At the APCUG events, held at the Stardust, I attended presentations from Intel, Adobe, JASC, Microsoft, and AMD. Each presentation had a theme, and for Intel it was “convergence”. Intel demonstrated how our homes and offices will soon be all digital, with devices interacting with each other. According to Intel, analog devices, such as our typical telephones, most TVs, VCRs, and other items in the home are approaching technical obsolescence. New devices now coming to market will “converge” several functions in one device, this one device performing better and more efficiently than the several devices it will replace. As we have already seen, our computers have become a primary mode of entertainment for many people. This trend will continue as our computers will merge functions with our TVs, stereos, camcorders, digital cameras, telephones, and other devices. With Intel’s new “Extreme Edition” microprocessor, and supporting hardware and software, our computers will operate most of our household devices. By routing our cable TV into our computer before it reaches the TV itself, we can view multiple channels (better than today’s “picture in a picture” devices), time-shift programs, save programs digitally to either hard drive or DVD, program our TVs, display a variety of programming guides, allow for TV programs to be wirelessly viewed on other devices, edit TV and video, and a variety of other functions. I found time shifting the most interesting entertainment function. Working something like TiVo, streaming TV can be paused, edited, rewound and zoomed, allowing for a highly personalized viewing experience. Using the 802.11 wireless technology built into the new Intel EE chip, other devices in the home could also view streaming video, and control their own stream.

Another example of convergence shown by Intel was the continuing combination of cellular telephones with hand-held computers. The next generation of such devices will be comparable in power to a notebook computer, and be the size of a cell phone. This one device, early models are now on the market, can take the place of a cell phone, notebook computer, MP3 player, video player, GPS, TV remote control, and PDA, all in a digital device that will easily fit in a pocket or purse. These devices also had bright and sharp color screens, and some form of keyboard, in addition to a stylus. Voice recognition was almost universal, allowing for the spoken word to dial the cell phone, enter data, surf the web, and perform other functions. In one demonstration on the floor of COMDEX, a pre-production model of such a device easily converted the spoken word into a Word doc file. For users of notebook computers this device can also function as a broadband wireless modem.

“Unwired” was another term bantered about by Intel. Intel “unwired” the Stardust Hotel for our conference, allowing free public access to broadband internet using the 802.11b protocol. Promoting Intel’s Centrino chip, a Pentium chipset with integral wireless communications, Intel provided the service. Using my notebook computer in the lobby of the Stardust Convention center, with an inexpensive wireless card, I was consistently able to download files and email at 1.4 megabytes per second, and uploaded at a speed of about 400k. This wireless signal was concurrently shared with many others around the Stardust. Intel also provided the service to promote the expanding international availability of “hotspots” where the public can access wireless broadband internet using a notebook computer, Pocket PC, Palm, cell phone, or other compatible device. Last year Intel predicted that there would be about 10,000 hotspots by the end of 2003, but on the Intel website at intel.jwire.com, they now list over 20,000 hotspots, with many more being added on a daily basis. There are many other online hotspot directories, such as www.hotspot-locations.com and www.wi-fihotspotlist.com. Locally, the only public hotspot listed by Jwire is at Lamar’s Gray Library, but wi-fihotspotlist lists one at Zydeco Technologies located at Calder and I-10. The Intel Jwire site lists 183 public hotspots in Houston, and 220 in Austin. While many hotspots charge an hourly or monthly fee for access, many are free. By using a hotspot, anyone with the appropriate equipment can conduct business, check email, surf the web, make digital phone calls, upload and download files, and perform any other function that could be done by a computer hardwired to a network. Hotspots are now commonly available at coffee shops and restaurants (5810 according to the Jwire site), airports (465), bookstores, hotels (6118), public libraries, city parks, hospitals, and other places. While most hotspots are currently using the 802.11b wireless protocol, with its theoretical 11mb bandwidth, newer 802.11 protocols with higher bandwidth, some as high as 55mb, are becoming common in hotspots. One new wireless internet protocol is promising a speed of up to 108mb. Users of older 802.11b components will still be able to connect, as the newer protocols are all downwardly compatible with 802.11b.

Next week, in the Examiner, I will provide more information on some of the technologies shown in Las Vegas.

For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here