Technology
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| Posted on : 18 Jul, 2007 | Total Views : 196 |
By Flynn Remedios - Futuristic Media Networks
Not just your computer, even your mobile phone can help you cook your meals. We've all heard about how your computer can help you warm your food. We've also heard how you can either turn up or turn down the thermostat in your refrigerator. But now, even your cell phone can do that. Besides, it can also switch on the air-conditioning in your car or help you program your television to download programs for future viewing. This capability is already available to some extent in some prototypes and should go commercial in the next few months.
Most cell phone manufacturers including Nokia and Motorola are already experimenting with installing comprehensive browsing capabilites on even miniature cell phones - this of course does not include models like the Nokia Communicator that has advanced internet capabilities - the Communicator is more like a palm top than a cell phone. Well, these features are possible thanks to certain special protocols under development. For example, WAP, or the Wireless Application Protocol is one such technology that internet-enables an otherwise normal cell phone. Computer engineers are experimenting with souped down versions of TCP/IP that permits browsing, sending email etc. Of course, being a souped-down version, there are definite limits to what the program can do and how far it can go. But we should in the near future have adequate applications developed that take care of most daily chores. These could include apps that connect your phone to your microwave, refrigerator, television, DVD player and even the air-conditioning and the curtains.
One of the main problems associated with using the cell phone for browsing is the very narrow bandwidth currently available. A miniaturized version of a web page could take several minutes to load, forget about the fact that the graphics would hardly be visible. And bandwidth restrictions are more difficult to solve as compared to merely internet-enabling the instrument. In order to boost throughput, not just the instrument but also the switches in use by the service provider would have to be changed or tuned up. Then again, the carrier and the gateway should also support the protocols in use.
All this is easier said than done, given the huge investments involved. Then again consumers may not be willing to pay the high air time rates. Of course, air time rates would fall eventually, but that is only when the volume usage goes up; operators have to recover their initial investments. All said and done, these facilities are technically feasible, the commercial viability remains to be worked out.
(This article was first published in the Economic Times, Mumbai)
Written By : Futuristic Media Networks
