Private Payments system. Merchants can accept Private Payments in the same way that they accept regular American Express credit card payments. So in this way, it is transparent to the merchant. This is good news for consumers as well, because you can immediately start using the system and not have to wait for merchants to become part of the program. The Smart Chip Readers are offered in three varieties: a serial reader, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) reader, and a keyboard reader. The serial and USB readers are stand-alone peripheral devices that read your Smart Chip. The keyboard reader functions as both a standard keyboard for your PC plus as a reader for your Smart Chip. American Express provides card members with one free standalone reader. Additional readers are $25 and the keyboard reader is $59.95. The Smart Chip Private Payments system is actually an enhancement to the standard Private Payments system. Private Payments is a free service for all American Express cardholders. The Private Payments system by itself allows you to obtain a secure, temporary transaction number instead of using your actual card number to make payments. Your purchases are still billed to your regular account in this instance. The Smart Chip Private Payments system goes one step beyond this by locking access to Private Payments on your PC to just the Smart Chip card holder.
Sample Scenario: Purchase 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Request and obtain the Blue credit card. Request and obtain a Smart Chip Reader. Install the Smart Chip Reader hardware and software on your PC. Access the Private Payments Web site and request a new number. Insert the Blue card into your Reader. Enter your PIN.
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7. Choose your card that is registered with Private Payments. 8. Obtain your unique transaction number and expiration date. 9. Enter this transaction number and expiration date on the merchant Web site to make your purchase.
Benefits Today, one of the main benefits of the American Express Blue card is the added security that it provides for making purchases over the Internet. In the future, your Smart Chip Reader will be able to load new software applications to your Smart Chip as American Express makes them available.
Features and Considerations To use the stand-alone reader or the reader keyboard, you need a PC running Windows 95, 98, or NT. You also need 5MB of disk space and 8MB of memory available on your machine. To use the stand-alone USB reader, you need a PC that was built after 1997 running Windows 98 with a USB port. You also need the same amount of disk space and memory as required by the other readers. You can check whether you have the capability for USB by running the USB evaluation utility program listed later in the contact information section. A nontechnical consideration when using Smart Chip Private Payments system is to ensure that you use them only for one-time purchases and purchases that do not require reservations long in advance. Because the temporary card number you are issued lasts for only 30 to 67 days (based upon when in the month the number is issued to you), it will expire and become unusable after its expiration date. To avoid problems, it’s therefore wise to just use the system for one-time, immediate purchases such as Internet shopping.
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Contact Information Private Payments, www.americanexpress.com/privatepayments Smart Chip Private Payments, www.americanexpress.com/smartchipprivatepayments Smart Chip Readers, www.americanexpress.com/igotblue Reader Software, www.americanexpress.com/reader/download/ USB Evaluation Utility, www.usb.org/data/usbready.exe
Today’s Technology
34 Shopping with Your Mobile Phone: Digital Wallets
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f you’ve ever tried buying something by using your mobile phone, the hardest part is any form of data entry other than simply making a selection from a set of menu choices or perhaps keying in a few numbers. Any kind of text entry with alphabetical characters is typically tedious because of the 10-digit numeric keypad, which is the only input means on many phones unless you purchase an attachable keyboard. For this reason, many people avoid trying to make purchases using their phones and wait until they are online with a desktop computer or laptop. For time-sensitive purchases such as tickets, or for purchases of services that are delivered directly to the phone, however, there needs to be an efficient way to conduct an electronic commerce transaction over the phone. A digital wallet is the answer to this dilemma. It can help to make your life easier if you ever wish to make a purchase on-the-spot by using your mobile phone and wish to streamline your transaction steps so you don’t have to spend several minutes fumbling with your phone. The digital wallet stores all your personal and required finan154
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cial information so that making payments can be a lot easier and painless. A one-time registration to set up your digital wallet allows you to enter your name, address, telephone number, email address, and a secret personal identification number (PIN), along with your preferred payment information. Of course, it’s best to do this onetime setup using a standard Web browser. Payments associated with digital wallets can typically be linked to either a credit or debit card of your choice. This information is kept securely on file in the form of a digital wallet so that future purchases can be made by just entering your PIN or simply by using your username and password. Of course, you must be conducting the transaction with a merchant who supports your digital wallet whether you are on your mobile phone or conducting your transaction on a desktop computer or laptop. In this profile, we’ll use the e-Wallet service provided by AT&T Wireless as an example of a digital wallet (Figure 34-1). Many other carriers also offer digital wallets, but because we covered ring tones using AT&T as our example carrier for an earlier profile, we’ll continue the coverage by looking at their e-Wallet offering.
Figure 34-1
AT&T Wireless e-Wallet.
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How It Works To make a purchase using a digital wallet, you typically must first have a general registration on the wireless carrier’s Web site, such as the AT&T Wireless Ring Tones & Graphics Web site, then you must register for a digital wallet. The first registration gives you access to the carrier’s Web site for making ring tone and image purchases that can be charged on your monthly bill or to your digital wallet. If you choose to have the charges applied to your digital wallet, you’re then redirected to a Web site where you can register further information that includes the credit or debit card you wish to have associated with your digital wallet. The AT&T Wireless e-Wallet shares the same username with the AT&T Wireless Ring Tones & Graphics Web site, but it uses a different password. The different password is used for security purposes because you have more confidential information stored within your e-Wallet.
Sample Scenario: Purchase Using a Digital Wallet 1. Go to AT&T wireless ring tone Web site (www.attws.com/ringtones). 2. Log in by entering your username and password. 3. Search for and select the ring tone you wish to purchase by clicking on the Buy icon. 4. Select “Bill to my e-Wallet, or sign up for an e-Wallet account” and click OK. 5. After reviewing the charges, click Purchase. 6. To review your order, click My Orders.
Benefits The benefit of using an e-Wallet is that it can allow you to perform transactions much more quickly and efficiently. You also have a centralized location to manage your profile and to view your transaction history. The AT&T Wireless e-Wallet site is at http://ecare.attws.com/
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ewallet. From here you can manage your credit card information, your shipping address, your user information, and your PIN. You can also view your purchases and subscriptions from a purchase history menu.
Features and Considerations If you sign up for a digital wallet, be sure to make a careful note of your username and password. In this case, you’ll have two passwords: one for the Ring Tones & Graphics Web site, and one for your e-Wallet account. Keeping track of usernames and passwords can be one of the hardest parts about maintaining an e-Wallet because it adds to the existing number of usernames and passwords you must maintain. If you like to see charges on your credit or debit card, as opposed to your monthly wireless statement, however, then e-Wallets can be a good way to separate the charges. This can be particularly useful if the phone is shared and one person pays the monthly bill and another wants to purchase the extras such as ring tones and graphics. Be aware that on your credit card bill, you may see a merchant name other than your wireless carrier or the merchant from whom you made the purchase. Many of the carriers use a third-party service provider named Qpass for their digital wallet and credit card billing services, so this name may well be the one that appears on your statement.
Contact Information AT&T Wireless Ring Tones & Graphics, www.attws.com/ringtones/ AT&T Wireless e-Wallet, http://ecare.attws.com/ewallet
Today’s Technology
35 Simplifying Shopping with Self-Checkout: NCR FastLane
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ou may have noticed that several of the large grocery stores, such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, K-Mart, and H-E-B, have started to offer self-checkout lanes. In fact, according to the Food Marketing Institute, nearly 20 percent of food retailers had selfcheckout installed in 2001. These lanes are self-service lanes that enable you to scan your own purchases and get out of the store faster. Because nobody likes to wait in line, stores with these types of checkouts can save you significant time. As self-checkout evolves beyond grocery stores, other pilots have been conducted in home improvement stores, wholesale stores, and pharmacies, such as Home Depot, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and Publix. Self-checkout is part of the retail automation trend that includes many of the innovations that we described earlier, such as electronic tags. Once you get over the shock of doing this for the first time, it really is simple and convenient! Even the first time you ever check out this way, it is fast and easy—it just feels strange checking out on your own!
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How It Works Self-checkout lanes work very simply. You just select your groceries or other items as you would normally and then proceed to the selfcheckout line. Once you’re at the line, you simply scan and bag each of your items and then pay by cash, credit, or check card. You can even use coupons. If you pay by cash, you can get exact change. Some stores, such as Wal-Mart, place an employee in a nearby booth location to monitor several self-checkout lanes, often four lanes or so, and to offer assistance to anyone if needed. This can be useful if you need special attention, such as when purchasing tobacco products or alcoholic beverages. For reference, Figure 35-1 shows the self-checkout equipment from NCR called the NCR FastLane.
Sample Scenario: Purchase 1. 2. 3. 4.
5.
6. 7.
8. 9. 10.
Take your items for purchase to the self-checkout lane. Place the items on the checkstand or input conveyor belt. Scan each item and place it in the bagging area provided. As you scan each item, the system may audibly tell you the price. The touchscreen interface may also show a list of scanned items, their prices, and your running total. For items sold by weight, place the items on the built-in scale and use the touchscreen to tell the system what you’re buying by selecting the appropriate picture. Once you have scanned and weighed all your items, push a button on the touchscreen to show your purchase is complete. You can now pay by cash, credit, or debit card. If you pay with credit or debit card, you swipe your card, then sign using the electronic pen and pad provided. If you pay using currency or coins, you’ll receive cash back as necessary. Use coupons by inserting them into the coupon acceptor, and your total will be updated to reflect your discounts. Push a button on the touchscreen to show that your payment is complete, then collect your receipt from the receipt printer. Finally, bag your items, and you’re free to leave the store with your self-purchased items.
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Figure 35-1
NCR FastLane self-checkout equipment (Source: NCR).
Benefits Although self-checkout initially can feel awkward for the average customer, many grocery stores feel that over time, this feature may help them to differentiate from their competition by giving their customers a way to speed though the checkout line and to move at their own pace. Another benefit touted by the grocery stores is that it can add a measure of privacy when purchasing personal items. For elderly people or those requiring attention to detail, it also allows them to scan
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items at their own pace and to verify the price of each item as they go. This can be an advantage over having to read and validate the receipt line by line after going rapidly through a traditional checkout stand. Even though self-checkout lanes are still a novelty, you’ll find that you can avoid queues and use them immediately even when the other lanes, with cashiers, are backed up. Once people get over the adoption curve and become accustomed to using these lanes, you may find that they’re as busy as the human-staffed lanes and have their own queues building up. So the message here is to take advantage of this feature at your local convenience stores as quickly as you can. It really is fast, simple, and fun if you don’t mind doing your own bagging!
Features and Considerations What makes self-checkout so effortless is the human-factors engineering that manufacturers such as NCR have placed into their design. Scanning is easy because there are often two scanners: one flat scanner and one vertical scanner. This way, your items are easily scanned via the barcode laying face down or pointing away from you. The range of payment options is also convenient, and support for coupons and produce items means that most transactions can be automated. If you’re wondering about theft prevention, the machines have several mechanisms to prevent theft, including reconciling the weight of an item with its product description to ensure that what’s scanned is really the correct product.
Contact Information NCR Self-Checkout, www.ncr.com/products/hardware/ sa_selfchk.htm
Part II
Tomorrow’s Technology
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omorrow’s technology offers a glimpse into a number of new ways to have fun and simplify your life. There are new ways to connect to the Internet, new ways to interact with your laptop and your personal digital assistant (PDA), new ways to network your devices, new ways for objects to communicate, and new ways to travel. All these techniques and devices will enable us to communicate more easily and to be more productive in our day-to-day tasks and activities. The overall theme here is that technology is becoming more and more embedded in our daily lives. It’s becoming pervasive and almost unnoticed. This is good news. When technology becomes invisible and just happens without us having to think about how to make it work, it means that it is serving us rather than the other way around. It means that we have successfully adapted technology to meet our needs and have shaped it around us and around our environment. For too long we’ve had to adapt our business processes and work habits around the requirements of these gadgets. We’ve been slaves to their way of doing things and their way of interacting. Finally, we’re beginning to reclaim some of that lost productivity and to turn the tables. 162
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When we no longer have to worry about how to program the VCR, or how to send a text message on our mobile phone, or how to connect wirelessly to the Internet, we have achieved a significant breakthrough. We can focus on the task at hand, and the technology becomes a dialtone or capability that is always on and ready to serve. What’s more, many of these upcoming technologies and gadgets are blurring the traditional boundaries of product functionality and are offering completely new ways to get things done. For example, it used to be that the phone system was separate from the electrical system, which was separate from your home computer network. As we shall see, you can now run your home computer network over the phone line or your electrical system. Many of the technologies and gadgets in this section on tomorrow’s technology are not yet in commercial production, but many others are; such products made it into this section rather than the Today’s Technology section because they are still in very early adoption. So although wireless networking can be considered close to mainstream by now, other techniques, such as networking using the phone line or networking using the electrical system, are still in the realm of the early adopters. How soon such technology moves into mainstream adoption depends upon the value they are able to provide to the average consumer, their industry support in terms of compatible devices, and their ease-of-use. The companies that will be successful in this space, whether it is virtual keyboards, personal mobile gateways, or other innovations, will be those that carefully balance product or service innovation with practical usability, a compelling value proposition, and a competitive price point. Changing consumer behavior or introducing something new into the consumer space is difficult. It’s like baseball; a company may hit a home run or may completely miss the ball. Only time will tell, but these innovations described within this section should provide a glimpse into what is coming soon to a store near you. Gradually, the computing options available to consumers and business users are becoming more flexible, more open, more intelligent, and more usable. The way in which we interact with computers and the way in which our customers and business partners interact with computers is changing. We are finally gaining the ability to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time. This is a capability that will be a key competitive advantage for businesses and a key benefit to consumers in the future.
Tomorrow’s Technology
36 Connecting Your Home: Internet Home Alliance
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s more and more gadgets become digital and are able to communicate with the network to share their data or to access applications, the next step is to apply these devices to control the home. How many times have you left home and wondered if you actually set the alarm system, turned off the stove, or locked the doors? By connecting your home to the Internet and accessing it from your desktop computer, your car, or your wireless devices, you can have instant access to check out your home and determine what’s in order and what needs to be corrected. For example, you might want to access your home via voice command from your car and instruct the home to lock all doors or turn the air conditioning up or down. Additionally, you may want to use your desktop computer or your tablet PC to actually view who is ringing the doorbell at your front door after you’ve received an instant message notification that you have a visitor. All these scenarios and more are readily workable today, and organizations such as the Internet Home Alliance are already conducting pilot programs and helping to accelerate the development of 164
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the market for these types of solutions. All that’s really required is a collection of smart devices within the home that are all connected to an always-on broadband Internet connection. The connected home can include kitchen appliances, security systems, electrical and airconditioning systems, and much more. If these systems are connected to the Internet, it becomes possible to access and control them at any time from any place by using any device. The Internet Home Alliance comprises of a number of consumer products, retailers, and technology companies, including Best Buy, Cisco Systems, General Motors, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Invensys, Panasonic, Sears, Sun, and Whirlpool. Their goal is to accelerate the process of researching, developing, and testing new home technology in terms of products and services that require a broadband or persistent connection to the Internet. By collaborating, these companies can share their experiences and help to ensure that their various offerings will be compatible.
