Implications of HP's Memory Spot Technology: A Future of Ubiquitous Information - Prof. Ji, Papers of Computer Science

Download Implications of HP's Memory Spot Technology: A Future of Ubiquitous Information - Prof. Ji and more Papers Computer Science in PDF only on Docsity! Implications of HP’s Miniature “Memory Spot” Technology (Name Withheld) 3/10/2009 In 2006, Hewlett Packard launched a prototype of miniature technology that could make the electronic world, currently only available to PCs and the Internet, part of our everyday physical existence. This paper will discuss the possible implications of the Memory Spot chip – both good and bad – given it gains widespread use in the world. Some of these effects include social, privacy, biological, and environmental issues. The Memory Spot chip is a quite small (roughly about 2mm²) storage device. It stores about 4 megabits of information and boasts a 10 megabit/second transfer rate. For comparison, BlueTooth transfers data about 1 megabit/second. Its small form factor allows it to be embedded in nearly anything, from pictures, hard copy documents, ID cards, hospital patients wristbands and more. Its data capacity gives it the ability to store a small audio or video clip, changes/additions to a text document as well as the document itself, and even medical records for a patient (1). Let’s take a tour of the future with the Memory Spot in widespread usage. You just exit the high school where you teach 10th grade geometry. On the way to your car you see Frank’s new 2030 Hummer H8; seeing it in blue makes you wonder what it’d be like to have one. Knowing you can’t afford it, you approach the SUV anyway, pulling out your cell phone. You lower your phone to the driver’s side bumper give it a beat and pull your phone back flipping it open. You’re greeted with all the vehicle’s information: class, body style, layout, platform, wheelbase, dimensions, transmission, fuel capacity, mpg and more esoteric attributes. They sure bury the price don’t they, you think. Finally there it is: $43,130. Your wife Beth calls, interrupting your daydreaming, asking you to stop at the store to pick up a few things for dinner. On your way to the milk, you stop off in electronics remembering the batteries for your son’s birthday present. You also grab a 36-pack of MemSpots. At the counter you pay for your items and set your phone on the counter waiting for the receipt to be transferred. The teenage clerk speaks up in the meantime. “You’re old enough. How did you guys live without the MemSpot when you were young.” Trying to ignore his obviously unintentional insulting remark, you smile and reply. “My son’s turning 3 and my parents live out in New York and we’ve got some cool video pics we want to send them.” “Ah…cool. Sorry about the age thing.” Your phone beeps indicating it received the receipt. It will be automatically entered into your iPhone’s budget app. In the background, one of the store’s TVs is tuned to a news channel. You barely hear it as the announcer continues. “…John Duarte, marine biologist says the Chinook salmon numbers in the Columbia have been on the decline: 40% down from 10 years ago. Duarte is quick to point out that recycling programs were not introduced soon enough after the initial release and explosion in usage of the MemSpots. Duarte also mentions cases of reduced algae populations. The biologist is not hopefully that the programs will be able to undo the damage already done. In related news, millions of students are facing copyright violations with their distribution of textbooks in digital format. And finally, in Clackamas a woman is rescued by her dog after…” You leave the electronics section and snag the remaining items on your list. After you pay you open your phone and are assaulted by a local cigar and pipe shops for a free tobacco sample with purchase of another at the same or greater price. Stupid MemSpot receipts—gotta love ‘em—gotta hate ‘em, you think. You suddenly remember you have to make copies of tomorrow’s homework assignment for the class. You find the store’s copy machine and pull out your combination flash drive and rewritable MemSpot on your key chain. After swiping your credit card, you hold the key chain’s digital content up to the photo copier’s reader and push 5-2 on the keypad. Soon the printer is making 52 perfect copies of the newest homework assignment. On your way home, you notice you need gas. Pulling into the gas station, you have the attendant fill it up. Ring. Ring. It’s Frank calling about the poker game on Friday night. You look forward to the group’s usual smoke in his garage on game night You shoot the breeze with Frank and before you know it the attendant is at your window with your receipt. Reaching out quickly with phone still in hand, you take the receipt. You pull your phone back and realize yet another annoying advertisement has been pulled into your phone from the receipt. This time it’s for the gas station’s adjacent car wash. You quickly delete it and resume your conversion. At home your wife has heated up the stove and is eagerly awaiting the new recipe you got at the store; it came with the chicken, digitally of course. She takes the packaged chicken over to the printer, holds the label up to the printer’s reader, waits a