The Smart Cell Phone
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It's the end of the day, you're tired, and it's cold outside, snow flurries, wind whipping around as you cross the parking lot. Walking out to the car, your shoulder's groaning from the laptop bag, cell phone in hand, glad that your remote automatically unlocks the doors on your car as you get within 5 feet. Maybe that minivan with the auto-opening doors wouldn't have been a bad choice?
The laptop is tossed onto the back seat and you get in, tossing you cell phone on the passenger seat, freeing yourself from a long day of technology. A press on the ignition starts the car without any fumbling in your pocket for the keys and the radio, sensing your iPodFree, starts streaming it's music through the car, allowing you a moment of relaxation as the car warms up.
Working in technology is hard and stressful and now you've got to fight some traffic to get home. Struggling out of the moment of bliss, you begin driving home, some of your stress bleeding off. All of a sudden the phone rings, destroying the atmosphere of your drive.
"Answer"
You speak the word and the music mutes, the phone stops ringing as the call is answered. You say "hello" and begin to speak just as you would if there was a passenger, no need to pick up the phone, fumble with controls or a headset, and distract yourself from the road.
After the call, which disconnects when the other person hangs up, the music comes back on and you realize that you're too tired to make the user group meeting tonight and you don't want your buddy to worry about you. The music is playing, but it's silenced when you say "Call." Without the ambient noise, you can repeat yourself and "call Bill," and the cell phone dials, engages the speakers and microphone, and you talk to Bill as if he were a passenger seated next to you. A minimum of distraction from the road.
This is a fictional story, but maybe Microsoft will bring it to you. They recently hired Bill Buxton as a computer interaction researcher and this story is similar to a scenario in the interview. Technology being used to fade itself into the background and become more friendly and aware of how it should react in a situation.
Some of this technology is available now. Obviously bluetooth technology allows a cell phone to run through the car's speakers and use a built in microphone. A friend bought a 2005 Corvette and it had an RF beacon in the key remote that would automatically unlock the doors when you were within 5 ft (and lock them when outside that radius). It would also allow the car to be started with a button if it were within 3 ft of the steering wheel.
While DBAs don't deal as much with the user interface side of things, we are often the ones queried when things don't work as expected and a data problem is suspected. SQL Server has done a great job moving it's complexity into the background, sometimes too good a job, but it can get better as can most other system.
I don't care anymore so much about the cool factor with some of this technology, but love something like the Corvette remote that just makes life easier. Now if I could just get that on my minivan...
Steve Jones
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So what do you do when...
1) You are walking to your 2005 Corvette, which you drove to see a client in a bad neighborhood, and your remote automatically unlocks the doors as you approach. A guy hanging around the parking lot opens your door, grabs your laptop bag and runs off.
2) You are driving while listening to music on your iPod. Debbie Harry sings, "Call me!", and your phone automatically lowers the music volume and probably tells you, "No such person as 'me!' in your address book." And if you have Fifty Cent or Eminem playing on your iPod, who knows what they will inadvertantly tell your car to do?
There is no "i" in team, but idiot has two. -
Steve,
Your tomorrow is here today:
http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/BmwInDepth/BMWTechnology/Luxury.htm?id=149
Met a guy in the building where I work, he has got one and is using it with an "unsupported" BT Cell phone, says that "cross fingers" Dave's senario has not occured.
I'll bet it can detect the difference between music and voice.
Andy
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I know most of this is possible today, but it's not easily integrated. Nor does it work with most phones or cars. Yet I think it's an easy one.
To me, the proximity sensors are safer than the key fob dongles everyone has today. Someone could just mug me when when I hit a parking lot, grab my keys and start walking around to find my car. Or watch for my flashing lights since the car announces itself long before I'm 5 ft away.
I could see music messing with the sensors. I'd guess things would have to be "trainined", but I'm sure there's some solution here. More likely I bet the phone might kick in and interrup normal conversation.
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Smart Tags which can be identified by RF are avaialble for a long time. This can be used for key less entry engine start. Aready cell phone have that voice recognition software and only that car radio has to integrate with the cell phone conversation.
V.Kadal Amutham
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Living in snow country, I don't want my car to start within 5 feet. More like 5 minutes before I get in! It's called Remote Start but does require a push of a button. Two way remotes are great unless you like finding out your vehicle didn't start.
Better, have the car warmed up, brushed off and pick me up at the door. Some people call that a taxi or wife/husband who had to get the car first!
As for the phone, I want a "who call" or "caller ID" option along with "answer" or "ignore" or "voice mail" commands. Off works pretty good too.
Actually, in my neck of the woods, most of us drive 4x4 trucks or SUV's and don't need no stinking phone ringing while we dodge moose and Subaru's in 6 foot snow drifts by drivers (who thought they could talk and drive at the same time while on driving on ice and in the dark) on the way home to our igloos. Can't have plasma TV's either. The extra heat melts the walls...
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All the technology is there. The key is that it doesn't easily integrate.
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