The Internet of Things: an exciting new world with a digital nervous system or a nightmare where objects take decisions while we are unconscious?... |
It's hard to imagine our lives without the Internet - either mobile or desktop. But despite all the advantages and conveniences, does the Internet really serve us or is it the other way around? ... Dr. Phlox, the Enterprise surgeon, responded to the comment about movies (aka stories unfold on the screen) by answering: "Well, we had something similar a few hundred years ago, but they lost their appeal when people discovered their real lives were more interesting." At this stage of our evolution, virtual characters and screens are taking over our lives. And the growing ranks of cellphone addicts are turning cities into increasingly hazardous hot spots filled with zombified individuals... The $10 million Qualcomm Tricorder X Prize and $2.25 million Nokia Sensing Challenges are trying to identify the best portable technologies for diagnosing disease - as easily as Dr. McCoy's tricorder of the 23rd Century could. What scientific knowledge could help us to develop it in this age? Detecting metabolites, sensing DNA, imaging the nanoworld of the human body or interaction between matter and energy?... GPS shoes can point to where you're going, but how will they know where to go? By consulting the map uploaded via USB and its own GPS receivers, wirelessly communicating with each other. For future models, you could probably set up WiFi to let your shoes download more information, talk with other people's shoes and modify your route on the go. So your footwear might need its footware and own network access, like agent Maxwell Smart's left shoe with a mobile subscription plan. |
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