Networked Computing

An article at nytimes.com discusses the new innovations in consumer electronics and the internet, and how this will affect communication in the future. At the Internationale Funkausstellung in Berlin last August, several electronic companies came together for a convention to debut several of these innovations, including some that would allow TVs, computers, dishwashers and refrigerators to communicate with each other over a wireless home network.

For example, Phillips showed a new line of stereo systems that can wirelessly tap into music stored on your computer to stream the music into other rooms of the house. Other companies showed TVs that could hook up to the internet, even streaming high definition video.

These new innovations are creating an argument that the internet and wireless networks could represent a shift in home entertainment. Many are taking advantage of this shift, creating new technologies that can further connect the product to their consumer.

This is also creating new opportunities for internet companies like Google and Yahoo, who have said that they will produce new software that will make it easier to display the internet on televisions.

While many companies are excited at the prospect of this technological shift, there are some skeptics. Some worry that the consumers are not as interested in these new devices as their creators are.

Although adoption of these technologies is going to take time, the technology is ready. The issue with bringing this to the consumers is that it could potentially hinder their communication with the outside world if their technology is not compatible. People may not be ready for the repercussions of these changing technologies. Still, these companies are confident that this new technology’s convenience will appeal to the consumers.

Experts predict that soon there will not be any electronic device on the market that isn’t connected to the internet. Connecting these technologies through a network like the internet allows for many new technologies to grow from old ones. This could potentially make it more difficult for consumers to get away from data smog, because the internet would constantly be available and tempting to the consumer to use.

This convergence could also encourage lazy habits by the consumer. If the internet is constantly communication with other technologies around the house, there is less need for the consumer to do tasks on their own or even think for themselves. They could become reliant on these systems for anything they are capable of.

These systems could work very well in a home environment if the consumer is knowledgeable enough about the technology that they could control the effect it has on their life. By being aware of this, the consumer can make sure that they don’t become reliant on this technology.