How It Works The Internet Home Alliance runs various pilot programs with consumers to evaluate market demand and perform technical testing for connected home services. Some of the recent pilots have included OnStar at Home, an Internet-Enabled Education Pilot, Structured Wiring Pilot, and an Energy Management Pilot. The OnStar at Home pilot was launched in early 2002 and was led by OnStar, Invensys, Panasonic, Hewlett-Packard, and ADT Security Services. The objective of the pilot was to integrate OnStar’s Virtual Advisor service (covered in an earlier profile) with home security, control, and telecommunications components. This provides homeowners with a way to remotely control systems such as lighting, temperature, and home security by using any PC, telephone, mobile phone, wireless PDA, or via the OnStar Personal Calling Service from their car or phone.
Sample Functionality within the OnStar at Home Pilot 1. 2. 3. 4.
Check security system status and remotely arm or disarm. Check primary home entry door status and remotely lock or unlock. Check garage door status. Check lighting status and remotely turn on or off.
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5. Check thermostat status and remotely adjust. 6. Monitor activity in the home via a Web camera that captures still images. 7. Instruct smart doorbell to call a phone number when doorbell is rung and homeowner is away. 8. Check full home status as a combination of the previously listed statuses and remotely activate devices by using “quick commands.” The pilot system works by routing all communications from the homeowner through the OnStar platform at the OnStar data center. The OnStar customer interface server application provides the user with a menu of services and performs voice recognition. When a request is received, it sends the request to the Invensys back office server application at the Invensys data center. The Invensys application translates these requests so they can be understood by the devices in the home. It forwards the requests to the Invensys home control gateway located inside the home for the final execution of the request. Figure 36-1 shows the Internet Home Alliance Web site.
Figure 36-1
OnStar at Home architecture (Source: Internet Home Alliance).
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Benefits The benefits of an integrated service like this pilot are that you can manage your home lighting, temperature, and security remotely over any type of access device. This can be particularly comforting if you’re going away on vacation or will be away from home for extended periods of time. Although lighting and temperature may be able to take care of themselves via timers or thermostats, the ability to see who’s at the front door or to check that you locked all the doors is a definite benefit for peace of mind. Another benefit, whether accessed and operated by the homeowner in-home or remotely, is the ability to consolidate all homemanagement functions into a single application. This way you can adjust your settings in one place instead of having to run all over the house and adjust each device separately. With consumer-products companies working together in alliances such as the Internet Home Alliance, the future vision of these integrated operations is within sight.
Features and Considerations One of the barriers to adoption for the connected home to overcome are the security concerns around connecting critical home functions to the Internet. Computer viruses and unwanted email are already severe enough threats on the Internet, let alone having hackers attempt to open your front door or play with your thermostat. The question to ask yourself is whether you would feel comfortable putting your home security and other controls on the Internet. For many, particularly the early adopters, the answer may be yes, but with considerable reservations. If the information is one-way and provides alerts and notifications only, then security is less an issue; that is, unless the alert states that you’ve left your front door open and someone can also determine your home address from the same message. If the information is two-way and allows you to unlock your front door or adjust your temperature setting remotely, then security
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becomes a more serious issue. Strong security in terms of biometric authentication in addition to high encryption may be one potential solution. Any systems offered on the market will also need to have proven their reliability and ease-of-use. The research results from the OnStar at Home pilot will be interesting to see and will be available on the alliance’s Web site.
Contact Information Internet Home Alliance, www.internethomealliance.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
37 Networking Using the Phone Line: HomePNA
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ith ever more devices and appliances becoming data enabled, and with more and more computers appearing in each home, one of the challenges for manufacturers, retailers, service providers, and consumers is how to provide all these devices with an effective home networking solution that can tie everything together. According to a Dataquest estimate, more than15 million homes in the U.S. have more than one computer. In fact, according to the analyst group Cahners In-Stat, the home-connectivity market is expected to reach $6 billion by 2004. Connectivity can enable deviceto-device communications, such as for gaming applications, and communications with the Internet for remote monitoring purposes and data exchange. One of the biggest benefits for home networking is the ability for all devices within the home to share a single broadband Internet connection and to share peripherals such as printers and scanners.
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In the consumer home-networking arena, many techniques currently exist for users to network their computers and peripherals. In addition to traditional wired, or Ethernet, connections, which operate at 10 megabits per second, consumers now have options such as wireless networking via a variety of wireless standards, such as 802.11b (also known as Wi-Fi, which is the certification standard for 802.11b compatibility) and Bluetooth, and even options such as connecting via standard telephone lines. Given the fact that most homes have telephone jacks in many rooms, networking using the existing phone lines makes a lot of sense. The HomePNA standard is the major standard that allows devices to be networked across home telephone sockets. HomePNA stands for the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, a nonprofit association of industry companies such as 3Com, Agere Systems, AMD, AT&T Wireless Services, Broadcom, Compaq, Conexant, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Motorola and 2Wire. The association was founded in June 1998 with 11 initial members and now has more than 150 member companies offering more than 100 products that are HomePNA ready.
How It Works Devices that are HomePNA ready simply can be plugged into a telephone socket to become a part of a HomePNA network. A network can be set up with or without an Internet connection. If you want to add an Internet connection, you’ll typically plug your cable modem into a HomePNA-compliant residential gateway. A gateway such as the HomePortal 100 from 2Wire offers connections for your broadband connection, phone line, and local Ethernet. It also offers a USB (Universal Serial Bus) PC connection so that one computer can be connected directly to the HomePortal by using a USB port. Setting up a HomePNA network becomes as simple as connecting your broadband connection to the gateway, connecting the gateway to one of your phone outlets, and then connecting any of your computers and peripherals to the other telephone outlets within your home. Other manufacturers of these residential gateways include Hewlett-Packard (HP), LinkSys, NETGEAR, and Panasonic. You can also buy gateways with built-in broadband modems so that one box takes care of
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both the modem function for your Internet connection plus the routing function of your gateway. HomePNA has released two specifications for home networking at 1 Mbps and 10 Mbps via the standard RJ-11 phone jack. Their third-generation specification, version 3.0, targets multimedia applications and supports networking at over 100 Mbps. Version 3.0 was jointly proposed as a standard for HomePNA by Broadcom and CopperGate, and delivers data such as HDTV, digital audio, and voice steams at a rate of up to 128 Mbps. Version 3.0 also supports the Voice-over-HomePNA protocol allowing up to eight simultaneous voice streams within the home.
Benefits One of the benefits behind HomePNA for home networking is its simplicity. The alliance’s slogan is, “if you can plug in your phone, then you can network your home.” The range of products available for this network include preconfigured PCs, network interface cards, routers and residential gateways, broadband modems, and Internet appliances. The benefits of HomePNA as a choice for home networking are that no wires are required so you don’t have to run Ethernet cable across your home from room to room, you don’t need to have experience in home networking or in setting up complex networks, and you don’t need expensive equipment. HomePNA is actually one of the most simple and affordable solutions available, although wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) also provide ease of setup and everreducing costs of ownership.
Features and Considerations One of the challenges for HomePNA is that it’s not as readily known as other choices for home networking, such as setting up a wireless LAN. Although HomePNA is easy and affordable, Ethernet and wireless LANs still rule the day for networking computers. As home networking becomes more elaborate and other peripherals, such as
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HDTVs and digital entertainment centers, become added to the network, HomePNA will see an advantage over wireless LAN. Most manufacturers of these entertainment centers are more likely to add a phone jack socket for network connectivity than to add a comparatively expensive wireless adapter. Some of the Internet appliances that support HomePNA include the HP digital entertainment center, the SONICblue RIO digital audio center, and the Turtle Beach Audiotron.
Contact Information HomePNA Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, www.homepna.org
Routers and Residential Gateways 2Wire, www.2wire.com HP, www.hp.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com
Internet Appliances HP Digital Entertainment Center de100c, www.hp.com SONICblue RioCentral, www.sonicblue.com/audio/rio/ rio_audiocenter.asp Turtle Beach Audiotron, www.audiotron.net/audiotron/producthome.asp
Tomorrow’s Technology
38 Networking Using the Electrical System: HomePlug Powerline Alliance
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new alternative to Ethernet, wireless, and phone line networks is called powerline networking. This technology promises to offer a new way to connect devices and appliances within the home by using existing electrical infrastructure. It actually uses your home’s electrical wiring system to provide the network connection via any electrical outlet. One of the benefits of this method is the ubiquity of connections already installed in the home—often two or more electrical outlets per room compared to just a handful of phone-line connections per entire home. One of the challenges of delivering data over the power supply is that these types of networks are very noisy and variable in terms of interference because they were not designed to carry digital data transmissions. When electrical devices are turned on and off, they can cause spikes and other noise patterns that can distort the electrical signal and the data signal riding along with it. The HomePlug Powerline Alliance, a consortium of companies aiming to develop new standards for powerline networking, has over173
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come many of these original technical difficulties. The Alliance, a nonprofit industry association comprising more than 90 companies, was formed in April 2000. Some of the original founding companies included 3Com, AMD, Cisco Systems, Conexant, Enikia, Intel, Intellon, Motorola, Panasonic, S3’s Diamond Multimedia, RadioShack, and Texas Instruments. Many of these companies also play a role in the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance and are obviously hedging their bets as to which will generate the most traction in the consumer marketplace. Most of them will benefit from the adoption of either technology because they stand to sell more network interface cards and other forms of home networking equipment.
How It Works Powerline networking relies on a specification developed by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance that enables data to be carried over the electrical system, in conjunction with electrical power, by using signal processing techniques to remove noise and maintain the quality of the data signal. The presence of the data signal on the line has no effect on the electrical service. The HomePlug 1.0 specification, released in 2001, provides a data rate of 14 Mbps and supports products for gaming, consumer electronics, voice telephony, and personal computing. The group has already conducted field trials in 500 homes within the United States and has confirmed that the specification is ready for market rollout. The next steps will be the introduction of further HomePlug-compliant products from its member companies and continued work to ensure product compatibility. To network your own home using this technology, all you need is a powerline router to connect to your existing cable or DSL modem. The Powerline router allows you to convert your Ethernet connection to a signal that is delivered over your home electrical system. At any other electrical outlet within your home, you are now able to plug in a powerline bridge that connects to your computer via Ethernet, or a powerline USB adapter that connects to your computer via USB cable. The overall networking solution is very similar to that of the Home-
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PNA solution for phone lines except that you’re plugging into the power outlet instead of the phone outlet. Manufacturers of these powerline routers, bridges, and adapters include IOGEAR, LinkSys, NETGEAR, and Samsung.
Benefits For businesses in the consumer-electronics arena, the advent of powerline networking and other forms of networking within the home open new possibilities for providing service to consumers. If consumers have a cable modem or DSL router, they can connect a powerline router and instantly have full Internet access across the home. This means that intelligent devices and appliances are then able to be accessed and connect with the Internet with ease if they support HomePlug or similar solutions. Consumers can manage home security settings and lighting settings. Retailers can offer value-added data services for their smart appliances and can troubleshoot appliances remotely, potentially eliminating the need for on-site service visits. Some potential future scenarios for home networking in general include refrigerators that can reorder supplies, music systems that can purchase and play music downloaded from the Internet from music sites, gaming systems that can purchase and install new games, and a variety of home systems, such as air conditioning, electrical, and security settings, that can be remotely administered.
Features and Considerations In theory, the HomePlug networking option is generally a more secure approach than wireless networking via 802.11b or Bluetooth because these wireless standards spread the data signal in an uncontrolled dispersion pattern to anyone within the signal radius wishing to listen to communications—at least this can be the case if the security settings for wireless local-area networking are left open as they come out of the box. HomePlug (and also HomePNA) is somewhat more plugand-play than wireless local area networks or standard Ethernet networking, although they are not as ubiquitous right now.
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If you’re deciding which home-networking solution to purchase, Ethernet will generally give you the best security but can be costly, especially if you’re running a lot of cable from room to room. Wireless is good because there are no cables to run, but configuring the security settings for a secure network can take some time to learn and implement. HomePNA and HomePlug can be useful if you have a large number of devices to network across the home and wish to leverage your existing phone line or powerline infrastructure. These two will also increase in value when compared to Ethernet and wireless once more companies are providing suitable equipment and capable products. Connecting the home network to the Internet, however, can raise some issues. One of the challenges is that with more devices exposed on the Internet, the potential for unauthorized usage can have far more severe effects than the relatively benign email issues from viruses that we see today. In the future, one can imagine alarms being deactivated, air-conditioning systems turned off, or ovens being set to high temperatures. Any home-networking solution that enables home appliances to be remotely managed via the Internet needs to have stringent controls for user authentication and access control. As the home, in addition to the office, becomes increasingly connected, the need for robust security will be a key requirement to spur user adoption. Without adequate security, these innovations may be relegated to niche markets and miss out on widespread public acceptance.
Contact Information HomePlug HomePlug Powerline Alliance, www.homeplug.org
Powerline Routers, Bridges, and Adapters IOGEAR, www.iogear.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd., www.sem.samsung.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
39 Using Many Devices with One Connection: Personal Mobile Gateways
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s our society becomes ever more connected, manufacturers are experimenting with how all our consumer devices, such as phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), watches, and cameras, may eventually connect to the wireless network. The connection enables these devices to send and receive text, audio, and video data and can significantly enhance the value of each device. As the number of devices per user proliferates, each device having its own built-in wireless networking capabilities becomes a redundant and costly proposition for end users. No one wants to pay for a wireless connection and associated monthly service fees for each and every device they own. A potential new solution is to have a networking device separate from the end devices themselves. In this way, the devices can become smaller, more functional, more fashionable (in the case of consumeroriented brands), and less costly. The networking device performs the required wireless connectivity on their behalf, and consumers just pay one monthly service fee for the connection. The end devices simply 177
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communicate with this networking device via short-range wireless protocols such as Bluetooth. An example of a company providing this type of solution is IXI Mobile. The company offers a personal mobile gateway (PMG) that acts as a bridge between the devices and the wireless network. The PMG can be a stand-alone device or can even be incorporated into a battery pack or existing cellular phones. The interesting theme here is that this concept separates the communications requirements from the form and functional requirements of the devices themselves. It therefore allows devices to be manufactured with lower costs and a faster time to market, and serves as the gateway between the shortrange personal area network (PAN) between the devices that someone may carry on their person and the wide area network (WAN) provided by the wireless carriers.
