I remember watching a movie over 14 years ago where the house had several automated items, ultimately simplifying the residents’ lives. I was wholly intrigued with the idea of turning lights on from across the room, or playing a song by simply saying it aloud. Though I was lost in reverie pondering the future, never in my wildest of dreams had I dreamt possibilities of today’s technologies. For years, fans of science fiction have been familiar with the idea of automated devices, being controlled by our voices or even a wave of a hand—but now these concepts of sci-fi are a common reality in our daily lives.
Many devices nowadays are being built with the “smart” design, allowing us to connect to them in a myriad of ways. With today’s Bluetooth and wireless technologies, we can connect to devices from different rooms as well as around the globe. Though many products are being made “smart,” a majority of these devices are limited to connecting to their own ecosystems and apps, creating limitations on their capabilities. Chipmaker Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc., is hoping to break these barriers making everything interconnected.
AllJoyn is an open source project initially developed by Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc., which provides a universal software framework and core set of system services that enable interoperability to connected products. In other words, AllJoyn is making it possible for all devices—regardless of brand, type, platform, etc.—to “speak” to one another. For instance, imagine watching the morning news while waiting on breakfast to finish—the toaster could communicate to you through your TV. Imagine going grocery shopping and your refrigerator sending a reminder to your smartphone that you need milk and eggs. Imagine your house keeping track of you through your car and warming your house up before you get home. Once smart devices are able to work with one another, the possibilities, especially in terms of accessibility, are endless.
