This page is part of an in-progress commentary by Roger
Frye
on High Altitude
Thinking: The International Informatics Summit.
Santa Fe good place. Need spirituality when the market crashes.
Defining pervasive computing: Any device, any network, any data. Enabling new modes of interaction.
New devices need to be more usable. Turn on and work. Not relearn how to use our thumbs. Rethink innovation. How we build products. Currently thnk of as many features as can and slap on user interface. He creates Macromedia Director movies as working prototypes of the user interfaces before bringing in the engineers
User interface evolution towards ease of use: 360, mini, pc, internet, pervasive. The 3270 text based terminal replaced card decks. Clinet based graphical interface. Server GUI = browser. Next: Conversational User Interface and Multi-modal Interface.
People and programs both recognize 90% of the words heard, but we put them in context. Multi-modal switch between voice and visual. Creating a fabric of accessible information. When cross the threshold from technology to fabric of everyday life, only notice when it fails.
Blending of Life and Business. Work/life balance. Inextricably linked. Cell phone receive business call at son's soccer game or doctor's office.
New services. Real time interaction. Temporary proximity networks. Location based services. Context awareness.
Autonomic Computing: self-configuring, -optimizing, -healing, -protecting. Like your body's autonomic nervous system. The system solves the problem without involving the user.
Business applications: workforce mobility, field force automation, real time tracking and inventory.
Connected home. Blender buttons: Ctrl, Alt, Del. (laughs). Refrigerator displays contents on door. Not much use at home, but can lookup from office. RFID tags can warn you about interactions of drugs in your cabinet. Want a community calendar that can aggregate for all members of family. X-box is targeted to be the home server.
Telematics: emergency services, roadside assistance, location bases services, traffic and weather, dealer and mfg services, interactive entertainment, navigation, communication, moble office. Starting to see the car as a connectible system. Automotive sale cycle is 5 years. Gas station as a hotspot for downloading a movie.
Societal impact. No need for speed traps because info sent to police and ticket gets emailed. Get insurance bill depending on how you drive.
Infrastructure. Scalability, interoperability. Daily network traffic now = 24,432 terbits per day. Projected in one year = 2,300,000 terabits per day. Must prevent information brown-out.
Open standards. IBM has seen the error of its ways. Investing heavily.
Taylor: who solving the problem of large data requirments. Answer: depends on the space.
END