The hoopla surrounding PDAs, Cell Phones, Micro Computers, Global Positioning Sensors, MP3 Players, Broadband, Wireless, Mobile, Internet Telephony, E-mail and the like prompts me to put on paper a description of the gadget of my dreams, the number one item on my wish list for the coming year (or soon after). It’s what I call the WWC (Wrist Watch Computer).

PERSONAL HARDWARE
The basics of my gadget (WWC) is a device similar to the Dick Tracy™ wrist radio in the detective comic strip of the 40’s. A micro screen (color), microphone and speaker, voice recognition, a fabulous processor and memory, micro-medic input (pulse, blood pressure, oxygen content, etc.) and the ability to either scan my retina or thumbprint for verification. The unit would have built-in global positioning (under MY control), and will work through something like the current cell phone tower system or whatever.

I’ll accept that the unit may have to be slightly more bulky than ‘just’ a wrist watch at first, and the first units could be split in two parts, one to wear on the wrist and one to clip on the belt or be carried in a purse, however, I would expect the unit to be self-contained very quickly. It would have a wireless connector to some sort of earphone system for listening to music, talk radio, or the weather report, and could also have a wireless input system that subvocalization would energize, meaning I wouldn’t have to walk around with my wrist in my face all the time.

COMMUNITY HARDWARE
Two way communication with and between WWCs could be through the current local cell towers that cover an entire city to start, then grow to cover most anyplace in the world. We’re heading that way anyway, so why not make this system universal? From there, the system could access worldwide data bases for information retrieval. The present phone companies would turn into wireless data system suppliers.

INTERFACE HARDWARE
Should I be in a vehicle, my WWC would automatically use the vehicle’s more powerful transceiver when I was traveling through dead spots in or between towns. At first this interface could be another option from the car dealer, but would soon be a standard. I would still pass any query through my personal WWC, but the WWC would automatically use the car’s unit if necessary. This same interface system could be installed in restaurants, stores, homes and office buildings.

HOW WWC WOULD WORK FOR ME
The WWC would be my interface to the rest of the world. I would be able to ask directions (which would authorize a global positioning fix), request information (nearest coffee shop, stock quotes, number of tigers in the Detroit Zoo, or ask about anything my heart desires). The WWC would connect to the larger database through the cell tower system, search the data base, and return the information to me in seconds. If the transaction involved money, the screen could verify my thumbprint or scan my retina.

I could ask my WWC who that person was I met at the party last week, ask directions to the nearest office supply store, or just act as a regular telephone now works, making connection between two people. Of course the unit would be voice activated, and would transmit any request to the central unit, which would do whatever it takes to make happen what I want to make happen. E-mail and voicemail (with spam filters), notepad, and address book would be a standard.

Should I be incapacitated for any reason, the unit would use the medic feature to check me out, ask me questions, and if I didn’t give the right answers (or if I needed help), contact the closest medical assistance unit for help.

The tiny screen could be used for whatever you can think up: a stock photo of a caller a phone number, a stock quote, a price, simple video, or whatever. The possibilities are endless!

WHO PAYS
The system would be paid for exactly as we now pay for a phone. You and I would pay a small fee for use plus an additional cost for data storage, and as they do now, businesses would pay a much higher fee for similar items, plus businesses could record their GPS location as an option. Paid advertising would be available, just as it is in the yellow pages, and you and I could thumb through (figuratively) the yellow pages to select the firm we want.

READER INPUT REQUEST
Now just about everything I’ve mentioned above is available, and you may be using one of the features right now, but wouldn’t it be great to have it all together? It’s going to take a forward-looking firm with a lot of bucks to put all of this together, and we will probably go through much iteration before everything works like it should. Other features that I haven’t dreamed up will emerge as the system matures, but I will positively state one thing. It’s going to happen! I’m sure many of you have other ideas that the system should do or not do, so why don’t you email me your ideas and I’ll put the best suggestions on my website. Who knows, maybe the ghost of Dick Tracy is listening!