How It Works The IXI PMG solution consists of three portions: the PMG software, the client-device software, and the remote-management software for the PMG (Figure 39-1; Plate 13). The three portions of the solution are named IXI-Connect, IXI-Sleek, and IXI-Manage, respectively. IXIConnect manages the connection between the wireless network and the various Bluetooth-enabled devices in the user’s PAN. Wireless operators use the IXI-Manage software to manage the PMG device and to provision new applications over the air. Client devices run the IXI-Sleek software, which is the thin client-user interface that connects to the PMG. The PMG device acts as a pocket-sized microbridge and microrouter between the PAN and the wireless network.
Benefits The main benefit of a PMG is that you are purchasing a single connection to the WAN as opposed to buying multiple connections with one connection charge per device. Although this may spell less revenues for wireless carriers, it makes a lot of sense for the consumer. The chal-
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Figure 39-1
Personal Mobile Gateway (PMG) solution (Source: IXI Mobile).
lenge this model will face is that once the WAN communication capability is decoupled from the device itself, the device becomes dependent on the PMG for its full operation. In other words, the device would only support short-range PAN communications with other similar devices. Wireless carriers may be unwilling to give up their service revenues by supporting such devices, because consumers could well pick other carriers to provide the main connection. But then again, perhaps if they don’t cannibalize themselves with this business model, someone else will! In the end, wireless carriers running the PMG may end up controlling not just a single wireless device as they do today, but the consumer’s entire suite of personal devices. Their revenues will then shift from connection service fees to higher revenues from the provisioning of a variety of applications and services to these devices.
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Features and Considerations The IXI Personal Mobile Gateway is listed in the “Tomorrow’s Technology” section because as of the time of writing, no devices are shipping. The company has an impressive list of technology partners that include Texas Instruments and Duracell. It will be interesting to see how their products evolve and come to market. The PMG is a highly disruptive business model for consumers and the wireless industry alike. If this vision of tomorrow occurs, you’re likely to see a number of innovative form factors and applications for devices such as phones, PDAs, watches, and cameras very soon. Perhaps the most exciting thing is that all these devices will be able to communicate with one another and the Internet, and you’ll only pay one wireless connection fee.
Contact Information IXI Mobile, Personal Mobile Gateway, www.iximobile.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
40 Talking to Your Mobile Device: Spoken Language Understanding
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ave you ever wished that you could simply speak to your mobile device instead of having to tap on menu items to navigate applications, and having to use the onscreen keyboard or graffiti-style handwriting to enter text? Surely, a few spoken words would be a much quicker way to get your point across, particularly if the device could understand your spoken words and commands in addition to simply recognizing them and converting them to text. Perhaps these spoken words could be used in combination with some menu selections using the stylus for even greater productivity? What if the spoken-language engine was a service that could follow you around from device to device and operate as your virtual assistant? What we’re talking about here is the use of multimodal technologies together with spoken-language understanding. This combination is particularly interesting because it can help to make a number of consumer devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and smartphones much more usable. The tablet PC is a good example of a consumer gadget that already has some of this multimodal functionality via its speech181
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recognition and digital-pen-and-ink capabilities. Beyond the tablet PC, several research projects at companies such as Microsoft are taking multimodal interaction and spoken-language understanding even further to give us a glimpse into the future. Microsoft Research has a project called Dr. Who that is investigating these types of opportunities by using distributed, continuous-speech recognition and spoken-language understanding to enable new forms of human-computer interaction.
How It Works Using the Dr. Who engine on a mobile device, end users can essentially talk to their devices and have the device understand the intended meaning of their commands and execute the requested tasks. Because mobile devices are often too underpowered to perform continuousspeech recognition by themselves, techniques such as distributedspeech recognition can be applied to stream the audio signal back to a server computer. The server computer performs the processing and interpretation of the spoken command, then sends the resulting action to be taken back to the mobile device for execution. This type of technique can be applied for general dictation and more advanced functionality such as meeting scheduling. Tasks such as scheduling can be made more accurate by combining modalities. For example, a user can verbally request a meeting while simultaneously tapping certain areas of their calendar onscreen to provide more guidance to the computer. An interesting extension of speech technology and multimodal technologies is that they can be decoupled from the actual device in use and become part of a computer-based service running on the network that can follow users around as they move from their homes to their cars and offices. It becomes a virtual assistant that follows the user’s context of activity and can aid with a variety of tasks regardless of the current device being used.
Benefits Microsoft sees the Dr. Who engine enabling a variety of Web services that are specialized in particular domains, such as scheduling, and which can be looped into human conversations in order to execute
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tasks. Web services are basically software programs residing on the Internet that can be accessed to carry out a particular business function. For example, a Web service could be asked to find a certain type of restaurant nearby. One can also imagine location-based services being applied to automatically determine the user’s current location. It’s easy to see that when location-based services, Web services, multimodal user interaction, and spoken-language understanding techniques are combined, they start to open up powerful opportunities for computers to create new forms of value that can improve our productivity. Being able to speak to your mobile device and have it execute your instructions is a powerful capability. Being able to extend this to other automated Web services on the network improves this capability even further.
Features and Considerations Spoken-language understanding is a capability that finally allows computers to interact with us in a more natural manner. It allows us to speak to our devices instead of having to fumble to input text and commands on small screens or keyboards. One day, natural speech could well be the central interface for interaction with computers and mobile devices. If speech recognition and spoken-language understanding can be perfected, users may well experience tremendous productivity gains and far fewer frustrations. Speech engines such as Dr. Who could end up being the central point of contact for access to a number of computers, devices, and home appliances, and it could even end up being your PDA in the true meaning of the term.
Contact Information Microsoft Research, http://research.microsoft.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
41 Using New Visual Interfaces: 3D Desktops
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he screen is the primary way in which we communicate with the computer in day-to-day activities. These activities typically involve actions such as reading, writing, managing and organizing content, interacting with others, and receiving notifications related to emails, instant messaging, alerts, and appointments. One of the issues over the past several years has been the ever-increasing stream of information flow in the form of notifications that have the potential to distract us from our primary work activities. A constant flood of email alerts and other forms of notification throughout the day can be a large distraction for most knowledge workers as well as for general PC users. Several major companies such as IBM and Microsoft, together with numerous startups, are looking into new ways to present information onscreen and maximize the quality of information conveyed while minimizing end-user effort. If smarter visual interfaces that can present more information more rapidly, or in a more accessible manner, can be developed, productivity and general ease-of-use could be significantly affected. 184
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Some examples that we’ll take a look at in this profile include the Scope application and the Task Gallery from Microsoft Research, the Scopeware product from Mirror Worlds Technologies, and the Star Tree product from Inxight.
How It Works The Scope application from Microsoft Research is designed to summarize a variety of notifications into a glanceable visualization tool. Figure 41-1 and Plate 14 show a sample of the interface. Notifications are grouped into alerts, calendar items, tasks, and inbox items such as emails. Objects near the center of the scope are the higher priority items. The notifications can be prioritized by using the Microsoft notification platform and priorities system. These systems apply artificial intelligence techniques to determine the relative priority of one task over another. Users can select and zoom in on notifications by using the Scope and drill down into them in order to gain more details. As we adapt our work habits around computing, research projects such as Scope have the potential to help regain some of the time and attention spent in switching between various activities and making decisions about priorities. As another example of a new user-interface technique, we’ll now look at the Task Gallery, also from Microsoft Research. For many years, we have relied upon the desktop metaphor of Microsoft Windows and the Macintosh. These are two-dimensional metaphors for managing documents and applications. Microsoft Research is looking into ways we can apply three-dimensional graphics to increase productivity around information management and to make the desktop metaphor more intuitive. Their Task Gallery research prototype uses a three-dimensional office metaphor in which objects can be placed on the walls, ceiling, or floor of this three-dimensional space and can be ordered by depth. The Task Gallery also provides an interesting transition vehicle for migration from two dimensions to three for user adoption because of the ability to bring unmodified Windows applications into the environment. In addition to these applications from Microsoft Research, two other companies, Mirror Worlds Technologies and Inxight, also have interesting innovations in the user interface arena.
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Figure 41-1
The Scope Glanceable Notification Summarizer from Microsoft Research (Source: Microsoft).
Scopeware is a knowledge-management solution that locates and presents business information in more accessible formats for end users. One of the Scopeware products is Scopeware Mobile. The solution provides mobile users with a “rolling window around now”—a stream of their most relevant information, which is updated on a realtime basis. The core platform offered by Scopeware is their Information Management Infrastructure (IMI). This platform aims to increase the value of information by making it more searchable and accessible. Inxight’s products aid in unstructured data management by providing software for analyzing, organizing, categorizing, and navigating information. Their Star Tree product helps companies navigate and visualize large hierarchies of information. Figure 41-2 shows a sample Web site published as a Star Tree. Studies at Xerox PARC have shown the Star Tree technology to be 62 percent more effective than Windows tree controls when navigating collections of Web pages.
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Figure 41-2
The Star Tree Viewer Technology from Inxight (Source: Inxight).
Benefits For end users, the benefits of all these user-interface innovations include faster access to information and faster ability to make decisions. Finding better ways to receive alerts and notifications, to organize our desktops, or to browse through file structures and Web pages can greatly enhance our productivity.
Features and Considerations Although visual interfaces are often overlooked because of the dominance of operating system platforms such as Microsoft Windows and the Macintosh, it is important for businesses and general consumers to stay tuned to some of these emerging developments and alternative solutions. Although they may not replace well-established modes of visual interaction with Web pages and with the traditional desktop,
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they can be applied in certain circumstances to enhance our experience and to simplify our work. In certain specialty applications they can be the most optimal solution for navigating and visualizing large amounts of data, thereby helping to turn the data into meaningful information that can enable business understanding and business decisions.
Contact Information Inxight, www.inxight.com Microsoft Research, http://research.microsoft.com Scopeware, www.scopeware.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
42 Artificial Intelligence and Computers that See: Intelligent Messaging
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rtificial intelligence historically has been focused on attempting to make computers think like humans—giving them the ability to learn, reason, and create. One of the best-known examples from science fiction was the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, which portrayed HAL, a computer with artificial intelligence that was able to see, hear, talk, reason, plan, and even read lips. Although the computer industry has not been successful in creating a computer with such all-round capabilities as HAL’s, there have been many successes in focused areas where computers have applied their massive processing capability. For example, IBM’s Deep Blue computer system was designed to play chess at the grandmaster level and defeated the reigning World Chess Champion, Garry Kasparov in May 1997. The Deep Blue computer was able to examine and evaluate up to 200 million chess positions per second. Even though computers have not been able to think in the same manner as the human brain, such as applying common sense and language understanding, they can be applied to use their own strengths 189
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and characteristics to solve a variety of everyday tasks. In this way, artificial intelligence is increasingly being applied in a number of business scenarios to improve productivity and decision-making ability. A well-known example is the Microsoft Office Assistant, the animated character that offers help when users perform various tasks within programs such as Microsoft Word. Microsoft Office Assistant can aid in troubleshooting by asking a series of questions related to the task at hand. Microsoft Windows XP uses additional artificial intelligence capabilities, such as a tool called Search Companion that can aid with searches on the computer, home or office network, or the Internet. More recent examples can be found in some of the projects that Microsoft Research is conducting. The group is applying artificial intelligence for a variety of productivity applications, including improved search capabilities, email filtering and prioritization, system troubleshooting, meeting facilitation, data mining, multimodal interfaces, and notification platforms. Artificial intelligence can be applied to improve end-user productivity when using email and other applications by helping to prioritize the most important messages and tasks. Software can look at various aspects of an email message, such as the subject line and text within the email, the relationship between the sender and the worker in terms of the company organization chart, and the history of communications between these individuals (including response times), in order to determine how important a communication may be and the potential costs of a delayed response. Computer vision can play a key role in productivity applications of the future because it provides the computer with an additional input source from which to make decisions. In this section, we’ll look at the Microsoft Priorities system and the computer vision techniques applied within this initiative.
How It Works Microsoft’s Priorities system has the goal to help users get the right information at the right time on the right device. The Priorities system is part of a larger project named the Notification Platform. This plat-
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form, being developed by Microsoft Research, is part of their Attentional User Interface (AUI) project, which focuses on attention- and context-sensitive costs and benefits of information and services. The Priorities system goes well beyond analysis of an email message when determining a priority and deciding when to alert an end user to the arrival of an incoming message. It actually uses a number of HAL-like techniques to determine the user’s context and readiness to be alerted to an inbound priority message. Beyond email, the inbound message could be a telephone call, an instant message, or an information feed. The system visually observes the user’s activity, listens to the surrounding sounds, checks the user’s calendar, and makes decisions as to the appropriate timing and manner in which to deliver information. In observing the user’s activity, the system uses a Bayesian vision system to determine the context of activity. Thomas Bayes was an English mathematician in the 18th century who established a mathematical basis for probability inference. Bayesian systems are based upon his theories of statistical probability. The context of the user’s activity can be determined by observing where the user’s attention is focused. If the user is looking constantly at the computer screen, then it is likely he or she is working on some individual activity on the computer. If the user is away from the screen and the system observes several faces in the room, then it is likely the user is in some form of meeting and does not wish to be disturbed except in high-priority cases. By adding information from the user’s calendar and audio information to this analysis, the system is able to make even betterinformed decisions.
Benefits Applying artificial intelligence together with new ways to sense the user environment, computer systems can become more “intelligent” and be able to work on our behalf more accurately. They can better understand when (and when not) to interrupt us and can deliver their notifications on the most appropriate device based upon our location or preferences. In this way, computer applications such as personal information management systems can become more like real-life butlers by politely
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interacting with us when appropriate. By minimizing distractions, these systems can increase our productivity substantially. These intelligent applications can also help to give us peace of mind. For example, if you’re away on vacation and your virtual assistant, such as the notification platform, hasn’t sent you anything, you can rest assured that there’s nothing so urgent that it can’t wait until you return.
Features and Considerations Should these types of computer vision and artificial intelligence systems become commercialized in the future, they will most likely have a substantial positive impact on our productivity. The challenge for businesses, however, will be to ensure end-user confidence in the privacy of information observed. Employees may well fear that this type of information could be used to report back to management on their behavior and general productivity. Beyond the Notification Platform and the Priorities System, Microsoft Research is also working on a research project called BestCom. BestCom aims to provide a best effort for interpersonal communications and has a number of interesting implications for how we may collaborate in the future. One example is the program’s ability to allow users working on documents such as Microsoft Word to rightclick on a revision area and immediately initiate a conversation about this revision with a coworker. In this manner, they are collapsing the traditional multistepped workflow around the revision of documents and allowing users to practically grab the back of the screen and pull through the document for a coworker to see and collaborate on.
