ALT.SF4M

  Personal Area Network YOU Must read This!

   • g*****o@l**.****t.net
     21/11/1996 00:00:000 UTC

     I was going through the IBM homepages where I spotted their Comdex
     pages.

     I went there and saw a new technology called PAN [Personal Area

     Networks]. The URL for this page is;

     http://www.ibm.com/TradeShows/Fall96/pan.html

     It starts off at showing a new way in exchanging Business cards at Trade

     Shows. Instead of paper cards, people just have to shake hands and their

     card information is exchanged when both hands connect! People will carry

     a device smaller then a beeper which acts as a transmitter and receiver.

     It uses the body as a conductor. The device can transmit and receive

     through as many as 4 people connecting hands in a chain.

     It also goes off in saying how this can be the next step in shopping.

     Their personal information can be stored in their device and they just

     have to touch a terminal and all their information is downloaded for

     billing purposes.

     Now this Technology can be fun. I can imagine people running around at

     business conventions just tagging people and giving [uploading] unwanted

     business contacts and just plain old advertisements. If you went to

     Vegas, imagine have to manuver around those guys that hang out at the

     street corners 'handing out' that porn stuff. All they have to do is

     touch you. I can imagine a new breed of jobs where the workers put on

     Roller Blades and they zip around cities and conventions. They can zip

     around and touch people so they can upload & download information.

     What about the Hackers? I can imagine some imaginitive people taking

     advantage of this technology. Somebody creates a Virus so you really can

     catch a virus from soembody else by just shaking their hands! They might

     be able to create a program that hacks into your database so they can

     download all the contacts that you just made.

     Fun stuff!

     --Glen