Working with technology

Working with technology
The phone itself is a combination phone, in that it operates as a cordless handset
within the home environment and is able to operate as a cellular phone when taken
out of the home. It intelligently determines which particular environment it should
be working within and, as such, seamlessly roams between wireless access points that
have been deployed within the home or through the cellular network when away from
the home. A proximity unit and signal strength indicator assists the device when determining
context. The phone itself will attempt to remain connected to a wireless service,
as opposed to being connected to the wider cellular network, as the cost of operating
a phone through Voice over IP (VoIP) has plummeted due to the proliferation and
increased growth of compatible products; undoubtedly budgetary considerations will
always spur a new trend. To accommodate this overwhelming demand, New Jersey
and elsewhere in the United States, has witnessed an increased deployment of wireless
hotspots over the last eighteen months. Additionally, the car ferry service that David
takes from New Jersey to New York offers a wireless service. The network operators
are feeling the pinch in that they have observed a decreased revenue stream since the
launch of the FreedomNetwork.† In an attempt to overcome these shortcomings, many
operators have decided to launch their own compatible service alongside the
FreedomNetwork, as well as offering bundled products luring existing customers to
their networks. Many consumers using the product have embraced the simplicity in
which they experience the ability to move from one environment to another using a
single device. The phone will also transparently move between services depending
upon the availability of a service; for example, if David operates his phone in an area
that has a poor wireless coverage it will seamlessly transfer its connection to the
cellular network without any notable degradation in voice quality. Another feature
afforded with the FreedomPhone is its unique self-awareness function in that when it
behaves as a cellular phone, the FreedomNetwork automatically assigns a unique cell
number (David’s cell number). Similarly, when the phone is placed within the home  it behaves as a cordless telephone and the home telephone number is assigned. Any
cell calls that David receives will now be forwarded to the home phone, although
David can switch this function off if he desires. The FreedomNetwork also offers
David an answering service for his cell number if he has chosen to disable the forwarding
service. The collective functions offered with the FreedomPhone enable Louise to
continue using the home phone; likewise, Louise is also able to use the FreedomPhone
product away from the home using another handset, as there are a minimum of three
units with the FreedomPhone package.
Before entering his car, David places his briefcase and notebook in the trunk and
as he opens the car door, he offers Louise and Daisy a final farewell. In the car he
places his FreedomPhone in its placeholder within the vehicle. The car has now
assumed responsibility for making and receiving calls where David can accept a call
from his steering wheel, and using a series of voice commands, he can also make outgoing
calls safely. The car itself is also equipped with a Global Positioning System
(GPS), which is nowadays typically fitted to most standard vehicles. The system offers
navigation assistance to David where typically he likes to avoid many of the traffic
problems, but an additional benefit enables Louise and Daisy to track his progress to
work on the WhereAmI† system. Holding Daisy, Louise closes the front door as David
begins his daily journey and engages the WhereAmI function; all monitors within the
home visually display David’s progress.
David arrives at work around 8:45am and accesses the building’s secured parking
beneath the offices of his department. Using the KeepSafe† function, the barrier to the
parking area wirelessly detects David’s car, which lifts and allows him to drive in. The
KeepSafe application is fitted to his car (as an option when the company purchased his
vehicle) and in addition to this, he also uses a KeepSafe smartcard that permits him
entry to the building’s elevator, as well as other secured areas around the building. The
premise of the KeepSafe ethos and its other range of products is that you become
increasingly aware and associate capability with an iconic reference; for example, on
entering the building David would have recognized the KeepSafe logo on the barrier.
Similarly, he could have parked anywhere that supported the KeepSafe scheme. The
KeepSafe manufacturer has worked extremely hard with widespread marketing through
newspapers and TV, and has cooperated extensively with a myriad of manufacturers.
As such, over a five-year period, consumers are now beginning to recognize that the
KeepSafe-enabled range of products, transparently enable a host of applications by
proximity, but most importantly, function is enabled through consumers’ intent. You
may recall in Chapter 4, Can we Confidently Rely on Wireless Communication? where we
discussed the possibility of enabling intelligent connectivity through consumers’ intent.
In fact, David often recalls amusingly how he used to perform a device discovery with
his cellular phone to connect to his headset. Nowadays, he simply brings the devices together and they become connected using the KeepConnected-enabled range of products,
which is manufactured by the same company.
Entering his office, David places his notebook (KeepConnected-enabled) into the
docking station and uses his smartcard to automatically log him into the company’s
network and services. He also places his FreedomPhone into the desk charger, which
now behaves as his office phone, as the company purchased the FreedomPhone
Business range. It essentially means that David’s FreedomPhone is assigned an office
number, in the same way it was assigned a cell number. Similarly, all cell calls are forwarded
to David’s office number. The KeepSafe manufacturer is currently reviewing
and extending its product range for a variety of new applications, to include home and
vehicle entry, but many technologists deem this to be unsafe as individuals regularly
lose their smartcards.