Contact Information Microsoft Research, http://research.microsoft.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
43 Digital Pen and Paper
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f you thought most computers were moving you away from traditional pen and paper, you’re probably right. Personal computers, tablet PCs, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) all require us to take notes by using the computer keyboard or via speech or handwriting recognition, and then to read our notes on the computer monitor or screen. Even eBooks aim to reduce paper and replace conventional books by giving us an electronic screen from which to navigate and read digital versions of our favorite books and magazines. However, some of the technologies on the horizon actually seek to give us back our paper and pens. Technologies such as digital paper and pens allow us to use the familiar writing techniques that we grew up with and still benefit from numerous digital capabilities that are engineered into these familiar writing implements. You might know digital paper as electronic ink. Companies such as E Ink Corporation are creating electronic ink display technology that can be applied to a variety of surfaces, including “active matrix” 193
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eBook and PDA surfaces, and to versatile and conformable paperlike surfaces for the display of electronic text and graphics. Taking the opposite approach—using the pen instead of the paper as the intelligent device—companies such as Logitech and Sony Ericsson have launched digital pens that can capture handwriting, store the information digitally, and transfer it to a PC for later review.
How It Works Electronic ink works by combining principles of chemistry, physics, and electronics. It consists of millions of human-hair-sized microcapsules filled with black and white particles suspended in a clear fluid. The white particles are positively charged, and the black particles are negatively charged. The capsules are all positioned next to one another between two layers of material in a thin film. The top layer is typically transparent for visibility and the bottom layer is typically a layer of circuitry that can generate positive and negative charges across a pattern of pixels. This electrical charge in the bottom layer pulls the positively charged white particles toward a negative charge, and the negatively charged black particles toward a positive charge. The result is that a user looking at the electronic ink from above can see various patterns of black and white based upon the pattern of the electrical charge. Figure 43-1 shows an illustration of this, which should help to clarify how it works. The digital pen from Logitech, named the Logitech io, works by using an optical sensor embedded in the pen. It stores up to 40 pages of writing in memory and can transfer this information to a PC by using a USB cradle. The pen also requires a digital paper notebook in order to work. The digital paper, in this case, simply has a series of patterned dots spaced 0.3mm apart in order to aid the optical sensor in determining your pen’s position on the paper. The pen can be used in “copy” or “standard” mode when performing a transfer of data to the PC. Copy mode leaves a copy of the data on the pen, whereas standard mode actually moves the data so that there is no copy left on the pen. When you view your documents on your PC, you’ll find they are stored as .PEN documents, which contain your written notes in an
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Figure 43-1
Electronic ink technology (Source: E Ink).
image format. The .PEN format can also be converted to formats such as Microsoft Word, JPEG, or vector images. The technology behind both the Logitech io and the Sony Ericsson Chatpen comes from a company called Anoto.
Benefits The benefits of electronic ink include new levels of versatility for computing. The thin display cells enable electronic ink to be placed inside a thin layer of film that gives it paperlike capabilities (Plate 4). A single sheet of this material would be able to display different content as needed and would be completely reusable. A book made of this type of material could be used to display any book desired with just the swipe of a wand or some other form of electrical charge scanned across its pages. The benefits of a digital pen are that you can capture everything you write, transfer it to your computer, and then organize, retrieve, or send the information as necessary. It can be useful for mobile professionals, attorneys, and graphic artists, in addition to general consumers who want to record everything they write down in certain situations and be able to make copies and distribute them as needed without having to retype everything from scratch.
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Features and Considerations Electronic ink can be applied either as the top layer for eBooks, PDAs, and other such “active matrix” devices, or in more unconventional means to a variety of surfaces such as glass, plastic, fabric, or paper. If there is no active layer of circuitry below the electronic ink, then techniques such as swiping a statically charged wand over the digital paper can be one way to create an image. The wand must be electronic and capable of creating the required detail level in terms of the location of the various static charges needed to produce a high-resolution text or image display. You can think of this much like the number of pixels required on the computer screen to display a high-resolution image.
Contact Information Anoto, www.anotofunctionality.com E Ink Corporation, www.eink.com Logitech, www.logitech.com Sony Ericsson, www.sonyericsson.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
44 Using Virtual Tours: Augmented Reality
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ugmented reality is a technology that may one day impact many aspects of our lives. The technology sits on the continuum between real life and virtual reality. Whereas virtual reality totally immerses you in a computer graphic animation and removes you from reality, augmented reality aims to simply augment, or overlay, digital information on top of your vision of real-life objects around you. In augmented reality, digital information is superimposed upon the view of our physical surroundings. In this way it enhances the physical reality rather than trying to replace it with complete virtual reality. The applications for augmented reality are numerous, and academic institutions such as the Columbia University Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab are creating exciting experimental systems such as Mobile Augmented Reality System (MARS), which combines augmented reality and mobile computing. Applications for augmented reality can include military operations, field service and repair, medicine, and consumer-oriented applications such as virtual tourism, all of which would provide additional information about a user’s surroundings. 197
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How It Works Because augmented reality must fit in with a user’s view of the world and with the user’s movement through that world, the systems typically require a specialized set of hardware and software to be worn by the user. The MARS project uses a backpack computer, differential global positioning system (GPS), a head-worn display, and a stylusoperated computer. The stylus-operated computer communicates with the backpack computer and is able to control the view rendered on the head-worn display. The GPS system tracks the user’s motion and adjusts the display so that the projected information stays in place with respect to where the user is looking. For example, if the user looks at a building and wishes to pull up information, this data can be displayed next to the building for the user to read by looking through the head-worn display. One of the challenges with augmented reality is that for it to work well, the display must react to adjust to not only the user’s movements forward or backward, but also any head movements made to look in various directions. When this ability is successfully accomplished, the user sees tags of textual or graphical information superimposed over the particular items of interest. Another group attempting to associate digital information with specific physical locations is the WorldBoard Forum. This group believes that just as we place physical tools and information in certain locations within our physical environment, so we might benefit from placing digital tools and information in a similar manner. This is equivalent to being able to place a digital Post-it note at a location or on an object anywhere in the world for others to discover and read.
Benefits As we look at some of these augmented reality scenarios, two factors come into play. One is the use of mobile computing and the other is the augmented reality that these mobile computers provide. The mobile computing devices, and especially wearable devices such as headsets, help to adapt computer systems around the way that we
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naturally move and observe the world rather than requiring us to adapt ourselves and our movements around machines. In this manner they help to eliminate the additional process steps that take us away from the point of business activity to perform data entry or lookup tasks. By taking the computer with us as we walk around a historic building, we have a virtual tourist guide that can readily understand where we are looking and that can provide targeted information to us much as guide books do today. Beyond virtual tourism, the combination of mobile computing and augmented reality can be applied to industries such as healthcare and manufacturing. In the healthcare industry, applications may include enabling doctors to see x-rays or CAT scans superimposed on their patients. In the manufacturing industry, applications may include helping plant workers to see assembly instructions next to the parts and equipment they are working on. Additionally, knowledge workers could be able to view and navigate three-dimensional images of information that is unconfined to the limits of their PC desktops.
Features and Considerations The possibilities are limitless for augmented-reality applications. One can imagine walking down a high street and having information pop up on your head-worn display advertising sales at the various stores you pass and providing some background information on opening times and merchandise available. As you walk past a movie theater, you might see the movies playing and their show times. Just as with the Internet world that we know today, some of the issues for the augmented reality worlds of tomorrow could well be related to information overload and the filtering of unwanted data. Although the technology may be able to handle movement and to keep the information superimposed on the correct object or place in front of the user, the main issue may be whether the user wants to see this additional data in the first place. This technology could be the next generation of the Internet, helping to move the digital world into our physical world, but the issues of privacy, security, and managing content will be magnified from what are now desktop issues into issues that may literally affect our
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entire view of the world. The likelihood is that the first applications of this technology will be in controlled settings where users want to augment their view with supplemental information in areas such as medicine, manufacturing, tourist spots, museums, and other welldefined spaces. Augmented commerce may be a bit further away.
Contact Information Columbia University Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab, www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/ WorldBoard Forum, www.worldboard.org
Tomorrow’s Technology
45 Your Own Personal Robot: Honda ASIMO
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erhaps the ultimate consumer gadget that most people can imagine is a personal robot—a domesticated robot that can help around the house by doing chores and can also be a long-term companion simply for entertainment. We’ve seen precursors for the personal robot appear in the entertainment arena to simply have fun and in the utility arena to help you simplify your life. For entertainment, we’ve seen robotic pets such as the Tekno robotic puppy, Sony’s AIBO robot puppies, and the well-known Furby pets. On the utility side, for practical assistance in and around the home, we’ve seen robotic vacuum cleaners such as the Roomba from iRobot and the DC06 from Dyson, and lawn mowers such as the Toro iMow and the Husqvarna Auto Mower. All these early generation robots provide a glimpse into how personal robots may be able to serve us in the future. Another interesting and more humanlike robot is the ASIMO from Honda (Figure 45-1; Plate 15). ASIMO stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility and was conceived to operate inside a typical home. The ASIMO 201
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Figure 45-1
Honda ASIMO robot (Source: Honda).
robot is 1.2 meters in height, 43 kilograms in weight, and looks like a child wearing a spacesuit. In this profile, we’ll take a look at ASIMO as an example of the current state of the art in personal robots.
How It Works ASIMO, which first appeared in late 2000, is a successor to prior robotic prototypes from Honda called the P2 and P3, which debuted in 1996 and 1997, respectively. It is a working two-legged robot engineered to operate inside the home and designed to be easy to operate and user friendly. By creating ASIMO, Honda tackled and solved some of the complexities of autonomous walking using an intelligent,
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real-time, and flexible design. Even simple things like getting a robot to be able to walk on carpet, turn around, or walk up and down stairs can be quite a challenge for designers. So, before getting to the complexities of actually doing real work on behalf of humans, some of these more mundane challenges had to be solved so that the robot of the future will be able to move around with ease in a typical home. For example, the P2 and P3 robot predecessors to ASIMO actually used stored walking patterns, whereas ASIMO can actually change its foot placement, stride length, and turning angle in real time based upon the feedback it receives from various sensors. In addition to being able to walk with humanlike foot-and-leg articulations, the robot has humanlike joints for the head, arms, and hands. Its height allows it to operate light switches and door knobs and to communicate at the eye level of a sitting adult. The childlike size makes it less intimidating than having a six-foot-plus robot staring down at you. In terms of functionality, ASIMO can be operated from a portable controller and can be requested to make a variety of movements by pushing buttons on the controller. These movements include familiar gestures such as grasping to shake hands, waving with both hands, waving goodbye, and responding with a bow. A speech feature provides the robot with the ability to recognize and respond to 50 different calls and greetings in Japanese, and to move its body and arms to respond to thirty different action commands also spoken in Japanese.
Benefits In the future, the benefits of robots such as ASIMO and its successors may well be the ability to perform a range of daily tasks to help humans around the home. For now, ASIMO is being used as a prototype to demonstrate its functionality and as an amusement for businesses and museums to rent as a personal greeter for their various events. The robot rang the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on February 15, 2002 to mark the 25th anniversary of
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Honda Motor Company’s listing on the exchange, and is also working as a receptionist for visitors at Honda’s Aoyama Headquarters. Robots are already proving themselves invaluable for conducting a range of military and scientific functions, such as helping to defuse unexploded bombs, helping to explore inaccessible areas within the ancient pyramids, or in undersea exploration and salvaging operations. In the home, the initial wave of robots are serving as amusing toys or are helping us vacuum the house or cut the lawn. In the future, these domestic applications may move from a curiosity for enthusiasts into more mainstream usage as their price point drops and their functionality increases.
Features and Considerations Although humanoid robots may be too expensive for most people to own rather than rent, many of the utility-type robots, such as the robotic vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers, are definitely within reach. The Roomba Intelligent FloorVac, as it is called, can be purchased for a mere $199.95 from stores such as Brookstone, Hammacher Schlemmer, and Sharper Image (Plate 16). The Toro iMow Robotic Mower can be purchased for around $499 from a variety of retail locations, including certain Ace Hardware stores. If you want to try building your own robot and experiment with various scenarios, Lego offers a number of products under their Mindstorms range. Their Robotics Invention System includes a microcomputer together with CD-ROM software, numerous Lego elements, motors, touch sensors, and a light sensor and infrared transmitter. With these components you can build various “plug-and-play” robots including a Roverbot, which can move around, avoid obstacles, and follow a straight line, and an Acrobot, which can flip and dance. Additionally, you can write programs for your robot by using an RCX programming language from Lego and then upload these instructions to your robot by using an infrared transmitter. The RCX is the programmable Lego brick which is used as the basis for the models. The Robotics Invention System is aimed at children and adults of 12 years and up and is priced at $199.99.
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Contact Information Dyson, DC06, www.dyson.co.uk Honda, ASIMO, http://world.honda.com/robot Husqvarna, Auto Mover, www.husqvarna.com Lego, Mindstorms, www.mindstorms.com Roomba, www.roombavac.com Sony, AIBO, www.aibo.com Toro, iMow, www.toro.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
46 Working with Virtual Keyboards: Electronic Perception
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he traditional keyboard has been with us for a long time as the primary way to enter textual information into a computer. As computers embed themselves into our daily lives and accompany us outside the home and office, new input techniques are needed to support painless and efficient data entry while traveling. Mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) still have limited dataentry capabilities when compared to the traditional desktop keyboard. The currently available options for these devices include voice recognition, hand-writing recognition, or input via a minikeyboard. The RIM Blackberry is an example of a device that has successfully overcome many of these data-entry limitations. Its small keyboard is actually very usable for typing short email messages and for performing basic calendar and schedule-type functions. Voice-recognition applications, mobile phone data entry via the numeric keypad, and PDA data entry via hand-writing recognition or foldable keyboards have been less simple to pick up. For the most part, only diehard techies or business executives who are highly 206
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mobile have persevered with these initial variants of data entry, although some of the newer incarnations of these technologies, such as those found on the tablet PC and in the research labs, show much more promise and general ease-of-use. Another emerging technology is presenting us with a new way to communicate with computers using the familiar keyboard layout but with fewer of the physical limitations of having to carry the keyboard with us. The concept involves either projecting a virtual keyboard onto a flat surface or having the user wear a type of glove that can interpret finger motions when typing. Instead of carrying a bulky attachable keyboard or having to struggle with limited form factors on mobile phones and PDAs, users can simply project an image of the keyboard via a matchbox-sized device or can slip on a lightweight glove and type in the air.
