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The Future of Ubiquitous Computers

Posted by samzenpus on from the more-than-meets-the-eye dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Is there any end to this ubiquitous computing thing? Plants that send thank you notes, player pianos that follow the dancer's movements, and umbrellas that warn you of upcoming rain are just a few of the uses of embedded computers described in this article from the NY Times. Laptops seem so dull when it's easy to embed chips, install a Linux distro and sew them into your clothes. Do we really need to wear our computers? Why can't the world be happy with a good old desktop? It was good enough for the PC generation."

8 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. obligitory by Missing_dc · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one am thankful for my PC

    and my laptop, and server and web appliances, and coke^h^h^h^hredbull machine that knows my debit car by heart

    --
    How amazed would you be to suddenly find that you just forgot what I wrote and you needed to reread my post.... again.
  2. Re:This is a stupid article. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    plus they'll figure out a way to get myspace on it and totally ruin it.

  3. Re:Lets all go home. by Anguirel · · Score: 5, Funny

    Back in my day, Slashdot IDs only had 5 numbers, and that was good enough for us! You young whippersnappers, with your 6-digit IDs... And those durn kids still won't get off my lawn!

    --
    ~Anguirel (lit. Living Star-Iron)
    QA: The art of telling someone that their baby is ugly without getting punched.
  4. Automated Reply by cmacb · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is a subject CMACB is interested in, but he is tied up right now. I'll let him know about it tomorrow morning at breakfast.

    --

    CMACB's toaster

  5. Re:Ubiquitous by Psychotria · · Score: 4, Funny

    I would never, ever accept a free umbrella that whispers ads to me Which is why it is important to always line your umbrellas with tinfoil.
  6. Re:Lets all go home. by Anguirel · · Score: 2, Funny

    Technically, digit would imply base-8, base-10, or base-20, being based off the original meaning of finger or toe. You got me when I used numbers in the first part, though.

    Whippersnappers, with their new-fangled math, counting on things that aren't fingers or toes...

    --
    ~Anguirel (lit. Living Star-Iron)
    QA: The art of telling someone that their baby is ugly without getting punched.
  7. Re:Lets all go home. by gatzke · · Score: 2, Funny

    Get of my lawn!

  8. These underpants have not been washed for 3 days by MrSteveSD · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..you should wash them immediately.

    "Shut up Linux underpants! I'm on a date!"