Devices talking to devices is nothing new. But what we are seeing is a something really exciting. All the devices talking to each other in not so distant future will make life a whole lot easier. Should your mobile phone be talking to your air conditioner? Now that’s a thought. That might look like a silly idea. But Onida thought otherwise and created a product out of it. If you are heading back home in scorching sun you want to enter into a cool home. In a traditional world, you will be entering and then turning on the AC and wait for it to cool the room. Onida’s new line of AC’s can take a message in from your mobile phone and turn the AC on. Smart way of doing things. It is coming in more ways than one.
Convergence is no longer an idea. It is executed and waiting to be refined. These devices/ideas though look like the future, they are already here.
Samsung Smart TV’s
Television which has a misnomer of idiot box is suddenly getting smarter and popular. If on-demand content without the advertising is the need of the hour, Samsung’s new line of Smart TV’s will take this a step further. The TV can be used to browse Internet, and watch online videos. Just not that. The TV can be extended and can be viewed on a Samsung smartphone or a tablet. That’s just a whole lot of devices talking to each other and providing a seamless user experience.
Slingbox
Slingbox the new device introduced by Sling Media will lets you watch your favorite TV shows from your home anywhere in the world. All you need is an Internet enabled device. With a simple hardware which can be plugged into any TV, you can carry your entertainment wherever you are in the world. You can just use your tablet, smartphone or any computer which is hooked to the internet.
Motorola Atrix
A phone plugged into a computer and running an operating system of its own. Motorola Atrix is the single most popular device at the CES2011 show and for all the right reasons. I don’t need to access what’s on your computer.I have my own operating system to boot into. This is the OS in a USB stick concept taken to a whole new level. Oh! this device can be used as a stand alone thing you know for all things smartphone does.
Bluestacks
The product which we have blogged about recently, Bluestacks lets you run Android operating system on a Windows machine. How is this convergence? Android is an operating system which is designed to run on mobile hardware. Running it on a windows machine without dual booting opens a whole new world of possibilities, especially for developers. Bluestacks isn’t out for beta testing yet, but it sure holds the key to the future of convergence.
Onida Pre-Cool
Onida has come up with an AC called pre-cool. Though this is a crude way of doing things, this AC deserves a mention. It needs a special handset to be present in the home which I presume right where the AC can see it. Once you are out, you can send an SMS to this handset With AC ON or AC OFF. The Air conditioner will be turned on cool the room for you. Nifty little tool for hot conditions.
Android at Home
Google just introduced Android@Home framework. Which means, all or most of your home devices can be controlled by an Android enabled smartphone. Of course, the pieces of hardware should have the capacity to receive signals. This solutions isn’t just for couch potatoes who can’t get around their home. This is much bigger than that. This is to make home energy usage more efficient. What if you are not sure if you have turned off the geyser or not? How about just pulling up your phone and turning it off or finding that status. That would mean two things to you – peace of mind, and a reduced power bill.
At the core of the convergence is the Internet. Manufacturers just spinning out the next fastest mobile phone might not be calling the shots anymore. It is the manufacturers who are thinking in terms of integrating and converging the devices, making them talk to each other will be taking us through the next decade. Sure there will be hiccups and wrong products on the way. That will not take anything away from the idea of convergence.
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