How It Works Some of the companies making these solutions and devices include Canesta, Samsung, Senseboard Technologies, Virtual Devices (Figure 46-1), and VKB. Canesta has developed an “electronic perception technology” that can form electronic images of nearby objects in three dimensions. Instead of the flat, two-dimensional image created by digital cameras and digital videos, the Canesta technology can determine the distance of every pixel in the image in real time, giving it the ability to “see” objects and to enable applications to take appropriate actions based upon this information. The solution has widespread applicability beyond virtual keyboards; it could help computers see the physical world and react to it. Some sample applications include vehicle control, airport security, and national security, among many other possibilities. In the virtual keyboard space, the Canesta keyboard perception chipset technology provides the sensors and image processing software to be able to detect typing motions and to interpret the key presses made by the user. It consists of three parts: the keyboard sensor module that serves as the eyes of the device by detecting finger movement and typing activity, the infrared light source that serves to illuminate the user’s fingers, and the keyboard pattern projector that serves to project a standard QWERTY keyboard layout onto any flat surface.
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Figure 46-1
Virtual Devices’s Virtual Keyboard (Source: Virtual Devices).
Virtual Devices, another virtual keyboard manufacturer, makes a pen-sized device that can be used to project a full-size virtual keyboard onto a flat surface. The product, called the VKey, also supports mouse functions. The company plans to provide the device as a standalone component and also as an embedded component in smart phones and PDAs. The company sees applications of the product in harsh industrial environments and medical environments that require sterile conditions not conducive to traditional keyboard use.
Benefits The benefits of virtual keyboards are that they provide a way to have full-size keyboard functionality while on the road without the need to carry around an actual physical device. By detecting finger movements and interpreting keystrokes, these virtual keyboards help computers adapt around our natural or learned behaviors instead of us having to adapt around computer user input limitations such as text entry on mobile phones. Beyond virtual keyboards, the applications of electronic-perception technology reach across a number of industries and functional areas including automotive, consumer electronics and video games, healthcare, and security. By adding the third dimension of depth perception to computer imaging, existing applications within these industries can be made far more accurate and intelligent. In the security arena, facial-recognition systems can be more accurate if looking at the contour of a person’s face instead of just a two-dimensional image. Within the video gaming industry, game controllers could be
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enhanced to allow the players to become more immersed in their gaming by using their hands and body movements in addition to the simple game console actions. In the automotive industry, electronicperception technology could well be used to “see” both inside and outside the vehicle. Sensors could be used to observe blind spots and to warn drivers if anything is there when the driver starts a turn. Virtual projections of instrument panels could be used to help operate systems such as radios and air conditioning, and could help drivers keep their eyes focused on the road.
Features and Considerations Virtual keyboards will most likely find their first commercial applications with the PDA manufacturers who want to offer data-entry alternatives to their customers. In fact, the Canesta technology is due to be rolled out by certain PDA manufacturers in 2003. As applications such as Microsoft Pocket Word and Pocket Excel are offered on PDAs and smartphones running the Pocket PC operating system, end users will want to start using these applications more extensively and to use their device as an alternative to carrying around a laptop. To accomplish this, they’ll want novel ways to enter data quickly, and the virtual keyboard will be one of the options available. As far as sensory feedback goes, users of virtual keyboards do not get the tactile sensation provided by a traditional keyboard. This is one of the potential barriers to widespread adoption, because it hinders usability. To help get around this barrier, the Canesta solution enables PDA devices to emit a click as each individual key is pressed on the virtual keyboard. This is one ingenious way that the virtual typing experience can be made as close as possible to what users are accustomed to. By making virtual keyboards function similarly to physical keyboards, the transition between one and the other during everyday use—and the rate of adoption of the virtual keyboard—may be even faster than expected.
Contact Information Canesta, www.canesta.com Virtual Devices, www.virtualdevices.net
Tomorrow’s Technology
47 Objects that Communicate: Smart Labels and Electronic Product Codes
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e covered radio frequency identification (RFID) when we took a look at the ExxonMobil Speedpass for making easy payments at the gas station and at an increasing number of their partners such as McDonalds. These types of applications can all be thought of as wireless commerce applications, allowing us to make transactions more efficiently with less hassle. The RFID tag, attached to your key chain, becomes a proxy for your credit card or other payment device such as a check card. In addition to wireless commerce applications, such as paying for gas at the pump, RFID technologies very soon will be reshaping the way you check out from the retail store in the high street. They’ll also be reshaping the way companies manage inventories and track products as they move through the supply chain from manufacturer to distributor to retailer. RFID technologies will also be useful for tracking items within your home or garage, and even to their eventual recycling.
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How It Works You’re probably familiar with the bar code scanners in the retail stores in the high street. These scanners are used by retailers to take inventory of their items and also to scan your items as you check out. Bar code scanners do this by reading the printed bar code label on each item. This is known as the universal product code (UPC). RFID can be used as a way for intelligent objects to communicate. Rather than a printed UPC bar code, an electronic product code (ePC) comprising a tag or “smart label” containing an RFID chip can be attached to an item and used to store its description and price information. What’s more, the ePC can be written to and read from, so important information about the product can be updated without having to attach a new tag or smart label. Retailers such as the Gap are even experimenting with attaching RFID readers to their store shelving so the readers can interact with their merchandise, such as pairs of jeans equipped with RFID tags, on a continuous basis. In this way, they can monitor in-store inventory and also better understand buyer behavior as clothing is picked up, put back on the shelving, or purchased. RFID solutions are composed of two parts: the tag or transponder, and an electronic reader. Depending upon their usage requirements, tags range in size and shape from that of a pencil lead or smaller to the size of a credit card (Figure 47-1). The tag, or smart label, contains an electronic circuit that becomes operative when it is near an electronic reader. The tag sends back a signal to the reader providing its stored information. As mentioned, tags can be read-only or read-write, allowing the information stored on the tag to be updated or replaced as dictated by business requirements related to the device or object being tracked. Tags can be read from a distance of one inch to about one hundred feet or more depending upon the power output and the radio frequency used by the reader. They can be passive or active. Active tags can be read from farther distances, require less powerful readers, and can store more information, often up to 1MB, which is just under the amount of storage on a typical floppy disk. The tradeoff is that being active, they are limited by their
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Figure 47-1
Sample RFID tags from Texas Instruments (Source: Texas Instruments).
battery life and have increased size and cost, but battery life for active tags can still be up to 10 years. From a size perspective, RFID chips are already in the 0.3 millimeter range in height and width and are in the 60 micron range in thickness. Hitachi Europe is one of the manufacturers of such chips. Additional manufacturers of RFID chips include Texas Instruments’s TI*RFID division, Phillips Semiconductors, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, and Alien Technology.
Benefits The benefits for consumers are that we’ll be able to shop more easily in the future and our household objects will effectively become more “intelligent.” Conceptually, when we’re in a store, we’ll be able to pick up an item with an attached ePC and purchase that item by simply walking off with it! An RFID reader in the store entryway would be able to read not only the item description and price, but perhaps
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also your RFID tag linked to your credit card information. In this way, a store’s point-of-sale system knows what you have purchased and how to charge you. Of course, the early implementations of such a scenario may be a little more conservative. What we might see is a self-checkout area where you can scan your items, in much the same way that you can scan items using a bar-code scanner such as the NCR FastLane solution in Wal-Mart and similar stores, together with an area for you to wave your RFID tag. The benefit of RFID over traditional bar-code scanning is that it does not require a line-of-sight reading. So the scenario of walking out with your purchase is much more feasible using RFID techniques and ePC smart labels than it is using bar-code scanning and UPC labels.
Features and Considerations The adoption of the RFID tags within the retail industry is very much dependent upon the price point of the tags and readers. Today the tags are in the 20 cent to $1 range, and readers are in the $100 range. As the price of tags comes down, they become more competitive with the printed UPC barcode labels and become economically feasible for labeling on low-priced items. Many experts agree that it will take a 5-cent tag to really spur the adoption in the marketplace so that tags become pervasive. The promise for the general consumer is that once these tags are adopted, manufacturers and retailers will have better data about their products and will be able to deliver better service. Healthcare companies will be able to better manage their pharmaceutical supplies and to limit the amount of inventory that is beyond its expiration date. They will also be able to better match prescriptions with patients and minimize errors. Clothing retailers will be able to better understand customer demand and adjust their inventories and product assortments in close to real time within their stores. There will even be applications such as smart money where RFID tags will be embedded into the fibers of bank notes. This will aid in counterfeit prevention and in tracing notes as they cross predefined
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checkpoints where readers are present. With tags becoming smaller and smaller and cheaper and cheaper, the possibilities are endless. The Internet will become a connection and integration point not only for people and computers, but also for these millions or even billions of intelligent objects—all carrying around their own unique digital fingerprints embedded into tiny RFID tags.
Contact Information Texas Instruments, Radio Frequency Identification Systems, www.ti.com/tiris/default.htm
Tomorrow’s Technology
48 The Personal Transporter: Segway Human Transporter
F
or a long time, personal transportation has been mostly limited to bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles. These are highly effective for long-distance commuting and outdoor road use but are often inappropriate for short distances, indoor transportation, or maneuvering in confined or crowded spaces. This is where a new product from a company named Segway comes in. The Segway HT, which stands for Human Transporter, is a self-balancing human transporter (Figure 48-1; Plate 17). The self-balancing feature is one of the reasons the device can easily integrate into these transportation scenarios where the other machines cannot readily go. Driving a car or a motorcycle inside a building is usually out of the question unless you’re filming a movie! Riding a bicycle inside a building can also be problematic, and is most likely prohibited, because of the difficulty in balancing when maneuvering in confined or crowded spaces. The Segway HT uses the self-balancing feature as both a way for users to control the machine with minimal effort and as a way to make
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Figure 48-1
Segway Human Transporter (Source: Segway LLC).
maneuvering highly efficient and appropriate for these confined-space scenarios. As an example, the turning radius of these machines is zero. You can turn completely in place, as you can on foot, because the Segway’s two wheels can turn in opposite directions. Try doing that on a bicycle! The Segway HT consists of two wheels, a platform about eight inches above the ground, and a set of handlebars mounted vertically above the platform at waist height. The rider stands upright on the platform and holds the handlebars. To move forward or backward, all you do is lean slightly in that direction. To turn, there is a turning collar on the left hand grip. The rider turns that collar to the left or right to move left or right. The Segway takes care of balancing for you, so you don’t have to worry about any balancing acts in order to stay standing upright on the device.
The Personal Transporter: Segway Human Transporter 217
How It Works The Segway HT performs its self-balancing by using a kind of real-time sense-and-respond system that the company calls dynamic stabilization. Gyroscopes and tilt sensors are used to measure the tilt of the machine every one-hundredth of a second. These sensors relay the information to a computer onboard the machine that then controls independent motors on each wheel. If the user tilts the machine forward by leaning forwards, then the machine moves forward slightly in order to keep upright. If the user tilts the machine backward by leaning backwards, then the machine moves backward as necessary in order to stay upright. If the user turns the machine using the handlebars, the machine will turn one wheel faster than the other to initiate a turn, or it may even turn the wheels in opposite directions in order to turn while staying in precise location.
Benefits The main benefit of the Segway HT and other types of personal transporter are the productivity gains in terms of time saved and distance traveled when compared to walking. Many of today’s office complexes that are not located in high-rise structures are often spread out over a large campus. This is particularly true for the corporate headquarters environments for many of the Fortune 500 enterprises. In these environments walking to a meeting can take five to ten minutes each way. If we assume an average of two meetings per day over the course of a year, and 20 minutes spent on the round trip to and from each meeting, that’s 160 hours per year in lost productivity per person, or just more than 8 percent of their time. If the personal transporter can cut that lost productivity in half by moving people twice as fast as walking, then that’s a productivity savings of 4 percent.
Features and Considerations At the time of writing, Segway HT transporters were available for both commercial and consumer purchase. Some of Segway’s current customers include the U.S. Postal Service, Amazon.com, the National
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Park Service, Michelin, and GE Plastics. Segway offers their human transporters to the general public via their Web site and via retailers such as Amazon.com. The two models offered are the i-Series and the e-Series. The e-Series is optimized for cargo carrying and the i-Series is optimized for range and terrain. Speed is approximately 12.5 miles per hour for both models, and average range on a full charge is 11 to 17 miles. The weight of the machines is 95 pounds for the e-Series and 83 pounds for the i-Series. If you’re wondering about the name “Segway,” the company chose it because their vehicles transform people to empowered pedestrians, thus providing them with a segue, or transition, from one state to another.
Contact Information Segway, www.segway.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
49 Fuel Cell and Drive-ByWire Cars: General Motors Hy-wire
I
f the Segway HT can be thought of as reinventing single-person transportation, the GM Hy-wire can be thought of as reinventing the entire automobile, and perhaps even the entire automotive industry. Using hydrogen fuel cells for power combined with drive-bywire technology for human operation, it is redefining what’s possible for tomorrow’s cars. This breakthrough technology will enable the cars of the future to be more environmentally friendly, safer, customizable, and easier to drive. The Hy-wire was first introduced in late 2002 at the Paris Motor Show. With the two innovations of hydrogen fuel cells and drive-bywire technology combined into a single working prototype, it radically changes the game for consumer transportation (Figure 49-1; Plate 18). One of the first areas to consider is the actual layout of the vehicle. The hydrogen fuel cells and other drivetrain components are mounted in a skateboard-style chassis that’s only 11 inches thick and tapers down to 7 inches thick at its edges. Given this low profile and low center-of-gravity chassis-type, various body styles can be literally 219
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Figure 49-1
GM Hy-wire (Source: GM).
snapped onto the chassis based upon driver preference. To snap on different body styles to the chassis, there are 10 mechanical attachments that serve to actually hold the chassis in place, and just one electrical attachment between the body and the chassis. This has the effect of decoupling “form” and “function” for the vehicle. The function of the vehicle is elegantly packaged and self-contained in the skateboard-style chassis, and the form of the vehicle is added as a snap-on extra based upon personal preference.
