It Isn't
Just Cell Phones That'll Be Connected
By David Strom
The internet of the near future will no longer be the province of
computers and servers running such predictable applications as serving
Web pages, delivering e-mail, and making file transfers. Expect to see
more diverse and unusual devices connected to the Internet, including
cellular phones, two-way pagers, vehicle-based navigation and
communications devices, and home appliances.
All of this means the Internet will
increasingly permeate our daily lives as it moves relentlessly into our
homes, our cars, and our previously disconnected moments. And fresh Web
businesses will be created to take full advantage of the new wave of
products.
The coming new devices run IP protocols
and applications for a variety of tasks, such as remote control and
management, communications, and entertainment. They leverage advances in
microprocessor technology to enable tiny Web servers and other Internet
applications to interact with products found in many homes.
Ironically, we have come full circle on
the "Internet toaster," a term now used generically to
describe a prepackaged device that has an IP address and an Ethernet
connection. In the early 1990s, computer scientists connected actual
kitchen appliances and soda machines to IP networks so they could
control them from their computers and check to see whether their
favorite soda brands were available. Today's Internet appliances do far
more than deliver toasted bread or cold pop.
For example, wireless devices with
Internet links can track one's location on the earth's surface,
providing directions to travelers, truckers, and boaters. Two-way pagers
can execute timely stock trades and deliver custom news feeds. A new
breed of cell phone comes with a mini Web browser operating on seven- to
eleven-line "screen phones." The browsers can check your
e-mail and show movie show times with just a few keystrokes. And the
ultimate irony may be the Internet-connected soda machine, circa 2000:
This time, instead of being a clever hack by a few thirsty grad
students, soda vendors are including the necessary computing gear so the
machine can signal when it needs its inventory replenished.
To demonstrate how technology is
advancing in this area of smarter devices, consider the progress of the
Web-connected camera. Getting this set up even just a few years ago
required some significant effort, plus someone with the skills to
install the various hardware cards and software drivers. Today, Axis
Communications sells an inexpensive camera that can be set up in a
matter of minutes and connected to the Internet either via a built-in
Ethernet connector or via an external modem. The camera contains a tiny
Web server to configure its controls and show its picture inside an
ordinary Web browser. A simple idea with a lot of utility.
Even cameras and soda machines are just
the beginning. There are now industrial robots, a hot tub, and even an
indoor garden that can be controlled remotely via a Web browser. And as
the Internet becomes more ubiquitous, other devices will be connected
for communications and remote control. The recent Comdex show saw
demonstrations of a house where all of the major appliances were
connected, so one could preheat the oven or start up the air
conditioning before coming home from a long workday. Some of this is
already in the works. X10.com, for instance, offers equipment that
enables your computer to control any electrical home appliance using an
inexpensive connector that fits on a PC's serial port.
David Strom is a consultant and author of
The Web Informant newsletter. He can be reached at david@strom.com.
