Gary Pilafas, strategic customer engagement lead for Hitachi Data Systems, writes on the company's Techno-Musings blog that "pervasive computing" involves uses like fitting integrated circuits on forks so they can measure your calorie intake.
A slightly more controversial suggestion, perhaps, is his proposal that the electronic components might be used to provide a clear yes-no decision on whether a ball has crossed the line in football.
However, at present, he notes that true integrated systems are not a common feature of the IT landscape.
Instead, he says many firms at present simply buy the intellectual property relating to different component parts and package them together.
This he compares to buying a box of LEGO bricks without a clear idea of what they will build when put together.
Posted by Michael Lowe
