Wi-Fi, UbiComp, and SmartMobs

Valerie Gomez de la Torre | KMS i385Q | Dr. Turnbull |11.17.05

Overview

• Clarify terms• Review related readings• References

Define: Wi-Fi• Wi-Fi does not stand for “Wireless Fidelity”

• It is not an acronym. There is no meaning.

• As a trademark, it isn’t allowed to have a pre-existing meaning in the realm in which it is registered

• The Wi-FI Alliance wanted something catcher than “IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence”

– hired Interbrand to come up with the name and

logo

More WiFi news: Wi-Fi Net News

Why Wi-Fi Warchalking died"Warchalking is the practice of marking a

series of symbols on sidewalks and walls to indicate nearby wireless access. That way, other computer users can pop open their laptops and connect to the Internet wirelessly."

Challenges:• Grassroots effort• Amateurs• Defacing buildings is illegal• Requires maintenance• Wi-Fi Logo

Define: UbiComp

• UbiComp = Ubiquitous Computing• Mark Weiser coined the term in the late

80’s• UbiComp forces the computer to live out

here in the world with people• Also known as Pervasive Computing

Define: SmartMobs• Consist of people who are able to act in concert

even if they don’t know each other. They emerge when communication and computing technologies amplify human talents for cooperation

• Impacts from SmartMobs have been +/-– Location-based matchmaking– Organized gang killing using text messages

• SmartMob Technologies– Mobile communication devices– Pervasive Computing

More information: SmartMobs, Howard Rheingold

System Directions for Pervasive Computing

Pervasive computing focuses on deploying smart devices through our working & living

spaces

Grimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001)

The infrastructure necessary to seamlessly and ubiquitously

provide applications is almost a reality

There are difficulties when designing, building, and deploying

applications in a pervasive computing environment

System Directions for Pervasive ComputingArgument: Existing approaches to distributed

computing are flawed along three Fault Lines when applied to pervasive computing.

1. Application data and functionality need to be kept separate

2. Applications need to be able to acquire any resource they need at any time so that they can continuously provide their service in a highly dynamic environment

3. Pervasive computing requires a common system platform allowing applications to run across a range of devicesGrimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001)

T Spaces: The Next Wave

• A network middleware package for the new age of ubiquitous computing

• Enables communication between applications and devices in a pervasive computing environment

• To connect all devices we must have a common language platform on which to run

Lehman, T., McLaughry, S.W., Wycko, P. (1999)

FieldWise: A Mobile Knowledge Management Architecture

• KM, Mobility and CSCW• Findings from empirical studies & fieldwork:

– People’s tasks are time critical and driven by deadlines

– Results rely on the creativity of autonomous, but interrelated people

– There is a culture of co-operation and sharing of knowledge amongst people

– People are mobile and distributed

Fagrell, H., Forsberg, K., Sanneblad, J.. (2000)

Wired Magazine Article: Unplugged U.

• Dartmouth College’s campus-wide wireless network• The Wi-Fi network is changing:

– Teaching techniques– Social interaction– Study habits – Security

Innovations in consumer technology must become

part of the background of everyday life… the tool itself is an afterthought

McHugh, Josh (2002)

References

• Fagrell, H., Forsberg, K., Sanneblad, J. (2000) FieldWise: A Mobile Knowledge Management Architecture. Proceedings of the Viktoria Institute ICTech conference on Newmad Technologies. Sweden

• Grimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001) System Directions for Pervasive Computing. Proceedings of Hot Topics in Operating Systems(HotOS-VIII), Elmau, Germany, May 2001

• Lehman, T., McLaughry, S.W., Wycko, P. (1999) T Spaces: The Next Wave. Proceedings of the Thirty-second Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Vol. 8. IEEE Press.

• Rheingold, H. (2002) Smart Mobs: Te Next Social Revolution. Perseus Publishing.

• Wi-Fi Net News• Unplugged U. • Warchalking