Hi PMCW - I posted this on the Raging Bull SUNW thread in response to a general question about JINI.
For the Thread: It's fun to speculate about future products and innovative uses of new technology. I have experimented with specific X-10 applications and it really works quite well. Once integrated into the Internet, a much more powerful set of features become available for "interactive service" companies. If SUNW's long term plan is to provide the "intelligent" server between the home and the network, then many new consumer services could be provided that will not only generate new hardware sales for SUNW but perhaps many sources of new revenue streams for the company through "value added services".
I can vision a lot of very neat new applications and services through these home enabled JINI devises. Also, there are a lot of potential business applications such at (1) real time inventory monitoring for vending machines, (2) daily fuel tank level monitoring for gas stations, or even (3) real-time temperature controls for business and manufacturing facilities.
ELON is a company that now provides both home and business network software that will control devises (even JINI devises) in LAN or WAN network environments. I expect many more to appear in the future. Of course, SUNW will provide the engine (i.e. the server) that drives these new services.
EKS
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"...Will JINI work using the X-10 technology (open source) that uses the AC phase shifts to transmit & receive data bits to devises plugged into the present home wiring lines?
From what I understand is that these devises must contain an eprom and an efficient processor that already contains the base JINI code. Presently the X-10 interface is limited to the number of data bits that can be transmitted and received per AC cycle.
However, the technology seems to work fine for controlling switches (ie on off timers or through remote sensors), updating the server with devise data (limited to
small compressed data packets), and updating devise source code if kept to small packet sizes.
As you pointed out, wireless systems solve a lot of the problems in bandwidth constraints but also pose a large set of new problems with using such an interface.
IMO, it will be up to the devise manufacters to establish set standards that work with either type of LAN. I see SUNW's opportunity as providing the WAN and/or central office large network servers that could access all the home LAN's to monitor these JINI enabled devises (i.e. refrigerators, heaters, water and gas utility meters, etc.)
for upstream customers such as utility companies, appliance manufacters (the GE's and Maytags) and even media companies...."
EKS |
