Microsoft Pushes PC Design Innovation

In comp.os.linux.advocacy, Sinister Midget wrote on Tue, 26 Apr 2005 09:30:05 GMT

Feh. You wanna design description? Here's one! Three, in fact, all tied together. Call it the Grand and Open Distribution Network...or else.

1 Touchscreen doorbell computer system. This is a combination of various technologies but basically the motherboard proper would simply be wired downstairs in the basement, with monitor telescreens * all over the place, from the kitchen microwave and refrigerator (which will only open upon parental approval, from anywhere on the Internet) to the kid's room where flatscreen TVs divulging parentally-approved content (think V-chip on steroids plus game units) blare quietly, if that's possible. (The kid might have an implanted antenna in his or her ear. The parent will of course have an override.) The family room will be nonexistent, but there might be a similar unit for Dad in his den. And of course all of these screens will communicate with the central unit; the central unit would also be responsible for such things as heating, air conditioning, and attic fan control, trying to squeeze out the maximum energy savings it can. The H-AC system would also include chemical sniffers, mandated by law (5 years in federal prison for tampering), for detecting illicit substances such as sugar, PCP, steroids, and tobacco (if the system can determine that one of the kids is smoking); upon detection the doors will lock (see below). Upon detection of certain other chemicals (those buttociated with house combustion) the doors will open wide and a blaring alarm go off, overriding all other functions.

An alternative of course is a distributed system, where each and every telescreen is part of a network. The effect is the same, and TVs are computers nowadays anyway. Apple already offers an integrated computer-monitor unit (and in fact the old Macs were ahead of their time!).

All telescreens would have communications capability; touch Phone, punch in an identification sequence (the name of one's friends, basically, or perhaps the Social Security number +) and the screen nearest one's desired target will light up and beep. This will work anywhere there's a telescreen, as they'd be very widely distributed. (The more fashionable restaurants might have to use old-fashioned handsets.) A Panic button is also available, connecting directly to the Executive Branch, in case a woman alone in her house hears funny noises downstairs, without her authorizing the door being opened.

And oh yes, the doorbell, with integrated DoorCam, identification subsystem (press finger here), and communications capabilities to the central alarm office which is thence routed to the Executive Branch of the Federal-State-Local governmental system, otherwise known as the local police precinct. Note that all of the telescreens can identify fingerprints, not just the doorbell; the parents might want to call that 1-900-976-NUDE number, but I for one doubt they'd want the kids to.

Under certain conditions the doors will lock, and become unopenable except via a police-approved reset. These conditions are primarily intended for public safety (e.g., all houses in an area are locked down because of a violent fugitive known to be in the general area, or a fugitive is known to be in a house). The libertarians (including me) of course will have a fit, and I'm not entirely sure how far one wants to go down *this* particular path, but it's technologically possible, if not necessarily desirable.

The windows might still offer avenues of escape, but they tend to be smaller and more easily watched by the police. Locking of the doors will be accompanied with a signal, similar to a burglar alarm, alerting the authorities as to what's going on. This may depend on the house architecture; firecodes will of course have to be modified.

(The actual appearance of the unit would probably be a black or gray screen surrounded by a choice of mattings, much like a picture frame or TV set of today. The units would be offered in various sizes. There would be no power switch as such.)

2 Newspad. This old idea is already in service, though maybe not exactly in the form Arthur C. Clarke envisioned. However, a telescreen Webbrowser would not be difficult to code up, and many phone mobiles already have web-browsing capability; the main difficulty here is physical screen size. (One way of solving that: glbuttes with lenses.)

An alternative would be a folding affair about the size of a paperback. Pageflipping would be accomplished by pushing one of several finger-sized virtual buttons. (The main issue here is ensuring the unit is sufficiently rugged. Paperback books can easily be thrown against the far wall of a room, for example. And of course it will be equipped with a small radio-codec device, for updating new books -- or broadcasting the fingerprint of the user for tracking purposes.)

3 Carscreen. This one's also already in service, and would be a navigation map, but would also allow for various other capabilities such as emergency evasion of a deer and automatic stoppage should a cop broadcast a signal, a la Lojack. A speed limiter would also be possible, which would simply "listen" for local signals on a Wifi network indicating what speed the car should be driven at (these signals might also adjust depending on weather conditions as well). These units would be mounted on top of today's speedlimit signs, and will probably be solar-powered. A 911-type system will also be available (has anyone missed the "Onstar" adverts yet?), with autocall in case of airbag deployment. However, the key would include a small battery and fingerprint identification device; the identification device would be tied into the Fed Marshalls-State Highway Patrol subsystem and would continually scan (or be notified of) outstanding warrants. Upon receipt of a warrant the car would automatically shut off, coasting to a stop, then locking up the brakes and becoming undrivable without a mechanical reset or perhaps even major repairs (e.g., an explosive charge driving a rod through all 6 pistons of the engine, or maybe just burning out the electronic ignition subsystem), though it can be towed to an impound yard.

And remember...driving is a privilege.

So...how paranoid did you want to get today? :-)

Smirk.

rest snipped

* George Orwell, though not all of them will be equipped with webcams. Then again, if they're cheap enough, they might be.

+ Yeah, yeah, I know. Of course Social Security might be restructured by the time this gets into wide service; instead of focusing on benefits disbursement it would focus on *social enforcement*. After all, aren't the police responsible for securing the public from various criminals? Or at least appearing to?

Not sure what to recommend regarding various individuals "on call"; e.g., a foreman might want to contact the Plant Manager but may not know who he is. This may be an augmentation to the basic system.

-- It's still legal to go .sigless.