How It Works The two main innovations in the Hy-wire are the hydrogen fuel cells and the drive-by-wire functionality. The hydrogen fuel cells operate like batteries via a chemical reaction. The difference is that unlike batteries, they never run out or require recharging as long as they have a constant supply of hydrogen fuel plus regular air for oxygen. The output from these fuel cells is energy in the form of electricity and heat, plus water. Because each fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts of electricity, they are stacked together by combining 150 to 200 cells in order to produce enough energy to power the vehicle. The benefits of this type of energy source are primarily sustainable mobility. Sustainable mobility means that this form of energy source is readily available and not subject to the limited lifespan of world
Fuel Cell and Drive-By-Wire Cars: General Motors Hy-wire 221
petroleum reserves. The fuel cells, together with the hydrogen storage system, controls, and heat exchangers, are all embedded within the Hy-wire chassis. Also inside the chassis are electric motors at all four wheels. Because this is an electrical system rather than an internalcombustion engine, items such as the engine, transmission, drivetrain, axles, and exhaust are all a thing of the past. In terms of the drive-by-wire functionality, the driver uses a control called an X-drive to operate the vehicle. The X-drive is an electronic console with two handgrips that allow the driver to steer, brake or accelerate, and monitor and operate other important vehicle functions. What’s different about this system over traditional steering columns and foot pedals is that it operates completely electronically and contains no mechanical parts or cables. There is no steering column and no foot pedals. To brake, the driver squeezes either of the two handgrips. To accelerate, the driver twists either of the handgrips. Steering is accomplished by sliding the handgrips either up or down. This is one maneuver that’s obviously different from today’s vehicles. One of the most interesting features of the X-drive, besides that fact that there are no foot pedals to operate, is that the entire X-drive can be moved on a horizontal bar across to the passenger side so that you can easily switch drivers without having to jump out of the car and trade places.
Benefits The benefits of vehicles such as the Hy-wire with their fuel cell and drive-by-wire technology include environmental, economic, and general consumer benefits. Because fuel cells produce zero emissions, they are much friendlier to the environment. The output from the chemical reaction within the fuel cell is simply electricity, water, and heat. Fuel-cell vehicles are also an improvement over battery-powered vehicles because they can travel farther between refueling, and they release fewer pollutants when considered across the entire system of fuel recovery, processing, and utilization. The economic benefits come from the ability of countries such as the United States to be more energy independent and not have to rely as much upon imported petroleum products. The consumer benefits include increased visibility in the vehicle and increased passenger and storage space. With all the vehicle components contained in the low-profile chassis, the body style is able to be designed in an open, user-centric manner without the need for engine storage
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compartments and other items that can limit driver visibility and accessibility. Being able to snap on different body styles means that consumers could switch from an SUV body style to a sedan body style or even from a farm vehicle body style to a limousine body style as needed.
Features and Considerations One of the challenges for mass-market development for these types of vehicles is simply the development and general availability of an alternate fuel infrastructure. In the United States alone there are 180,000 filling stations with their associated refineries and distribution networks. Internal-combustion-engined vehicles and filling stations are readily available across North America, Europe, and Japan. Migration toward alternate fuels would require not only the new vehicles to be produced, but also the fuel distribution networks to be put into place, and associated codes, standards, and regulations to be issued to support the safe and reliable handling of these fuels and vehicles. In terms of when such cars will be available, General Motors expects that affordable and profitable fuel-cell vehicles will be on the road by the end of the decade. The current challenges include the already-mentioned availability of an alternate fuel infrastructure plus the high costs of vehicle manufacture and the technical issues around hydrogen storage. What is amazing is that, once these issues are addressed, hydrogen fuels could power not only cars, but also your home. The GM vision is that because existing distribution networks already deliver electricity and natural gas to home and businesses, these resources could be used as the source of hydrogen to power your car. Additionally, your car could be a source of electricity for your home, because a fuel-cell vehicle may produce 50–75 kilowatts of electrical power compared to typical household usage of 7–10 kilowatts at peak load.
Contact Information GM, www.gm.com
Tomorrow’s Technology
50 Next-Generation Transportation: The Moller Skycar
P
erhaps one of the most futuristic items in the world of consumer gadgets is the flying car. The concept represents what could become the next generation of transportation; it has been fantasized about for decades in science fiction movies, cartoons such as the Jetsons, and popular culture in general. The components of an ideal flying car would most likely be part automobile and part plane. The ideal flying car would provide the ability to drive on the freeway, plus as an alternate mode of transportation, to be able to take off, perhaps vertically so that a runway isn’t required, and then fly to the chosen destination at great speed. What’s amusing about the part-car, part-plane concept is that just as we have discussions today about “smartphones” that are either PDAs wanting to be phones, or phones wanting to be PDAs, discussions in a few decades might well be about cars wanting to be planes, or planes wanting to be cars! Although this all may still seem like science fiction, there is actually a company that focuses on just this concept and has working prototypes that it someday hopes to launch into mass production. Moller 223
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International, founded in 1983, has a goal to design, develop, manufacture, and market personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. VTOL is already in production in many aircraft such as the Hawker Harrier, a “jump-jet” fighter bomber originally manufactured by Hawker Siddeley Aviation. The Harrier first flew in 1966 and was used for military operations where conventional runways were not available on land, or for use from aircraft carriers. The vertical takeoff was achieved by using rotatable exhaust ports on the plane’s fuselage that could divert the engine thrust directly downward to provide lift, and then swivel back to a horizontal direction for forward flight once airborne.
How It Works The M400 Skycar is the latest personal aircraft from Moller International, and limited numbers are expected to be sold in production within a couple of years for demonstrations and military sales (Figure 50-1;
Figure 50-1
Moller M400 Skycar (Source: Moller International).
Next-Generation Transportation: The Moller Skycar 225
Plates 19 and 20). It is powered by Rotapower engines, which can burn a variety of liquid fuels. With regard to ground transportation, the Skycar can travel 30–35 miles per hour on hard surfaces such as pavement, clay, or grass. Ground travel capability is designed for short maneuvers between a storage facility and the actual takeoff location nearby. In terms of flying capabilities, the Skycar is cabin-pressurized and can fly up to 30,000 feet in altitude. It also has redundant backup systems for safety, and even a set of parachutes in case of total engine failure that includes these redundant backup systems.
Benefits If such a vehicle as the Skycar eventually goes into mass production, the benefits include faster and more convenient travel for consumers and even lower pollution. The engines in these types of aircraft actually produce lower emissions than traditional automobiles, according to the company, and therefore contribute less pollution to the atmosphere. Given the gridlock that has plagued the world’s major cities in terms of commuter traffic, taking to the skies could be the only longterm answer, assuming that all the safety issues involved with letting the general public loose in the skies can be resolved. Just as buildings grew upward to become skyscrapers when developers ran out of land within and around city centers, so commuter travel could well take to the vertical domain. As the world population grows, after several decades we may have no choice but to take to the skies. If the Skycar and similar models can be proven safe and certified for consumer flight by the FAA and other appropriate aviation bodies, and if the price point comes down to near high-end automobile levels, then there could well be a market for these vehicles. Initially, we can expect niche applications for the military and for trained pilots who use the vehicles in FAAapproved takeoff and landing locations. Ultimately, the vehicle could land in the hands of the general consumer, but only after all these various barriers to adoption have been diminished to make the risks and rewards compelling.
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Features and Considerations The future concept for the M400 Skycar is that it will have computerized flight systems that allow nonpilots to ride in the Skycar simply as passengers. The trip will be conducted using these automated flight systems, and Skycars will all travel at the same speeds in the air and at a suitable distance apart, hence increasing safety via what’s known as separation and sequencing. Government bodies such as NASA and the FAA are already looking into safe air travel systems via research programs such as the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). This computerized air travel may be the critical element that makes flying cars an ultimate reality. The general public won’t need to be trained as pilots, and safety will be managed with computer automation and built-in safeguards such as the equivalent of traffic lanes in the sky. Although much of this may seem like Buck Rodgers-style optimism, it pays to look back in history at what’s already been accomplished but perhaps forgotten. The VTOL engine has already been well proven, even back in the 1960s, and at the same time, even “jetpacks” were fully functional gadgets of their day. As an example, a jetpack was successfully used for the James Bond movie “Thunderball,” in which a stunt-double for Bond actually flew over a large chateau, landed gracefully under full control, then took off his backpack and jumped into the Aston Martin DB5. So perhaps the future of the flying car is actually more of a business challenge than a technical one, given what has already been accomplished over the last several decades. Once someone gets the business model for personal aviation right, and the government and aviation bodies provide regulatory approval, the technical details may well be less of an issue.
Contact Information Moller International, www.moller.com
Appendix References and Web Sites
Part I : Today’s Technology Alerts & Notifications Microsoft .NET Alerts, Home Page, www.microsoft.com/netservices/ alerts/default.asp Microsoft .NET Alerts, Login Page, http://alerts.microsoft.com/ Alerts/Default.aspx
American Express Blue Private Payments, www.americanexpress.com/privatepayments Smart Chip Private Payments, www.americanexpress.com/smartchipprivatepayments Smart Chip Readers, www.americanexpress.com/igotblue Reader Software, www.americanexpress.com/reader/download/ USB Evaluation Utility, www.usb.org/data/usbready.exe 227
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Broadband Service Providers AT&T Broadband, www.attbroadband.com BellSouth, www.bellsouth.com Earthlink, www.earthlink.com MSN Broadband, http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/broadband/ default.asp Verizon, www.verizon.net/ CD and DVD Recorders HP, www.hp.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Philips, www.philips.com Samsung, www.samsung.com Sony, www.sony.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com
Digital Camcorders Canon, www.canon.com JVC, www.jvc.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Sharp, www.sharpelectronics.com Sony, www.sony.com
Digital Camcorder Accessories & Video Editing ADS Technologies, www.adstech.com Creative, www.creative.com Dazzle, www.dazzle.com Pinnacle Systems, www.pinnaclesys.com/
Digital Cameras Canon, www.canon.com HP, www.hp.com Kodak, www.kodak.com Minolta, www.minolta.com Nikon, www.nikon.com NikonNet, www.nikonnet.com Olympus, www.olympus.com
Appendix 229
Sony, www.sony.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com
Digital Camera Phone Manufacturers Nokia, 7650, www.nokia.com/phones/7650/index.html Samsung, A500, www.samsung.com Sharp, J-SH09, , www.sha-mail.com/lineup/list/j_sh09/voice/ flash.html Sony Ericsson, T68i, www.sonyericsson.com/T68i/ Sony Ericsson, P800, www.sonyericsson.com/P800/
Digital Camera Photo Printers Canon, www.canon.com Epson, www.epson.com HP, www.hp.com Lexmark, www.lexmark.com Digital Photo Viewer Microsoft TV Photo Viewer, www.microsoft.com/hardware/tvphotoviewer/
GPS Handhelds Thales Navigation, www.thalesnavigation.com Magellan GPS, www.magellangps.com
GPS Tracking Wherify Wireless, www.wherifywireless.com
HDTV Broadcasters ABC, www.abc.abcnews.go.com/site/hdtvfaq.html CBS, www.cbs.com/info/hdtv/ FOX, www.fox.com NBC, www.nbc.com/nbc/footer/FAQ.shtml PBS, www.pbs.org/digitaltv/
HDTV Manufacturers Mitsubishi, www.mitsubishi-tv.com/ Panasonic, www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/tv/default.asp
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Samsung, www.samsungelectronics.com/tv/index.html Zenith, www.zenith.com
Instant Messaging (PC-Based) AOL Instant Messenger, www.aim.com/index.adp Microsoft .NET Messenger, messenger.msn.com/ Microsoft TV Messenger, www.microsoft.com/TV/ Yahoo! Messenger, messenger.yahoo.com/
Instant Messaging (Wireless) RIM, Blackberry Service, www.rim.net Nokia, Communicator, www.nokiausa.com/communicator
Microsoft Xbox Microsoft Xbox, www.xbox.com Microsoft Xbox Live, www.xbox.com/live Microsoft Xbox Customer Support, 1-800-4MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269)
Mobile Commerce AT&T Wireless Ring Tones & Graphics, www.attws.com/ringtones/ AT&T Wireless e-Wallet, http://ecare.attws.com/ewallet
Mobile Printing PrintMe Networks, www.printme.com ThinMail, www.thinmail.com
Modem Manufacturers Lucent (Ascend), www.lucent.com
MP3 Jukebox Software MusicMatch, www.musicmatch.com
MP3 Players Apple, www.apple.com/ipod/ Archos, www.archos.com/
Appendix 231
Creative, www.nomadworld.com/ Panasonic, www.panasonic.com/consumer_electronics/ portable_audio/default.asp Samsung, www.samsungelectronics.com/digital_audio_player/ index.html
Peer-to-Peer (Business Services) Groove Networks, www.groove.net NextPage, www.nextpage.com OpenCola, www.opencola.com Omnipod, www.omnipod.com
Peer-to-Peer (Consumer Services) BearShare, www.bearshare.com Kazaa, www.kazaa.com LimeWire, www.limewire.com WinMX, www.winmx.com
Personal Digital Assistants Compaq, iPAQ, www.hp.com HP, Jornada, www.hp.com Microsoft, Pocket PC, www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc Palm, www.palm.com Toshiba, e310 Pocket PC, www.toshiba.com
Personal Video Recorder Manufacturers SONICblue, www.replaytv.com TiVo, www.tivo.com UltimateTV, www.ultimatetv.com
Personal Video Recorder Retailers Abt Electronics (U.S.), www.abtelectronics.com Amazon.com, www.amazon.com AT&T Broadband, www.attbroadband.tivo.com Best Buy, www.bestbuy.com Circuit City, www.circuitcity.com DIRECTV, http://directv.tivo.com
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Good Guys, www.goodguys.com Tweeter, www.tweeter.com Ultimate Electronics, www.ultimateelectronics.com
Remote Access GoToMyPC, www.gotomypc.com
Ring Tone Capable Mobile Phones Motorola, www.motorola.com Nokia, www.nokia.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com Sony Ericsson, www.sonyericsson.com
Ring Tone Web Sites AT&T Ring Tones, www.mobile.att.net/ringtones/ Sprint PCS, www.sprintpcs.com YourMobile, www.yourmobile.com
Satellite Phones Globalstar, www.globalstar.com Iridium, www.iridium.com
Satellite Radio Manufacturers Alpine, www.alpine.com Pioneer, www.pioneerelectronics.com Sony, www.sony.com
Satellite Radio Service Providers Sirius Satellite Radio, www.sirius.com XM Satellite Radio, www.xmradio.com
Security Compaq, www.compaq.com Identix, www.identix.com Key Tronic, www.keytronic.com Targus, www.targus.com
Appendix 233
Toshiba, www.toshiba.com Viisage Technology, www.viisage.com
Self-Checkout Registers NCR Self-Checkout, www.ncr.com/products/hardware/ sa_selfchk.htm
Single Log-In and Profiles Liberty Alliance Project, www.projectliberty.org Microsoft .NET Passport, www.passport.com Microsoft .NET Passport, Directory of Sites, www.passport.com/ Directory/default.asp?lc=1033
Smartphone Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/mobile/smartphone/default.asp
Smartphone Device Manufacturers Compal, www.compal.com HTC, www.htccorporation.com Mitsubishi, www.mitsubishielectric.com Samsung Electronics, www.samsungelectronics.com/mobile_phone/ index.asp Sendo Ltd., www.sendo.com
Speedpass Speedpass, www.speedpass.com Speedpass Service Center, 1-877-696-6245 Business Speedpass Account, 1-87-SPEEDPASS (1-877-733-3727).
