Ubiquity

I realized this evening that I'm not sure I can remember what life was like in the days before I had constant access to a digital communications device.

For me, that happened somewhere in the '96 timeframe. Until then, I had held out on getting a cell phone, really just to avoid adding to my family's bills. It was also about then that I switched to a laptop as my sole computing device, which meant that I could compute just about anywhere and anytime. Internet access wasn't exactly "always on" yet; I suffered dial-up speeds at home, which meant that I often didn't bother to connect at home. In August of '02 is when I got DSL and wireless at home. In many ways, that was a turning point.

With DSL, a wireless router, and a laptop, connecting to the Internet no longer required a trek to the desk, something that requires more effort than one might imagine. After a typical workday seated before a computer, couching it with a laptop seemed like a break.

So, here I am blogging on the couch, with email, a web browser, a cell phone, and just about any digital file that I might need. This is now how I operate. While one might expect someone who works as a tech director to work this way, you might be surprised to learn that my wife, who is less enamored with technology, has come to think this way, too. An example.

Recently, she was driving while I was tapping out something on the laptop from the passenger seat. She casually said, "Would you look up something for me on the web?" While I know people who have paid for cellular connections for the laptop, I have not yet. I reminded her of that fact.

Ray Kurzweil, in his book The Age of Spiritual Machines, predicts a future in which we will be ever connected to an ever-present global, wireless network. Tonight I saw additional signs that such a network is on its way.

PBS' NOW program covered the city of Philadelphia's efforts to provide wireless access to the whole city. Mayor John F. Street sees such a rollout as a basic service for his citizens. Scottsburg, Indiana's mayor, concerned that businesses would leave his small town due to the lack of access to broadband Internet speeds, succeeded in installing a wireless network that covers all the citizens there. Besides reducing costs for the local schools, this access allowed at least one area business to secure a defense contract and to stay put.

So, I've thought some more, and I can't really remember what it was like before I had ubiquitous access. It may be, soon, that none of us will be able to.