OtherThanThat

Sitting in the darkness of Moscone West, bathed in the blue glow reflected off the sea of developers (are the lights blue or perhaps the hue is cast from the developers themselves as pretty much all are clad in the ubiquitous blue shirt and khaki uniform that is Silicon Valley) I’m hunkering down for the afternoon keynote at this year’s Intel Developer Forum.
Pat Gelsinger is on the stage talking about the “Embedded Internet” – the concept of our connectedness as we’ve never seen it before. He’s claiming a move towards 15 billion Internet-connected devices by 2015.
If I were a newbie to the tech realm I might scoff at those numbers. But in light of how quickly technology seems to be moving, perhaps this is a conservative estimate.
Of course there are challenges and barriers – longer life devices, scalability of software, better power solutions, privacy and data security, open standards – but Pat just offered solutions for all of them. Of course.
And now on the stage – an “embedded chopper” … Yes. A motorcycle. With heavy horsepower engine, along with front and rear cameras, GPS, Wi-Max … and more.
That’s cool, but the embedded internet IP phone they’re showing now is SWEET.
MUST HAVE ONE.
Okay, now I’m salivating on my computer. Not good.
Having been to a few IDFs in the past, the thing that catches my attention this year is the sense that while this is still very much a geekfest, the presence of real world implementation of technology – translation: the consumer story – is everywhere. More to the point, they talk about where technology can “take you” … and it seems to be a literal translation.
From the personal space craft in the lobby, to the motorcycle on the stage and the Linux platform based BMW concept car they just showed, it would seem that the only mode of transport missing is a boat.
The day is young.