Hybrid Car, Hybrid Home, Hybrid World

I guess we should have known that there would be no absolutes when it came to technology and that in the end we'd need a sensible mix of solutions to make the modern home work.
 
That's certainly the message coming out of nearly all of the world's consumer electronic, technology, research and utility companies, in fact any one who doesn't have a particular product axe to grind.
 
There was a time when the 'no wires' mantra seemed unstoppable, but that has suddenly gone very, very cold.
 
This is because we now know that a lot of the technology we'll have to rely on at home in the future will have to be over high-speed cables, particularly as it enters the house in the first place.
 
The entertainment, telco and tv industries certainly know this as they jockey for prime position for when online, high definition movie, games and video downloads finally becomes a reality.
 
But energy efficiency will also rely on cables as IP becomes the normal standard right across our homes, and every appliance and white good can go online.
 
This will make a major difference to the way we service, upgrade, monitor and manage the energy performance of our daily lives.
 
Wireless is an integral partner to distributing content around our homes, for both entertainment and energy, but it needs to be part of the solution, not the only one.
 
It's time that many of the wireless die-hards began to acknowledge that reality and helped consumers understand that in a high tech world we'll need all the help we can get.

John Fennell
jjfennell@copperdev.com