Consumer-Generated Media and
Pervasive Computing
What is Pervasive Computing?
A wave of emergent digital
technology holds vast implications for the public sphere. Indeed, these new
forms of mobile and ubiquitous systems, called
pervasive computing, challenge some of our fundamental
ideas about subjectivity, visibility, space, and the distinction bewteen public
and private. Together, these challenges reformulate our conception of the civic
realm. From cell phones to wireless local networks, smart builidings to embedded
vehicular computers, an invisible web of digital technology already lies across
the visible world creating new space for work, data, advertisement,
investigation communication, intimacy, and danger. This generation of computers
is so well integrated with the environment that it will be difficult to
distinguish between the two, which represents a profound transformation in
everyday life. - Dana Cuff
Pervasive (or
ubiquitous) Computing is a relatively new development in the technological
world. While the idea has been around for nearly two decades, it’s only within
the past few years that substantial steps have been taken to move this theory
into a reality.
So, what is Pervasive
Computing?
Simply put, [pervasive] computing is a model of computing in which computer
functions are integrated into everyday life, often in an invisible way. (Wikipedia)
The seamless
integration of computers into daily life is something that has been taking
effect since the late 1980s. Ever since the birth of the Personal Computer (PC)
computer companies have been working to make computers smaller, more cost
effective, and more powerful. At the moment, it seems like there’s a faster and
better version of everything coming out daily. It has become difficult to ignore
the fast pace of technological advancements.
Pervasive computing
takes these technological advancements and incorporates them into every action a
person makes throughout a day. At the moment, people are still using computer
in a very active way. When a mom is interested in making dinner for her family
and doesn’t know what to make with the ingredients in her fridge, she has to go
to a computer and look up recipes. Before leaving for work or class in the
morning, commuters have to consult a computer to get the latest forecast.
What the future of
Pervasive computing promises, is a world where computers are used passively.
Instead of actively seeking out a computer to get needed information, different
household items will already “know” what consumers need to know and will proceed
to tell them.
Example:
Suzie doesn’t know what to make for dinner. She has a refrigerator stocked with
food, but can’t really think of anything to do with everything that’s in there.
Her computerized fridge, however, already knows exactly what its contents are
and can connect to the internet to look up recipes that use the ingredients that
Suzie already has. The fridge will then tell Suzie what her options are for
dinner and exactly how she needs to prepare them. In fact, refrigerators like
this are currently in development as shown in figure 2.
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Imagine a
world where everything works like Suzie’s fridge. Where your appliances
could literally tell you exactly what you need to get a job done and where
computers are imbedded in everything from the sticker on your banana to your
wallet.
Now imagine a
world where all of these items have the ability to interact with one
another. Where your refrigerator could tell your PDA when you've run out of
milk and where your PDA could remind you to pick up milk as you're walking
past the milk at the grocery store. People would no longer forget their
wallets at home or need to remember what that thing was that they left the
house to go pick up was.
In a world
where everything you own can interact with everything you own and then
interact with things in the public sphere, the possibilities become endless |
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fig. 2: Click on image for
source info.
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Click here to read more about how Pervasive Computing may impact daily
consumption in the near future.
Ubiquitous
computing names the third wave in computing, just now beginning. First were
mainframes, each shared by lots of people. Now we are in the personal computing
era, person and machine staring uneasily at each other across the desktop. Next
comes ubiquitous computing, or the age of calm technology, when technology
recedes into the background of our lives. - Mark Weiser
Pervasive Computing was
first discussed and written about by Mark Weiser in 1988. In his written work,
he explained that he felt that technology is around to help you do something
else, extend your unconscious, create calm, and serve as an invisible servant. (Wikipedia)
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It was his vision
for the future of computing that started the discussion of ubiquitous
computing, or the idea that computer will one day fall into the background.