Tablet PC Acer, www.acer.com Compaq, www.compaq.com Fujitsu PC Corporation, www.fujitsupc.com Motion Computing, www.motioncomputing.com Toshiba, www.toshiba.com ViewSonic, www.viewsonic.com
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Telematics MobileAria, www.mobilearia.com OnStar, www.onstar.com OnStar Subscriber Assistance, 1-888-4-ONSTAR OnStar General Information, 1-800-ONSTAR-7 (1-800-667-8277), or visit your nearest General Motors Dealer.
Video Conferencing With Your PC PlaceWare, www.placeware.com WebEx, www.webex.com
Voice-Activated Services PCS Voice Command, www.talk.sprintpcs.com Sprint PCS, www.sprintpcs.com, 1-800-480-4PCS (4727)
Voice Over the Internet Groove Networks, www.groove.net
Wireless LAN Cards & Access Points D-Link Systems, www.d-link.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=22 Microsoft, www.microsoft.com/hardware/broadbandnetworking/ products.aspx NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Nokia, www.nokia.com/corporate/wlan/index.html Symbol Technologies, Spectrum24 High Rate Wireless LAN PC Card and Access Point, www.symbol.com
Wireless Carriers (Camera Phones) Sprint PCS, www.sprintpcs.com Sprint PCS Vision, Pictures Inbox, http://pictures.sprintpcs.com
Wireless Carriers (World Phones) AT&T Wireless WorldConnect Service, www.attws.com/personal/ intl_calling/world_connect/index.jhtml Nextel Worldwide, www.nextel.com/services/worldwide/index.shtml
Appendix 235
T-Mobile International Services, www.t-mobile.com/international/ Verizon Wireless International Traveler (service provided by Rent-aphone Limited), http://internationaltraveler.verizonwireless.com/ default.asp
Wireless Operators AT&T Wireless, www.attws.com Cingular, www.cingular.com Orange, www.orange.com T-Mobil, www.tmobile.com Telefonica Moviles, www.telefonicamoviles.com Telstra, www.telstra.com Verizon Wireless, www.verizon.com Vodafone, www.vodafone.com
Part II: Tomorrow’s Technology Augmented Reality Columbia University Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab, www.cs.columbia.edu/graphics/ WorldBoard Forum, www.worldboard.org Digital Pen and Paper Anoto, www.anotofunctionality.com E Ink Corporation, www.eink.com Logitech, www.logitech.com Sony Ericsson, www.sonyericsson.com
Drive-By-Wire Cars GM, www.gm.com
Home Networking Internet Home Alliance, www.internethomealliance.com
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HomePlug HomePlug Powerline Alliance, www.homeplug.org
HomePNA Home Phoneline Networking Alliance, www.homepna.org
Internet Appliances HP Digital Entertainment Center de100c, www.hp.com SONICblue RioCentral, www.sonicblue.com/audio/rio/ rio_audiocenter.asp Turtle Beach Audiotron, www.audiotron.net/audiotron/producthome.asp
Personal Mobile Gateway IXI Mobile, Personal Mobile Gateway, www.iximobile.com
Personal Robots Dyson, DC06, www.dyson.co.uk Honda, ASIMO, http://world.honda.com/robot Husqvarna, Auto Mover, www.husqvarna.com Lego, Mindstorms, www.mindstorms.com Roomba, www.roombavac.com Sony, AIBO, www.aibo.com Toro, iMow, www.toro.com
Personal Transporter Segway, www.segway.com
Powerline Routers, Bridges, and Adapters IOGEAR, www.iogear.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd., www.sem.samsung.com
Appendix 237
Routers and Residential Gateways 2Wire, www.2wire.com HP, www.hp.com LinkSys, www.linksys.com NETGEAR, www.netgear.com Panasonic, www.panasonic.com
SkyCar Moller International, www.moller.com
Smart Labels Texas Instruments, Radio Frequency Identification Systems, www.ti.com/tiris/default.htm
User Interfaces Inxight, www.inxight.com Microsoft Research, http://research.microsoft.com Scopeware, www.scopeware.com
Virtual Keyboards Canesta, www.canesta.com Virtual Devices, www.virtualdevices.net
Index
Ascend, 5, 7 ASIMO robot, 201–204, 205 AT&T Broadband, 5, 7, 131 AT&T Wireless e-Wallett service, 155–157 purchasing ring tones from, 24–25, 26 satellite phone service, 31 smartphones, 21 Attentional User Interface project, 191 audio files file-size considerations, 115–116 ripping, 114–115 sharing, 105–108 augmented reality, 197–200 AUI project, 191 authentication improved techniques for, 37–38 single sign-on, 32–33 three-factor, 39 Auto Mower, Husqvarna, 201, 205
2Wire, 172 3D desktops, 184–188
A ABC, 127 Abt Electronics, 131 Acer, 141, 144 Acrobot, 204 ADS Technologies, 99 Advanced Encryption Standard, 44 AES encryption, 44 AIBO robot puppies, 201 alerts, 55–58 Alpine, 122 Amazon.com, 131 American Express Blue, 150–153 Anoto, 195, 196 AOL Instant Messenger, 50, 53, 54 Apple Computer, 116 applications, sharing, 63–64 Archos, 116 artificial intelligence, 189–192
239
240
Index
B backpack computers, 198 backups, data, 111 bar code scanners, 211 battery-operated cars, 220 Bayesian vision system, 191 BearShare, 105, 108 BellSouth, 7 Best Buy, 131 BestCom project, 192 biometrics, 37–39 bitrates, 114 Blackberry, 53, 54, 206 Blue card, American Express, 150–153 Bluetooth, 16, 170 Bombay Company, 34 broadband Internet connections, 4–7, 8–9 broadcasters, HDTV, 127 burners, CD/DVD, 109–112 business cards, beaming to/from Palm devices, 16
C cable modems, 4–7 camcorders, digital, 97–99 camera phones, 100–104 cameras, digital, 86–91 Canesta, 207, 209 Canon, 91, 99 capture, video/still-image, 98 car tags, Speedpass, 148–149 cars and electronic-perception technology, 209 flying, 223–226 information/entertainment in, 73–76, 117– 122 safety/security in, 68–69 CBS, 127 CCD sensors, 97 CD burners, 109–112 CD-ROM drives, 109–110 CDMA, 28 CDPD, 28 CDs, 110, 114–115 cell phones. See also mobile devices combining PDAs and, 18–22 making international calls on, 27–30 personalizing ring tone for, 18–22 receiving alerts via, 55 shopping with, 154–157 U.S. vs. European standards for, 27–28 and voice-activated services, 46–49, 68
Cellular Digital Packet Data, 28 charge-coupled device sensors, 97 chat rooms, 51 Chatpen, 195 chess, 189 Cingular, 22 Circuit City, 131 Code Division Multiple Access, 28 collaboration services, online, 63–67 collaborative computing, 60 Columbia University, 197, 200 Communicator, Nokia, 51–53, 54 Compal, 21 Compaq fingerprint reader, 38 iPAQ, 13, 17, 51 and tablet PC, 141 Web site, 40 computer gaming, 132–135, 208–209 computer vision, 190–192 Conference Center, WebEx, 67 Coolpix, Nikon, 86–89 Costco Online, 34 Cox Communications, 5 Creative Technology, 99, 116
D D-Link Systems, 12 data backups, 111 data conferencing, 63 Dazzle, 99 DC06 robot, 201 Deep Blue, 189 Delphi Corporation, 74 desktop PC new visual interfaces for, 184–188 receiving alerts via, 55 synchronizing Pocket PC with, 14–15 dialup Internet connections, alternatives to, 4–7 Digital 8 format, 96 digital camcorders, 97–99 digital cameras drawbacks to, 91 features to look for in, 90–91 how they work, 87–89 manufacturers of, 91 popularity of, 86 transferring photos to PC from, 89–90 digital music, 113–116. See also MP3 files digital paper, 193 digital pen-and-ink, 140, 193–196
Index 241
digital photos adding audio commentary to, 87 editing, 90 enlarging, 87–88 previewing, 87 printing, 87, 90 taking, 86–91 transferring to computer, 88–90 viewing, 92–95 digital television, 123–127 broadcasters, 127 features and benefits, 126–127 how it works, 125–126 manufacturers, 127 standards, 123–124 digital video filming with, 96–99 formats, 96 recorders, 128–131 digital wallets, 154–157 Directions & Connections Plan, OnStar, 71 DIRECTV, 130–131 Dolby Digital sound, 124 Dr. Who, 182–183 drive-by-wire cars, 219–222 DSL, 4–7 DTV format, 123 DVD burners, 109–112 formats, 110 in-car, 76 DVD-ROMs, 110 DVRs, 128–131 Dyson, 201, 205
E E Ink Corporation, 193, 196 e-Wallet service, 155–157 Earthlink, 7 eBay, 34 eBooks, 15–16, 193 EGNOS, 79 eigenface, 38 electronic ink, 193–196 electronic-perception technology, 207, 208–209 electronic product codes, 211 email contrasted with instant messaging, 53 printing attachments to, 136–137 sending photos via, 86 sending to fax machine, 137–138
encryption, 11–12, 37, 44 entertainment, in-car, 73–76, 117–122 ePCs, 211, 212 Epson, 91 Ethernet, 5, 11, 171 European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, 79 Expedia, 34 Expertcity, 41 ExxonMobil Speedpass, 145–149
F facial recognition, 37–40 fax machine, sending email to, 137–138 file sharing, Internet, 105–109 Fingerprint Identification System database, 38 fingerprint readers, 37–40 FireWire, 98, 99, 111–112 FloorVac, Roomba Intelligent, 204 flying cars, 223–226 Fossil.com, 34 FOX, 127 free trials/downloads GoToMyPC, 43, 45 Groove voice-over-IP product, 62 fuel cells, hydrogen, 219–221 Fujitsu, 141 Furby, 201
G GALILEO, 78 game controllers, 208–209 gaming, online, 132–135 gasoline, using Speedpass to purchase, 145–149 Gates, Bill, 33 General Motors. See GM General Packet Radio Service networks, 21 gestures, tablet PC, 142 Global Navigation Satellite System, 78 Global Positioning System. See GPS Global System for Mobile Telecommunications, 28 Globalstar, 30 GLONAS, 78 GM Hy-wire, 219–222 OnStar service, 68–76 (See also OnStar) GNSS, 78 Good Guys, 131 GoToMyPC, 41–45 GPRS networks, 21
242
Index
GPS and MARS project, 198 personal locators, 81–85 receivers, 77–78 satellite technology, 68, 69, 70, 78–79 grocery stores, self-checkout, 158–161 Groove Networks, 59–62, 107, 108 Groove Project Toolset Space, 60–61 GSM networks, 21, 28 Gymboree, 34
H H-E-B, 158 HAL, 189, 191 handwriting recognition, 193, 206 Hawker Harrier, 224 HDTV, 123–127 broadcasters, 127 features and benefits, 126–127 formats, 123–124, 126 how it works, 125–126 manufacturers, 127 Hewlett-Packard, 13. See also HP High-Definition Television. See HDTV high-speed Internet connections, 4–7 High Tech Corporation, 19, 21 Hilton.com, 34 Home Alliance, Internet, 164–168 home networking via electrical system, 173–176 via phone lines, 169–172 Home Phoneline Networking Alliance. See HomePNA HomePlug Powerline Alliance, 173–176 HomePNA, 169–172, 174, 175, 176 Honda ASIMO robot, 201–204, 205 Hotmail, 34 HP Digital Entertainment Center, 172 Jornada, 13, 17 routers, 172 HTC, 19, 21 Human Transporter, Segway, 215–218 Husqvarna Auto Mower, 201, 205 hydrogen fuel cells, 219–221
I IBM, 39, 106 Identix, 38, 40 IEEE standards, 10 i.Link, 98 Image Transfer software, Nikon, 89
images, sharing, 105–108 iMow, Toro, 201, 204, 205 IMPP, 64 information, in-car, 73–76 instant messaging, 50–54, 64 Intel Philanthropic Peer-to-Peer Program, 107 intelligent messaging, 189–192 international phone calls, 27–31 Internet accessing PC remotely via, 44 as “business operating system,” 32 connecting home network to, 176 downloading ring tones from, 23–24 high-speed connections, 4–7 holding meetings via, 63–64 instant messaging via, 50–54 monitoring home via, 164–168 sharing files via, 105–108 shopping via, 32–36, 150–153 and single sign-on authentication, 32–33 voice communications via, 51, 59–62 wireless connections, 8–12 Internet Home Alliance, 164–168 Internet Service Providers, 6, 7 inventory tracking, 210 Inxight, 185, 186–187, 188 IOGEAR, 176 iPAQ, 13, 17, 51 Iridium, 30 iRobot, 201 ISDN, 4–7 ISPs, 6, 7 IXI Personal Mobile Gateway, 178–180
J Jornada, HP, 13, 17 jukebox software, 113–116 JVC, 99 JXTA, 107
K K-Mart, 158 Kasparov, Garry, 189 Kazaa, 105–106, 108 key tags, Speedpass, 148–149 Key Tronic, 38, 40 keyboards, virtual, 206–209 kids, tracking, 81–85 Kodak, 91 Kroger, 158
Index 243
L LANs, wireless, 8–12, 171 laptops and face-recognition software, 39 installing wireless card in, 9–10 next-generation, 140–144 receiving alerts via, 55 lawn mowers, robotic, 201, 204 Lego, 204, 205 Lexmark, 91 Liberty Alliance Project, 32–33, 35, 36 LimeWire, 105, 108 LinkSys, 12, 172, 176 local area networks. See LANs log-in, Web, 32–36 Logitech, 194–195, 196 LoJack, 81 Lucent, 5, 7 Luxury & Leisure Plan, OnStar, 71
M M400 Skycar, 224, 226 Magellan GPS receivers, 77–80 MapSend software, 80 MARS project, 197–198 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 38 McDonalds, 146, 149 MED-NET service, 70–71 Media Desktop, Kazaa, 106–107 Meeting Center, WebEx, 64–65 memory cards, 88, 90, 92, 98 Memory Stick, 98 Meridian Platinum GPS receiver, 77–78, 79 messaging instant, 50–54, 64 intelligent, 189–192 Messenger, MSN, 34 Microsoft eBook reader, 15–16 instant-messaging protocol, 50 .NET Alerts, 56–58 .NET Messenger, 54 .NET Passport, 32–36 Office Assistant, 190 Passport account, 16 Priorities system, 190–191, 192 smartphones, 19–20, 21 tablet PCs, 141–144 and Trustworthy Computing, 33 TV Photo Viewer, 92–95 UltimateTV service, 131
