It\u2019s the year 2020 and newlyweds Tom and Sara are expecting their first child. Along with selecting the latest high-tech stroller, picking out a crib, and decorating the nursery, they download the \u201cNewBorn\u201d\u009d application suite to their universal communicator; they\u2019re using what we\u2019ll call a SmartPhone 20.0. Before the due date, they take the phone on a tour of the house, letting the phone\u2019s sensors and machine-learning algorithms create light and sound \u201cfingerprints\u201d\u009d for each room.<\/p>\n
When they settle Tom Jr. down for his first nap at home, they place the SmartPhone 20.0 in his crib. Understanding that the crib is where the baby sleeps, the SmartPhone activates its sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) application and uses its built-in microphone, accelerometers, and other sensors to monitor little Tommy\u2019s heartbeat and respiration. The \u201cBaby Position\u201d\u009d app analyzes the live video stream to ensure that Tommy does not flip over onto his stomach\u201d\u201da position that the medical journals still report contributes to SIDS. Of course, best practices in child rearing seem to change quickly, but Tom and Sara aren\u2019t too worried about that because the NewBorn application suite updates itself with the latest medical findings. To lull Tommy to sleep, the SmartPhone 20.0 plays music, testing out a variety of selections and learning by observation which music is most soothing for this particular infant….<\/p>\n
While this scenario is, of course, science fiction, many of the technologies I\u2019m describing are here today in research labs or even in app stores. So the reality of a SmartPhone 20.0, along with its envisioned NewBorn suite, are not far off.<\/p>\n