Pervasive Computing Handbook

Our future is pervasive. We were not meant to be chained to our computers in our Dil­ bert cubic1es. Having millions of white-collar workers commute to work every day to sit for eight hours chained to their computer is something right out of a Kafka novel. Before the cell phone, I can remember sitting at my desk waiting for calls to be returned. If I was traveling I made sure that I was all setup to place calls from public phone booths. Today, I can't imagine having to look for a telephone booth! I can be reached on my tri-band digital cell phone anywhere in the world instantly. I also have a PDA that I carry everywhere. My PDA instantly synchronizes with my desktop computer, which in turn connects to a larger network of computers and web portals. The world is my neighborhood. Soon digital devices will be working together hand in hand thanks to technologies such as Bluetooth. This inc1udes devices such as Cell phones, Digital Cameras, PDAs, and desktop computers. The Wireless Internet is the catalyst for the convergence of digital communications, computing, and rich media. This is a mega trend that we call "Pervasive Computing". What "Pervasive Computing" means to each and every one of us is the ability to take our own worlds of personal and business infor­ mation with us wherever we go. Now we can always be in touch with our families, affinity groups, and co-workers. This book is a guide for the world of Pervasive Computing. It describes a new class of computing devices which are becoming omnipresent in everyday life. They make information access and processing easily available for everyone from anywhere at any time. Mobility, wireless connectivity, diversity, and ease-of-use are the magic keywords of Pervasive Computing. Devices include handheld computers, mobile phones, interactive television, smart cards, household appliances as well as intelligent automotive equipment. The book covers these front-end devices as well as their operating systems and the back-end infrastructure which integrate these pervasive components into a seamless IT world. A strong emphasis is placed on the underlying technologies and standards applied when building up pervasive solutions. These fundamental topics include commonly used terms such as XML, WAP, UMTS, GPRS, Bluetooth, Jini, transcoding, and cryptography, to mention just a few. Besides a comprehensive state-of-the-art description of the Pervasive Computing technology itself, this book gives an overview of today's real-life applications and accompanying service offerings. M-Commerce, e-Business, networked home, travel, and finance are exciting examples of applied Pervasive Computing This book is a guide for the world of Pervasive Computing. It describes a new class of computing devices which are becoming omnipresent in every day life. They make information access and processing easily available for everyone from anywhere at any time. Mobility, wireless connectivity, di- versity, and ease-of-use are the magic keywords of Pervasive Computing. The book covers these front-end devices as well as their operating systems and the back-end infrastructure which integrate these pervasive components into a seamless IT world. A strong emphasis is placed on the underlying technologies and standards applied when building up pervasive solutions. These fundamental topics include commonly used terms such as XML, WAP, UMTS, GPRS, Bluetooth, Jini, transcoding, and cryptography, to mention just a few. Besides a comprehensive state-of-the-art description of the Pervasive Computing technology itself, this book gives an overview of today's real-life applications and accompanying service offerings. M-Commerce, e-Business, networked home, travel, and finance are exciting examples of applied Pervasive Computing. Front Matter....Pages I-10 What Pervasive Computing Is All About....Pages 11-25 Front Matter....Pages 27-30 Information Access Devices....Pages 31-52 Smart Identification....Pages 53-70 Embedded Controls....Pages 71-104 Entertainment Systems....Pages 105-118 Front Matter....Pages 119-120 Java....Pages 121-132 Operating Systems....Pages 133-180 Middleware Components....Pages 181-202 Security....Pages 203-216 Front Matter....Pages 217-218 Internet Protocols and Formats....Pages 219-226 WAP....Pages 227-242 Connectivity....Pages 243-302 Service Discovery....Pages 303-310 Front Matter....Pages 311-313 Gateways....Pages 315-326 Web Application Servers....Pages 327-340 Device Management....Pages 341-346 Synchronization....Pages 347-354 Front Matter....Pages 355-356 Portals and Access Services....Pages 357-361 Home Services....Pages 363-370 Travel and Business Services....Pages 371-378 Front Matter....Pages 355-356 Consumer Services....Pages 379-383 Back Matter....Pages 385-409