In the late 1980s,
researchers working for Xerox saw the potential in a future that didn't
involve the PC and started performing research to develop a type of
computing that didn't feel like it was technology. The goal was to create a
type of technology that merged seamlessly with everyday life. (Galloway,
385) |
According to Weiser, "A
good tool is an invisible tool. By invisible, I mean that the tool does not
intrude on your consciousness; you focus on the task, not the tool. Eyeglasses
are a good tool – you look at the world, not the eyeglasses. The blind man
tapping the cane feels the street, not the cane." (Weiser,
http://www.ubiq.com/hypertext/weiser/ACMInteractions2.html)
One of the more notable
things about Weiser is that, even though he was a scientist by profession, when
it came to the topic of Pervasive Computing, he became more like an
anthropologist. His work was focused on how technology could improve life and
become a part of the everyday for everyone. It wasn't the improvement of
technology that drove his career forward. It was the promise that the work he
was doing would improve the quality of life for the many that really piqued his
interest.
High-performance computers will be placed in ever device, appliance, and piece
of equipment leading to an era of Pervasive Computing and smart
spaces. - Martin Herman
The original
vision of Pervasive Computing being a world where computers are everywhere and
being used in a passive way is something that is becoming a reality. Small
computer chips called RFID (radio-frequency identification tags) are already
being used in retail stores across the country. These tags have the ability to
let vendors know a plentitude of information about a product. They are there for
the purposes of tracking an item, letting a manager know when a product is out
of date, what other products that product has come in contact with and so on.
RFID tags are only the
beginning of what pervasive computing is capable of and clothing is only the
start of where computers will be found.
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Preview for the film
Minority Report
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Click
here to view this
film on YouTube
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQbVD5hlddk
The above preview
for the film Minority Report gives a quick example of where Pervasive
Computing might be heading for in the future. In Steven Spielberg's version, the
advertisements on the walls can coform to the individual walking past it at a
specific moment. When Tom Cruise's character walks past one ad, it changes to an
advertisement for Guiness beer and actually says "It look like you could use a
Guiness." So, in this version of Pervasive Computing computers are even embedded
into the walls and can gauge a person's emotions and beer preference as soon as
that person walks past a hidden sensor.
It's this vision for
the future that is driving the push to further improve new technologies. In this
film, there's a generally negative opinion of what these technological
advancements will bring, however, the opportunity for the positive is enormous.
Computers will
eventually be found inside of human bodies as a way to guaruntee better care and
a better way to monitor health. Instead of a nurse needing to come by every hour
to take a patient's temperature or a diabetic needing to prick a finger to check
glucose levels, a quick scan of a forearm will transmit all of this data
directly to a computer for analysis and that computer will immediately be able
to send that information into a person's medical history folder at the doctor's
office.
Pervasive computing is
already found inside of some clothing items. These clothing items have the
ability to communicate only with a select few number of computers or people.
Once advancements are made, everyone will have the ability to walk into a store,
scan an item and read about all of the information associated with it. If
someone sees someone wearing a shirt that he likes, he can easily quickly scan
the item with a PDA and receive all relevant information like where the shirt is
from and how much it costs. He'll even be able to purchase the item on the spot
and have it delievered to his home.
Once he gets the item
at home and decides he wants to wash it, he won't even have to look at care
instructions because his washer/dryer will also be able to read the chip
embedded in the shirt and figure out exactly on which cycle it needs to be set
to in order to keep the shirt intact. (Bohn et. al., 763-766)
Instead of being
deaf, dumb, and blind sitting on our desks or in our pockets, our computers
might be able to observe what we do all day, understand what is important to us,
and act as a virtual assistant who helps us on a second-by-second basis.
-Thad Starner
Sensors and microchips
will also be applied to bags or jacket pockets. This sensors will be able to
interact with the internet to look up a weather report. If the weather calls for
rain, and you're walking out the door without an umbrella, the coat you're
carrying will have the ability to remind you to take your umbrella. (Irvine)
What these developments
ultimately lead to is "smart" technology or technology that can interact with
human beings in a way that makes them seem human. "Smart" objects will be able
to communicate with people and with other "smart" objects. This ability for your
clothes or body to be able to communicate directly with the rest of your home or
with the building you just walked into will allow for a heightened amount of
personalization when it comes to your surroundings. (Bohn et. al., 766)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLhMVNdplJc&feature=related
While the above clip
from YouTube is relatively long in length, it presents some pretty remarkable
advancements in the technological world. While we're still a few decades away
from living like the Jetsons,
the world and the way people interact with computers is changing very
rapidly.
