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              Orwellian Ubiquitous Computing?
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
It may seem like a vision of a distant science fiction world, but this scenario laid out by Adam Greenfield, author of “Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing“, could be just around the corner. In fact, at this very moment in South Korea an entire city, a “U-city”, is being built that utilizes ubiquitous technology. It had it’s first test run in March of last year. Several other countries are currently planning, or are currently building cities modeled around South Korea’s U-city. What exactly is Ubiquitous Computing? An “Everyware” world, as Adam Greenfield calls it, is a world in which computers are embedded and merged seamlessly everywhere in the environment. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags communicate their position and other information constantly in a vast network. Everyday objects become “searchable” as if they were part of the interconnected world wide web. Surveillance in an “Everyware” world is perfected to a degree that is unimaginable. Scientific management of people and the environment we inhabit becomes possible, and marketers’ ultimate dreams come true. Watch this clip as Adam Greenfield explains ubiquitous computing (skip ahead to 1:30 to hear his explanation) [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMXox8IJvmE[/youtube] As computer chips become smaller and their processing power increases exponentially, ubiquitous computing has become a practical reality. As Wired News reports, ubiquitous systems are to be rolled out in New York City next year,
Consumer convenience is a central selling point for ubiquitous computing technology. The well established consumer base for mobile devices was discussed at the March 2008 International Conference on the Internet of Things in Zurich, Switzerland (sponsored by Google, IBM and others) as serving as a means of acclimating individuals to the presence and use of ubiquitous technology. Possible marketing plans were discussed to introduce “self scanning” through the use of mobile devices to “scan” physical products and browse the items on digital mobile screens in a manner similar to internet shopping. Andreas Schaller, a senior engineer for Motorola, presented information to the Zurich conference. Schaller’s presentation is outlined in the conference proceedings,
Ubiquitous Surveillance On top of the consumer layer of ubiquitous computing - which will likely be its most visible and emphasized aspect - sits the incredible surveillance capability of this technology. With video surveillance cameras protruding from every building it isn’t very hard to figure out that you are being watched, but with the internet of things the surveillance grid is merged seamlessly and invisibly into the entire environment. In an internet of things, every object, as well as people who are wearing RFID tagged clothes or are using electronic devices, would be “readable” by a computer or wireless network. The object’s (or person’s) details, exact location and other information could be obtained electronically by invisible sensors in sidewalks, roads, or doorways. In a document dated February 2000, Hewlett Packard’s Internet and Mobile Systems Laboratory announced that, “We want to make people, places, and things web-present.” The document details the infrastructure of the “internet of things”,
Marketers also see the rise of ubiquitous computing as opening the doorway to scientifically crafted advertising. Web history is already used to target computer users with ads based on their browsing behavior, and it is quite easy to see how that model could be applied to the “internet of things”. Google is currently developing ad technology which uses your computer’s microphone to listen to key words being spoken by you or your nearby television which triggers relevant ads on your computer screen. Mobile devices are already being tracked and monitored through stores and other public places in the U.K. for marketing purposes. According to the report,
South Korea’s U-City: A Model of the Future? South Korea is at the forefront in implementing ubiquitous technology. An entire city, New Songdo, is being built in South Korea that fully utilizes the technology. Ubiquitous computing proponents in the United States admit that while a large portion of the technology is being developed in the U.S., it is being tested in South Korea where there are less traditional, ethical and social blockades to prevent its acceptance and use. As the New York Times reports,
A smaller U-city in South Korea, Hwaseong Dongtan, has already been partially completed and tested. A promotional video for the Hwaseong Dongtan U-City can be seen here. The heavily invested in U-City model of South Korea is currently being exported worldwide. Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, Bill Gates’ Microsoft Corporation is involved with the technological development of South Korea’s U-Cities. A Microsoft press release on May 9th of this year reported that,
What will happen to traditional notions of privacy in an “Everyware” world? Could individuals and dissidents potentially be electronically blacklisted and denied access to cashless payment systems and transit systems as if they were a banned web page in the “internet of things”? It remains to be seen whether the ubiquitous computing infrastructure can be fully realized, but it is a technological trend with vastly important implications that is worth keeping an eye on. Have Your Say: Orwellian Ubiquitous Computing? Please read our posting guidelines before posting. Alternatively you can discuss this report here. Related News
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