Are We Using Wireless To Its Greatest Potential?

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://www.pdaavenue.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=article;action=display;num=1026258307;start=0">http://www.pdaavenue.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=article;action=display;num=1026258307;start=0</a><br /><br />PDA Avenue's Marcus has been thinking a lot about the potential uses of wireless PDAs in our everyday lives and has written an article about his conclusions. I agree wholeheartedly with him when he states that there are many ways we can integrate wireless into our lives which we are not taking advantage of. <br /><br />It seems to me that the biggest issues are 1) ensuring ubiquitous wireless coverage, and 2) enabling existing Internet services/sites for handheld devices. Am I oversimplifying things, though? Besides the examples given by Marcus, what additional ways do you see that we can incorporate existing wireless technologies into our lives?

[bignoseduglyguy :O)]

Brad

Most of those examples in the article to which you refer are fairly prosaic and, to my mind, obvious, focussing on the 'consumer' type experience. I have always thought that such technology could be harnessed to greater benefit than stuff like shopping or movie listings.

Some outline ideas that come to mind are:

DISASTER RECOVERY - Independent access to personnel records, supplier information, process and procedures, contingency plans etc held off-site. Ability to send advisories and updates. Ability to record sound-bites for press releases.

LAW ENFORCEMENT - Two way comms between officers in the field and the various databases they need to access. Dockable handheld units would relieve need to return to vehicle to use fixed terminals. With camera peripheral, transmission of image information to headquarters (crime scene location, suspect mugshot).

MARKET RESEARCH / EXIT POLLS - Pollsters and MR folks could use PDAs to canvass the public and return the results data on a record by record basis to a central collecting point.

SMART MAPPING - Exploit the 'always on' features by having transmit beacons in building 'page' devices of new or returning visitors. Upon user acceptance, push technology delivers a map / building plan to the user's device for orientation purposes. Could be used to deliver fireplans to attending firefighters.

...and so on

Probably all in development as we debate :O)

bignoseduglyguy :O)
www.bignoseduglyguy.com
[email protected]

[mookie123]

The greatest potential for wireless is ofcourse......Marketing tool!

imagine you are wandering around in a city , and suddenly your PDA buzzing, telling: hey..40% discount of your favorite cup of coffe, and free e-comic strip while you sit in the corner.

PDA will contain "cookie" just like browser, except you browse a real world neightboorhood shops. Even if your PDA only broadcast, gender/income/age/previous buying pattern, that's already enough data for any marketing to start luring you, let alone if you give your PDA order to search specifically for items.

same goes for: local cinema, restaurant menu, theater preview, clothing shops coupons/ads, etc.......

window shopping will never be the same again.

[Brad Adrian]

The greatest potential for wireless is ofcourse......Marketing tool!

There are actually a lot of companies already trying to take a stab at this. It seems, though, that its success will hinge entirely upon making it an opt-in type of program. Nobody wants to get unsolicited e-mail or SMSs, but many might be willing to provide some profile information if it means that they'll be alerted of specials like this.

[Jimmy Dodd]

I think discussions on wireless access need to be broken down into two camps: wireless LANs (i.e. sit down in Starbucks and connect to their LAN wirelessly) and wireless WANs (i.e. coverage equal to a cell phone).

Wireless LANs can be marketed as a enticement to get people to frequent a business (as in Starbucks) or as an added service (e.g. online card catalogue in a public library, advertising of specials in a mall, real-time stats at a ball game).

Wireless WANs would exist on a more generic basis as a constantly available internet with payment schemes as per Earthlink or MSN.

The problem with both scenarios is the catch-22 you get when businesses are waiting on customer demand and customers are waiting on compelling services before joining. Cell phones went through a similar period where only businesses could justify the cost until individuals slowly began to realize the usefulness of cell phones (beginning with good to have for business use, then good to have in an emergency, then good to have to avoid hunting a pay phone, and finally good to have because I might want to call someone for some totally useless conversation). This comversion took place as phone costs plummeted and cell phone companies found ways to entice users (more minutes, free nights, free weekends, free phones, etc.).

Currently there aren't enough users to entice businesses to develop compelling services, and there aren't enough services to entice users to join up. I think the upcoming pda/phone combos will add quite a bit to help push both sides of the catch if the prices are right. Adding email and web services to a phone is an easier sell than an additional device. Again cost will be an important factor.

As with cell phones, I believe wireless internet in general will be led by business uses (plus us bleeding edge gear-heads) until services are slowly introduced to entice general users.

---
Bwana Jim

[DrtyBlvd]

"bleeding edge"...I like that. That's a good description of my wallet...

I made the same observation a while back on a different topic Bwana, and would support your argument by way of the O2 pda that has just come out - over here it's £500, give or take, which is competitive with the new ipaq and stuff, but in the real world not very user friendly... I think what it comes down to is a change from "Capability" to "Ability" ; the O2 provides (apparently) the later; and look how good it's reception has been; the Psion 5 and the Ericcson SH888 had the former, and with a SHED load of patience, could be persuaded to graduate into the later; It baffles me that people invent the gigadrive and then a bluetooth card but no one has a pda that takes two CF's; we (collective technologists) claw our way at speed into the "capability" future with nary a care for any form of consolidation into the "ability" sector; I think we 'trust' that this will happen as a matter of evolution, rather than make it a finite goal. (I know, I know...progress)

Allow me the leaway of describing my personal circumstances - E125, 1GMD, GPS & rather sexy vaja case. I also have a Nikon D1 (CF Card) and Sony DCSF85 (Memory Stick), with a VAIOI plus wireless access point at home, and in the office. I have enough mobile phones floating around here to start a store, bluetoothed and GPRS'd to the hilt.

I would LOVE to 'simplify' my tech situation, but the problem is FORMATS. *sigh* (Well, let's not forget the other thing as well - moolah. De Nero. Coin. Folding.) But I could get so much closer if the E125 took TWO CF cards!

Point? Never happen. We will fumble around in the dark looking for the lightswitch of compatibility / ability whist putting our formats on the wrong feet coz we is human. Oh sure, it'll happen, but it'll be a wee while yet, a wee while yet. We have to stub our pdas first.

:D

[GadgetDave]

As with cell phones, I believe wireless internet in general will be led by business uses (plus us bleeding edge gear-heads) until services are slowly introduced to entice general users.

100% true ... so all of us on the (or trying to be on the) ''bleeding edge" need to push manufacturers, retailers, and so on to offer those services.

This will be a slow process, no doubt. :(