and wireless LANs, 12 Xbox Live, 132–135 Microsoft Research artificial intelligence projects, 190–192 Attentional User Interface project, 191 BestCom project, 192 Dr. Who engine, 182, 183 Notification Platform, 190–191, 192 Scope application, 185 Task Gallery, 185 Mindstorms robots, 204 Mini-DV format, 96, 98 Minolta, 91 Mirror Worlds Technologies, 185–186 MIT, 38 Mitsubishi, 22, 127 MMOG, 132 MMS, 101, 102 Mobile Augmented Reality System, 197–198 mobile devices. See also mobile phones avoiding multiple wireless connections for, 177–180 printing from, 136–139 receiving alerts via, 55 talking to, 181–183 virtual keyboards for, 206–209 mobile gateways, personal, 177–180 mobile phones. See also mobile devices combining PDAs and, 18–22 making international calls on, 27–30 personalizing ring tone for, 23–26 shopping with, 154–157 U.S. vs. European standards for, 27–28 and voice-activated services, 46–49, 68 MobileAria, 74, 76 modem manufacturers, 7 modems, cable, 4–7 Moller Skycar, 223–226 Monster.com, 34 Motion Computing, 141, 144 Motion Picture Experts Group, 114 Motorola, 26 MP3 files ripping, 114–115 sharing, 105 MP3 players, 113–116 contrasted with CD/tape players, 114 features and benefits of, 115–116 how they work, 114–115 in-car, 76, 108
244
Index
manufacturers of, 114, 116 purpose of, 113–114 MPEG format, 114 MSN broadband service, 7 Hotmail, 34 Messenger, 34, 50 Multimedia Messaging Service. See MMS multiplayer gaming, 132–135 music digital, 113–116 (See also MP3 files) via satellite, 117–122 MusicMatch Jukebox, 114–115, 116
N Napster, 105 NBC, 127 NCR FastLane, 159–161 .NET Alerts service, 56–58 Messenger, 54 Passport, 32–36 NETGEAR, 12, 172, 176 networks local area, 8–12, 171 using electrical system for, 173–176 using phone lines for, 169–172 virtual private, 16, 44 wireless, 8–12, 177 (See also wireless connection) Nextel, 31 NextPage, 107, 108 Nikon Browser software, 89 Coolpix, 86–89 Web site, 91 NikonNet, 91 Nokia digital camera phones, 104 instant-messaging solution, 51–54 mobile phones, 24–25 Web site, 26 wireless LAN equipment, 12 Notification Platform, Microsoft Research, 190–191, 192 Novell, 106 NTSC format, 123–124, 125
O Office Assistant, Microsoft, 190 OfficeMax.com, 34 Olympus, 91
Omnipod, 107, 108 online gaming, 132–135 online meetings, 64–65 online shopping, 32–36, 150–153 OnStage, WebEx, 64, 66 OnStar availability of, 72 contact information, 72, 76 in-car entertainment/information, 73–76 in-car safety/security, 68–72 and Internet Home Alliance, 165–166 and voice-activated dialing, 46 OpenCola, 107, 108 Orange, 19, 22 Oshman’s, 34 Outlook, Pocket, 14, 19–20 Ozzie, Ray, 60
P pagers, 51 PAL format, 123–124 Palm Pilots, 13, 16, 17 Panasonic digital camcorders, 99 and HDTV, 127 mobile phones, 26, 30 MP3 players, 116 routers, 172 PANs, 178–179 Paris Motor Show, 219 Passport Express Purchase logo, 35–36 passwords, Web site, 32, 37 PBS, 127 PC card fingerprinting systems, 40 pcAnywhere, 44 PCMCIA, 8, 9, 40 PCs new visual interfaces for, 184–188 playing games on, 132–135 remote-control software for, 41–45 synchronizing Pocket PCs with desktop, 14–15 transferring digital photos to, 88–90 transferring video to, 98 video conferencing with, 63–67 PCS Vision Camera, 100–104 PCS Voice Command, 46–49 PDAs, 13–22 benefits of, 15–16 combining mobile phones and, 18–22 how they work, 13–15 manufacturers of, 13, 17
Index 245
PDAs, 13–22 (continued) receiving alerts via, 55 synchronizing with desktop PCs, 14–15 talking to, 181 virtual keyboards for, 206–209 PDC standard, 30 peer-to-peer computing, 105–108 Peer-to-Peer Trusted Library, 107 Peer-to-Peer Working Group, 107 .PEN format, 194–195 personal area networks, 178 Personal Calling, OnStar, 68–69, 71, 73–76 personal computers. See PCs Personal Digital Assistants. See PDAs Personal Digital Cellular standard, 30 personal identification numbers. See PINs personal locators, GPS, 81–85 personal mobile gateways, 177–180 personal robots, 201–205 personal transporters, 215–218 pets, robotic, 201 phone lines, networking via, 169–172 phone number, worldwide, 27–31 phones camera, 100–104 cell (See cell phones) satellite, 30 world, 27–31 Photo Viewer, Microsoft TV, 92–95 photos. See also digital photos adding audio commentary to, 87 emailing, 86 printing, 87, 90, 91 scanning, 86 Pinnacle Systems, 99 PINs, 150, 151 Pioneer, 122 PlaceWare, 67 playlists, 113 PlayStation, 132 PMGs, 177–180 Pocket Outlook, 14, 19–20 Pocket PCs, 13–17, 209 powerline networking, 173–176 PowerPoint, 95 printing email attachments, 136–137 from mobile devices, 136–139 photos, 87, 90, 91 PrintMe Networks, 137–139 Priorities system, Microsoft, 190–191, 192
Private Payments system, American Express, 150–153 profiles, Web site, 32–36 Project Juxtapose, 107 .PVA format, 95
Q QWERTY keyboard, 207
R radio, satellite, 117–122 radio frequency identification. See RFID technology RadioShack, 34 RCX programming language, 204 read-only disks, 110 recorders, CD/DVD, 109–112 remote-control software, 41–45 ReplayTV, 131 Research In Motion. See RIM residential gateways, 172 retail automation, 158 RFID technology, 145–149, 210–214 RIM, 53, 54, 206 ring tones, personalizing cell phone, 23–26 ripping, 114–115 Ritz Camera, 34 robotic pets, 201 robotic vacuum cleaners, 204 Robotics Invention System, 204 robots, personal, 201–205 Roomba Intelligent FloorVac, 201, 204, 205 routers, 172, 176 Roverbot, 204 Russian Global Navigation Satellite System, 78
S Safe & Sound Plan, OnStar, 71 safety, in-car, 68–69 Samsung digital camera phones, 104 and digital television, 124 and HDTV, 127 mobile phones, 22 MP3 players, 116 powerline equipment, 176 and virtual keyboards, 207 satellite communications, 7, 78–79 satellite phones, 30 satellite radio, 73, 117–122 SATS, 226 scanners, bar code, 211
246
Index
Scope application, Microsoft Research, 185 Scopeware, 185–186, 188 SD slot, 16 SDTV format, 123 Secure Digital slot, 16 security biometric solutions to, 37–39 in-car, 68–69 Internet monitoring of home, 165–168 and Internet shopping, 150–153 and PDAs, 16 and single sign-on authentication, 33 and three-factor authentication, 39 and wireless LANs, 11 Segway HT, 215–218 self-checkout shopping, 158–161 Sendo Ltd., 22 Senseboard Technologies, 207 SETI program, 107 Sharp, 99, 104 shopping securing Internet, 150–153 self-checkout, 158–161 single log-in/profile for online, 32–36 Short Message Service. See SMS protocol Sign In logo, .NET Passport, 35–36 SIM card, 29 single sign-on service, 32–36 Sirius Satellite Radio, 73, 117, 122 Skycar, Moller, 223–226 slide shows, 92 Small Aircraft Transportation System, 226 Smart Chip Private Payments system, 151–153 Readers, 151, 152, 153 smart labels, 211–214 smartphones, 18–22, 181 SMS protocol, 23–24, 50–53 SONICblue, 131, 172 Sony digital camcorders, 99 digital cameras, 91 Memory Stick, 98 robot puppies, 201 and satellite radios, 122 Sony Ericsson digital camera phones, 104 digital pens, 194–195 ring-tone capable mobile phones, 26 Spectrum24, 12 speech recognition, 181–183, 193 Speedpass, 145–149 spoken-language understanding, 181–183
Sports Authority, 34 Sprint PCS PCS Vision package, 46–49, 100–104 ring-tone Web sites, 26 SPV Smartphone, 19–20 spyware, 106 Star Tree, 185, 186–187 Starbucks, 34 stock alerts, 57 Stop & Shop Supermarkets, 146 Subscriber Identification Module card, 29 Sun Microsystems, 32, 107 Support Center, WebEx, 64, 66 Symbol Technologies, 12, 16
T T-Mobile, 22, 30, 31 tablet PCs, 140–144, 181–182 Targus, 38, 40 Task Gallery, Microsoft Research, 185 TDMA, 28 technology. See also specific technologies today’s, 1–3 tomorrow’s, 162–163 teleconferencing, 63 Telefonica Moviles, 22 telematics services, 73 telephones. See phones television, 123–131 digital vs. analog, 123 high-definition, 123–127 playing games on, 132 recording live, 128–130 viewing photos on, 92–95 Telstra, 22 Texas Instruments, 146, 214 Thales Navigation, 77, 80 ThinFax, 137–138 ThinMail, 137–139 three-factor authentication, 39 Time Division Multiple Access, 28 TiVo, 130, 131 Toro iMow, 201, 204, 205 Toshiba digital cameras, 91 fingerprint reader, 38 Pocket PC, 13–17 tablet PC, 141 Web site, 40 Training Center, WebEx, 64, 66 transporters, personal, 215–218 TruckSecure, 74 Trustworthy Computing, 33
Index 247
Turtle Beach Audiotron, 172 TV. See television TV Photo Viewer, Microsoft, 92–95 Tweeter, 131
U Ultimate Electronics, 131 UltimateTV, 131 universal product codes, 211 UPC bar codes, 211 USB Evaluation Utility, 153 USB port, 86, 89, 111–112 usernames, Web site, 32, 37
V vacuum cleaners, robotic, 201, 204 VCRs, 128–130 Verizon, 7, 22, 31 vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, 224 VHS-C cassette tapes, 96, 98 VHS cassette tapes, 96, 98 video, digital, 96–99 video capture, 98 video conferencing, 63–67 video-editing software, 99 video files, sharing, 105–108 video recorders, 128–131 ViewSonic, 141 ViisageTechnology, 38, 40 Virtual Advisor, OnStar, 68–69, 71, 73–76 Virtual Devices, 207, 208, 209 virtual keyboards, 206–209 virtual private networks. See VPNs virtual tours, 197–200 viruses, 106 vision, computer, 190–192 Vision Camera, Sprint VCS, 100–104 VKB, 207 Vodafone, 22 voice-activated services, 46–49, 68 voice communications, using Internet for, 51, 59–62 voice-recognition applications, 206–207 VPNs, 16, 44 VTOL aircraft, 224, 226
W WAAS, 79 Wal-Mart, 158, 159 wallets, digital, 154–157 WANs, 178 .WAV format, 115 WCDMA, 28
Web, sharing files via, 105–108 Web sites, registering with, 32 WebEx, 63–67 WECA, 11 WEP setting, 11–12 Wherify Wireless personal locator, 81–85 Wi-Fi, 11, 170 Wide Area Augmentation System, 79 wide area networks, 178 Wideband CDMA, 28 WIN, 63 Windows CE, 14, 20 Windows Journal, 142 WinMX, 105, 108 Wired Equivalent Privacy setting, 11–12 wireless access points, 8–9, 11–12 wireless cards, 8–12 wireless carriers, 104 wireless commerce applications, 210 wireless communication standards, 27–28 wireless connection and alerts/notifications, 55 and instant messaging, 50–54 and PDAs, 16 sending faxes via, 137–138 using many devices with one, 177–180 Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance, 11 wireless LANs, 8–12, 171 world phones, 27–31 WorldBoard Forum, 198, 200 WorldConnect Service, AT&T Wireless, 31 writable disks, 110–111
X Xbox Live, Microsoft, 132–135 XM Satellite Radio, 117–122 channel listings, 118 contact information, 122 features and benefits, 120–121 how it works, 119–120 retail outlets, 122 XML, 60, 64
Y Yahoo! Messenger, 50, 53, 54 YourMobile, 23, 24, 26
Z Zenith, 127
For those seeking a technology-enhanced lifestyle, TechTV is the entertainmentbased cable network that uses technology as a backdrop to entertain, amaze and engage viewers. Designed for those who are excited by and curious about all things related to technology, TechTV allows viewers to learn about and be engaged by the technologies that have become essential to today’s lifestyle. TechTV’s wide variety of entertainment-based programming finds the technology in everything—from the way we live and work to how we play and relax—and intrigues viewers by showcasing how the latest trends, advances, products or events enhance our lives. TechTV offers smart and edgy programming that celebrates its viewers’ passion, creativity and lifestyle. TechTV’s programming falls into three categories: 1. Help and Information, with shows like The Screen Savers, TechTV’s daily live variety show featuring everything from guest interviews and celebrities to product advice and demos. 2. Cool Docs, with shows like Secret, Strange & True, TechTV’s documentary series showcasing some of the most fascinating stories of our time. 3. Outrageous Fun, with series such as, Anime Unleashed, TechTV’s new animation strand exploring the entire Japanese animation genre, with topics ranging from sophisticated science fiction to fantasy adventure. Check your local cable or satellite listings for TechTV.
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NICHOLAS D. EVANS is a widely recognized business and technology consultant, speaker, and author. He has been featured in and has published over 100 articles for publications ranging from Fortune and The Financial Times to InternetWeek and .Net Magazine. Mr. Evans’ highly acclaimed Internet Week column on Emerging Technology has been running since 1997. His books include Business Innovation and Disruptive Technology and Business Agility: Strategies for Gaining Competitive Advantage through Mobile Business Solutions (Financial Times Prentice Hall) together with numerous other titles from publishers such as Microsoft Press. Mr. Evans holds a B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. from Southampton University in England. He is a frequent advisor to the venture capital community and serves on several advisory boards. 250
