[LoneWolf121188]

I thought it might be intersesting to bring some smart people together and see what we can come up with. You know the network I'm talking about: The ones you see in sci-fi stories, where everyone is always wirelessly connected to a global network (the internet?) that you can do anything on...Think Minority Report, I Robot, etc. If anyone here was a part of I Love Bees, think of the scene where he goes "off the grid": No phone, no email, heck, the cab driver won't give him a ride.

Questions to think about:

-Why would we need/not need this kind of a network? Advantages/Disadvantages.

-How would people interface with it? What kind of devices should there be (consumer, buisness, infrastructure), what features would they have, how would you interface?

-Would it be required to be on the network 24/7? Why/Why not?

-What would the infrastructure look like? Protocols, hardware, etc.

-Who would maintain/run it?

-Could it be built out of the current Internet or would a brand new network need to be devised?

Feel free to add your own.


My thoughts: I'd always thought it would be cool to have a pair of "sunglasses" that were actually a set of (3D?) monitors. Think of a wearable PDA. The only hitch would be interfacing...I was thinking along the ways of eye tracking technology (blink once for left click, twice for right ) or voice recognition...

I think that all devices should not use IP addresses, but instead a MAC address given at "birth" and that it would retain through its life. When you turn it on, it would associate with the closest access point (wireless, of course) and instead of the access point DHCPing the device an IP, it would check that MAC against a "master list" of sorts.

IDK, I'm just kinda rambling on. What do you guys think?

[FlakMonkey]

That would be cool. Hopefully I'll be alive when stuff like this starts to happen.

The sunglasses is the think I most relate with.

It would be cool to just think something then have it happen. Maybe, when yuo are born you have a layer over your eyes or something "installed" then you think just like moving your arm that you want to open an internet browser or start music playing. Excepet only you can use it or hear it. That would be mighty cool.

But how logical is it? How badly could that be abused? Bring cyber terrorism to a new level.

I like where your thinking is though. With technology moving so fast who knows where we will go next.

[LoneWolf121188]

Originally Posted by FlakMonkey

But how logical is it? How badly could that be abused? Bring cyber terrorism to a new level.

I like where your thinking is though. With technology moving so fast who knows where we will go next.

my thoughts exactly. in a "post-9/11 age" (to use the media's term), security has to be intergrated at every level and cannot merely be an "add-on".

[Veland]

I think tech like WiMax is the first step in something like this. Fast enough for a lot of tasks yet with enough range for actual global deployment. Not that it WILL be WiMax, but it's a step in the right direction!

Global coverage will never happen, becuse of two factors: No standard is really standardised (like current wirelss equipment, stuff from two different producers support the same standard still might not talk to each other). And no one manufacturer will ever get the contract to make the globe wireless..
So, let's think within one country at this time, much like cell phones and different standards there..

As for interface, getting stuff displayed isn't that hard. Sunglasses are ok, but a bit to sci/fi for me.. But they have some merits as for augmenting reality. Sort of running an "overlay" on the real world. But for everyday use, well.. I'd much rather have a friendly voice in my ear then wear sunglasses all the time. Speaker operated into the bone, even possible today, would suit me fine.

As for controlling the "devices", maybe brainwaves? Also possible today, but difficult to do (requires a lot of training) Please don't do voice commands, it's annoying enough to listen to everyones mobile phone conversations...

Ok, so we got a large area wireless network, and a device we can interface with. So, what do we do with it? Well, for starters, all the stuff we have gizmos for today: phone, gps, mp3, camera and so on. Then there are the new possibilities:

I really thing augmenting reality is the new thing. If you are on the lookout for a new house, you get info on available houses as you look at them, voice directions to get to houses within your area of interest and so on. When you are hungry, the device gives you options based on your location and preferences. When in town, the device can tell you what's going on and if any of your friends are around.

What about the device itself? Well, power is always a problem. But on a large wireless network, a lot of things could be done on your home server instead of the device. So, the mp3's would be streamed from your home, interest would be matched from the preferences at home, images taken would be stored at home and so on. So the device itself would be just an interface between you and the wireless network, but all processing and storeage would be handled another place.

Well, that's MY predictions/hopes at least..

[deathBOB]

Questions: Will it be run by our defense industry? Will it assume control? Will it send robots shaped like Arnold Swarzenneger back in time?

IMO, Freedom > Security.