Ubiquitous Computing: Helpful or Harmful?

After reading about ubiquitous computing and watching the “sixth sense” video at the T.E.D. conference in February of 2009, I got really excited about new technologies that are coming out. I was blown away at the thought of everyone having a personal computer strapped around their neck that enabled them to do whatever they wanted. Then I started thinking about it and how scary that could become. People accessing information about whatever they want without having to know how to hack into programs or data bases is definitely a bad thing. But more related to this blog’s theme, how would such devices like ubiquitous computing connect or divide a community?

As with every new technology that comes out, there are going to be the people who will go out and buy these new technologies even before all the bugs are worked out (innovators). This will happen when these ubiquitous computing devices become available to the public. At this point ubiquitous computing devices will really divide communities by people who have them and people who don’t. Although this isn’t a huge separation, it will still effect at community. The same thing happened with the iphone when it came out. If you had an iphone you could do things on your phone that others couldn’t do. Youtube could be watched everywhere, the games on the iphone are better, and it was an ipod, the most popular MP3 player today.

Eventually ubiquitous computing devices will hit where the iphone is at today; the early and late majority. This is about where we are today. It’s pretty common to see someone with an iphone today since they have been out for a while and it’s no longer a big risk to buy one. When ubiquitous computing devices get to this point, there will be more people with them and it won’t be such a shock to see someone standing in front of a wall uploading their pictures. I think what will happen with ubiquitous computing as opposed to the iphone will be how people look at others that don’t have such devices. For the iphone it is look at as a status symbol. You are cool if you have one. You get special treatment if you have the phone or are on the network (only AT&T customers and text in to vote for American Idol) and people want to buy one not because it will help them, but because it is the hot new thing. Ubiquitous computing devices on the other hand are looked at differently. If you don’t have one, things will be harder for you. This device is intended to help make getting information easier and truly be a personal computer. If you don’t have one you aren’t missing out on being labeled a “cool person”, instead you are looked at as someone who does not have the luxury of having a computer work hand in hand with you without the user having to do much.

These devices can really split a community because of how people look at one another, not buy people who can do more things than others with these devices. The division of communities will come from other people’s views and opinions of those who either have the luxury of ubiquitous computing or those who don’t. It’s not a matter of having the hot new thing, but instead how easy your life is by having a device that does so much for you without you having to do much. Sure it’s cool and I’m sure there would be a lot of people who divide a community based on your popularity that comes with these new devices, but I think it has more to do with the life one would live who had such devices as opposed to other people who are without ubiquitous computing devices.

This shows the ubiquitous computing device "The Sixth Sense". The video about this can be watched at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_sixth_sense.html

This is a picture of the all familiar popular ipod.

This shows the iphone sales when it first appeared onthe market. Similar graphs will appear whith the launch of ubiquitious computing devices hit the stores and become available to the general public. Clearly this will become a huge social phenomenon.