Any book that addresses the topic of wireless communication could use the metaphor of the “one way street” to describe the radio communication. The flow occurs in only one direction, either transmits or receives, so this is the basic form of communication that we know, used in products such as Nextel, or even walkie-talkie. We talk and listen “at the same time” when using the mobile phone through a workaround that requires an expensive infrastructure that  would not be appropriate for a wireless network, for example, in our homes. Recently, researchers from the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University developed the first wireless radio where you can send and receive signals at the same time, the project Full-Double Wireless Design.

The most obvious and direct impact of this result is the doubling of transmission capacity since transmission and reception can occurr at the same time. The scope of the impacts of this new approach is unpredictable because there since the mobile need to, for example, air traffic control. One thing is certain, the future is promising, since software and hardware are designed to take advantage of simultaneous communication.

Electrodes taped to the arm transmit electromagnetic waves through skin (Image: Korea University)

Physical barriers in streets and public roads create major problems to visually impaired people. Even the home environment can be a major challenge for impaired vision people.

Now imagine if a visually impaired person could receive feedback from the environment through common tools such as a walking stick, or even through the touch with his hands. By touching an object, he could as an example hear a specific sound or a description of the object and how to operate it. In the future, this may become possible using technologies such as that developed by NTT, and now being studied in the Telecom Italia research labs, which makes data transmission possible using the skin. This technology combined with transmission of sound through the bones and certain tags embedded in objects could let a person learn much more about the environment. The user would carry a device on his body, e.g., inside a pocket, which sends and receives data. Devices capable of generating data transmission through the skin are getting smaller and may provide less discomfort to the user.

This idea can be expanded to the possibility of considering the exchange of information between user and environment, for example, opening doors through a code  exchanged between his hands and the handle. Thus, the user need not use conventional keys and could unlock the door at the touch of his hands. Also, this device could communicate with smart appliances, and for example, the washing machine could be programmed by touch.

As the residential user has access to greater bandwidth, new services that previously were not possible, are now closer to reality. Among such services, it is possible to highlight applications that make use of live video streaming. Unlike other social networks, which rely on text messaging, SocialEyes focuses on the use of videoconferencing for communication between people. To do so, users access the system with the same identification of Facebook and, thereafter, may participate in video-based discussions on various topics.

This system is web-based yet since the application is based on Flash 10.1 and makes use of its new technology for peer-to-peer video streaming. This is not yet supported by some smartphones. The user can communicate with up to six persons simultaneously, and has control over each one of those connections such as he can mute, and pause individual friends.

The potential for this application is enourmous, imagine you receiving real-time feedback from your friends while buying something, and as soon as the bandwidth is no longer a problem, a conference with as many friends as you want would make it easier for business, or even for family, to have visual meetings.

The competition in the Search Engine area is intense aiming at satisfying every user with relevant results. How can one detect the satisfaction of the user on a given query result? Some techniques are discussable, and there is also some very interesting new ones such as movement tracking.

Heatmap of recorded cursor positions (Photo: University of Washington, and MSR Redmond)

Tracking the user by observing his mouse movements and hesitation can show the relevance of results in Web search engines. Researchers from the University of Washington and Microsoft Research just showed that tracking cursor moviment and hovers instead of monitoring clicking or gazing may provide a better understanding of user satisfaction. The researchers tracked Bing users, and evaluated the relevance of the mouse movements since it is closely related to the users gaze, and it can provide indication whether a user may abandon the search. Moreover, they could differentiate a page abandonment, and its possible reasons. For example, the user was dissatisfied with the search results, or that he has found the answer directly on the first result page.

In mobile Web searching, this technique, obviously, cannot be used to track users movements. However, other attributes could be used to increase the likely-hood of user satisfaction, such as position. As an example, if you are in Venice-Italy, searching for something related to tourism, it would be nice to receive suggestions about what to do in this place, instead of receiving stuff about Venice Beach, California.

What all this is telling me is that the more able we are to connect data about a user behavior and context, the more likely we are to meet his expectation. This, of course, bring the concept of ecosystem to the forefront. Understanding the user ecosystem (that is broader than his context since it also includes other actors that may interact among them, hence changing the user context) is key to create value.

The current smart phones are more than just a modern wallet. They carry both your personal and professional details, and all this information, at best, is now just an easy-crackable password away from intruders.

At worst, losing those devices can “release”products beforehand. But having your personal information stolen is more worrisome, since more and more people are using mobile banking features. According to a study by TowerGroup, this has been used by nearly 18 million users last year and its usage is expected to reach 27.4 million users this year and more than 53 million next year.

Use of NFC in Japan is an everyday experience

With the introduction of new devices with NFC (Near Field Communication) embedded, the Nexus S for example, payments will be even easier for users of such devices.

In Japan NFC is now present in over 10 million cel phones and it is being used in supermarket, newsstand and transportation. According to AdaptiveMobile, an
international company specialized in mobile security, attacks on Google’s Android smartphones quadrupled and attacks on Java based phones increased by 45%.

Mobile payment through cell phones is the natural evolution to be expected in the coming years. This is opening up new opportunities for Operators not as much in the area of taking share out of the transaction but in the opportunity of creating a personal story. Managing the data of a person for that person is a great service that can be monetized.

However, what is most interesting for n Operator in this area is the opportunity to add value in the payment transaction, beyond guaranteeing its security and easiness. When you pay your cell phone can get the information on the product you are buying and keep this information available for you at a later time when you may need it. Bought a product at the grocery store and once home you wonder how to cook it? Just browse your phone for the item and ask for the information. Got a television few months ago that now is not working properly? No need to look for the warranty and support centre: just browse the phone and click on the services associated to the item to be put in touch with the support centre having them seamlessly receive the info on the product you have problem with…

It is really a new area opening up for Telecom Operators.

Think about the world without the language barriers in which you can speak to overseas without the

Babelfish

necessity to care about the mother tongue of the interlocutor. This concept remits to the Babelfish from the Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Many efforts have been made by large companies such as IBM, Google, and Microsoft to bring this scenario to the reality.

IBM started a project in 2001, that was completed in 2004, called The Multilingual Automatic Speech-to-Speech Translator (MASTOR), “The system is the first Speech to Speech system that allows for bidirectional (English-Mandarin) free-form speech input and output“. More recently, Microsoft Research released a demo video about its realtime time translator telephone that works in English and German, the native languages of the two engineers responsible for this project. Google also is working in an Android application for realtime translation that could make any language Lingua Franca.

It is hard to think about accurate translations for the next few years since languages are so unique that you can’t translate something with its literal meaning. Aside the efforts, the average end user is not constantly talking overseas, and personally, this services could generate an invaluable portable translator when you’re on vacation.

As the residential user has access to greater bandwidth, new services that previously were not possible, are now closer to reality. Among such services, it is possible to highlight applications that make use of holography resources. The applications areas are potentially many and among them I feel that the one of distance learning can be very interesting. The end user, in this context a student, could interact with holographic objects such as molecules and plants in order to learn by using virtually realistic projections of these objects. This type of visualization would provide further access to scenarios that are not possible or feasible in a conventional classroom, for example, to know details about endangered animals, or plants by a projection of itself with a previously unseen level of detail and this is what may trigger a more profound understanding and speed up the learning process.
Recent studies move the fiction into reality: the technology required to provide the recording of holographic projection and dynamic 3D modeling already exist although the visualization of holographic object is still a big issue in terms of cost and object dimension.
Another area that could take advantage of holographic visualization would be the gaming space. Solve an IQ Teaser, for example, a Rubik’s Cube, interacting directly with holograms that are projected in front of you would be a better way of engaging your brain.