Pervasive Computing Handbook

Our future is pervasive. We were not meant to be chained to our computers in our Dil­ bert cubic1es. Having millions of white-collar workers commute to work every day to sit for eight hours chained to their computer is something right out of a Kafka novel. Before the cell phone, I can remember sitting at my desk waiting for calls to be returned. If I was traveling I made sure that I was all setup to place calls from public phone booths. Today, I can't imagine having to look for a telephone booth! I can be reached on my tri-band digital cell phone anywhere in the world instantly. I also have a PDA that I carry everywhere. My PDA instantly synchronizes with my desktop computer, which in turn connects to a larger network of computers and web portals. The world is my neighborhood. Soon digital devices will be working together hand in hand thanks to technologies such as Bluetooth. This inc1udes devices such as Cell phones, Digital Cameras, PDAs, and desktop computers. The Wireless Internet is the catalyst for the convergence of digital communications, computing, and rich media. This is a mega trend that we call "Pervasive Computing". What "Pervasive Computing" means to each and every one of us is the ability to take our own worlds of personal and business infor­ mation with us wherever we go. Now we can always be in touch with our families, affinity groups, and co-workers.