Prototypes for the
"smart" house including a "smart" fridge, have already been developed and are
under slowly being licensed for sale by the rest of the population. Microchips
are already being used in some hospital patients and in soldiers. PDAs have the
ability to tell you where you are and are only small steps away from being able
to instantly tell you what you need to pick up from the grocery store.
All of these
advancements will be introduced to society in the very near future and it's only
a short period of time before pervasive computing becomes something we rely on
as heavily as something like a cell phone.
In a world where
objects communicate with eachother and with the internet instantaneously,
consumer-generated content will go from being an active action to one that is
done passively.
Ultimately, the
whole lifecycle of products, beginning with the birth of their
components and ending with their complete consumption, can be witnessed (and, to
some extent, controlled) in real time. (Bohn et. al., 766)
At the moment,
user-generated content serves a couple funtions. It serves as a communication
tool or a way for friends to talk to one another in a way that's a little out of
the ordinary. It serves as a way for people to keep a sort of diary of
life-happenings and opinions. Finally, it serves as a form of consumer-generated
advertising. All three of these types of content will be affected by the birth
of pervasive computing.
A Communication Tool:
When two people communicate, they often share information about occurrances that
they feel will be of interest to the other party. This process is something that
cognitive. One person hears about something that he thinks will interest and
friend and has to actively remember to tell his friend what it was. With the
release of "smart" objects, when a consumer reads about something or hears
something that might be of interest, that person's PDA, which already has a
database set up that has a list of any topic that would be of interest to each
friend. From there the PDA will automatically send any relevant information to
that friend.
A Diary of
Life-Happenings and Opinions:
Usual delays often minimize the original impact an event has on a person. With
pervasive computing, the ability to create a "journal" entry on the spot becomes
possible. A quick video can be recorded and saved instantly and in the next
minute be posted to a website before the person even goes home.
Consumer-Generated Advertising:
See a great sweater on someone walking by? Find out the brand and prce, and
place an order. Or maybe you'll be wearing the sweater and earning a commission
every time someone near you sees and buys. (Bohn et. al., 768)
With this method,
consumer-generated advertising gets taken to the next step. People can literally
"see and buy" something just by passing by someone on the street. This already
sort of exists with clothing labels, but in a world of "smart" computing all of
these actions become even more seamless and become actions that people aren't
even remotely aware of.
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Bohn, Jurgen, Vlad Coroama, Mark Langheinrich,
Friedmann Mattern, and Michael Rohs. "Living in a World of Smart Everyday
Objects--Social, Economic, and Ethical Implications." Human & Ecological
Risk Assessment 10 (2004): 763-785. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO.
University of Texas Library, Austin, TX. 15 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Pervasive
Computing.
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Cuff, Dana. "Immanent Domain: Pervasive Computing and
the Public Realm." Journal of Architectural Education 57 (2003): 43-49.
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Texas Library, Austin, TX. 14
Mar. 2007. Keyword: Pervasive Computing.
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Fleisch, Elgar. "Business Impact of Pervasive
Technologies: Opportunities and Risks." Human & Ecological Risk Assessment
10 (2004): 817-829. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Austin, TX. 14 Mar.
2007. Keyword: Pervasive Computing.
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Galloway, Anne. "Intimations of Everyday Life."
Cultural Studies 18 (2004): 384-408. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO.
University of Texas Library, Austin, TX. 14 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Ubiquitous
Computing.
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Herman, Martin. "Pervasive Computing/Smart Spaces Pose
a Host of Challenges." Electronic Design 48 (2000): 52.
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Irvine, Dean. "Future Dress Code: Very Smart." Cnn.Com
26 Feb. 2007. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Texas Library,
Austin, TX. 15 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Pervasive Computing.
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Kurkovsky, Stan, and Karthik Harihar. "Using
Ubiquitous Computing in Interactive Mobile Marketing." Personal & Ubiquitous
Computing 10 (2006): 227-240.
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