Wi-Fi, UbiComp, and SmartMobs
Valerie Gomez de la Torre | KMS i385Q | Dr. Turnbull |11.17.05
Overview
• Clarify terms
• Review related readings
• References
Define: Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi does not stand for “Wireless Fidelity”
• It is not an acronym. There is no meaning.
• As a trademark, it isn’t allowed to have a pre-existing
meaning in the realm in which it is registered
• The Wi-FI Alliance wanted something catcher than
“IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence”
– hired Interbrand to come up with the name and logo
More WiFi news: Wi-Fi Net News
Why Wi-Fi Warchalking died
"Warchalking is the practice of marking a series of
symbols on sidewalks and walls to indicate
nearby wireless access. That way, other
computer users can pop open their laptops and
connect to the Internet wirelessly."
Challenges:
• Grassroots effort
• Amateurs
• Defacing buildings is illegal
• Requires maintenance
• Wi-Fi Logo 
Define: UbiComp
• UbiComp = Ubiquitous Computing
• Mark Weiser coined the term in the late 80’s
• UbiComp forces the computer to live out here in
the world with people
• Also known as Pervasive Computing
Define: SmartMobs
• Consist of people who are able to act in concert even if
they don’t know each other. They emerge when
communication and computing technologies amplify
human talents for cooperation
• Impacts from SmartMobs have been +/– Location-based matchmaking
– Organized gang killing using text messages
• SmartMob Technologies
– Mobile communication devices
– Pervasive Computing
More information: SmartMobs, Howard Rheingold
System Directions for Pervasive Computing
Pervasive computing focuses on deploying smart
devices through our working & living spaces
The infrastructure necessary to
seamlessly and ubiquitously
provide applications is almost a reality
There are difficulties when
designing, building, and deploying
applications in a pervasive computing
environment
Grimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001)
System Directions for Pervasive Computing
Argument: Existing approaches to distributed computing
are flawed along three Fault Lines when applied to
pervasive computing.
1. Application data and functionality need to be kept
separate
2. Applications need to be able to acquire any resource
they need at any time so that they can continuously
provide their service in a highly dynamic environment
3. Pervasive computing requires a common system
platform allowing applications to run across a range of
devices
Grimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001)
T Spaces: The Next Wave
• A network middleware package for the new age of
ubiquitous computing
• Enables communication between applications and
devices in a pervasive computing environment
• To connect all devices we must have a common
language platform on which to run
Lehman, T., McLaughry, S.W., Wycko, P. (1999)
FieldWise: A Mobile Knowledge Management Architecture
• KM, Mobility and CSCW
• Findings from empirical studies & fieldwork:
– People’s tasks are time critical and driven by
deadlines
– Results rely on the creativity of autonomous, but
interrelated people
– There is a culture of co-operation and sharing of
knowledge amongst people
– People are mobile and distributed
Fagrell, H., Forsberg, K., Sanneblad, J.. (2000)
Wired Magazine Article: Unplugged U.
• Dartmouth College’s campus-wide wireless network
• The Wi-Fi network is changing:
– Teaching techniques
– Social interaction
– Study habits
– Security
Innovations in consumer technology must become
part of the background of everyday life…
 the tool itself is an afterthought
McHugh, Josh (2002)
References
•
Fagrell, H., Forsberg, K., Sanneblad, J. (2000) FieldWise: A Mobile Knowledge
Management Architecture. Proceedings of the Viktoria Institute ICTech conference on
Newmad Technologies. Sweden
•
Grimm, R., Davis, J., Hendrickson, B., Lemar, E., et al. (2001) System Directions for
Pervasive Computing. Proceedings of Hot Topics in Operating Systems(HotOS-VIII),
Elmau, Germany, May 2001
•
Lehman, T., McLaughry, S.W., Wycko, P. (1999) T Spaces: The Next Wave.
Proceedings of the Thirty-second Annual Hawaii International Conference on System
Sciences. Vol. 8. IEEE Press.
•
Rheingold, H. (2002) Smart Mobs: Te Next Social Revolution. Perseus Publishing.
•
Wi-Fi Net News
•
Unplugged U.
•
Warchalking