This could give new depth of meaning to "dead spots" in cellular coverage zones

Telemetry - the process of measuring critical indicators, and then relaying that information to a remote site for interpretation - has all kinds of interesting implications for improvements in the ways we manage what we measure.

Let's say the critical indicators you're measuring are a human being's "vital signs" (respirations, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.)

We've done this for race-car drivers, pilots, and astronauts for many years now, and equipment that does this kind of thing in a medical crisis is on the back of many (if not most, by now) ambulances. Smart defibrillators, which "interpret" a person's EKG and administer an electric shock to stop dangerous arrhythmias, can be found in mall food courts these days - or you can buy one for your home or office at Amazon.com for roughly the same cost as a Macbook.

Now, consumer-level medical telemetry appliances are about to proliferate. Although I hope for many more years of relatively good health, I am hopeful that when the time comes, I will be able to be fitted out with the nth generation of this gear:

The Bluetooth wireless technology that allows people to use a hands-free earpiece while making a mobile telephone call could soon alert the emergency services when someone has a heart attack, Ofcom predicts.

The communications regulator said that sensors could be implanted into people at risk of heart attack or diabetic collapse that would allow doctors to monitor them remotely.

If the “in-body network” recorded that the person had suddenly collapsed, it would send an alert, via a nearby base station at their home, to a surgery or hospital.

New wi-fi devices warn doctors of heart attacks (Times Online, 7 May 2008)

Computerworld reviews Google Docs and Spreadsheets

Computerworld reviews Google Docs and Spreadsheets, formerly known as Writely, and concludes "good concept, but far from ready for prime time":

Looking for a free word processor and spreadsheet? Google's newly released Docs & Spreadsheets suite that offers just that, but in this case you get what you pay for. While the number-crunching power of Spreadsheets is adequate for simple workbooks, the Docs program (formerly Writely, acquired by Google earlier this year) is so underpowered we wouldn't recommend it for even casual use.

We tested the program pair with Internet Explorer 6 and 7, Opera 9, and Firefox 1.5. While our testing of Google Spreadsheets left us generally pleased... Google Docs didn't impress us. Furthermore, we encountered so many performance problems that we hesitate to use the programs in any but the most desperate circumstances.

For example, we were repeatedly stymied by a "Network error" message that prevented us from saving our work or even performing a spell check (since Docs must save the document first). Likewise, "Unable to connect to the network" left us frustrated and at a dead end. Worrying about whether your documents and spreadsheets will be available and hoping they won't disappear or be corrupted is no way to work.

I've been using "Google Docs and Spreadsheets" since the Writely days, and while I wouldn't be quite as harsh in my assessment as the Computerworld reporter, I have to agree that I'd never rely on these applications for primary use.

Still... it is very, very clear to me that network-delivered applications are the future, and that the tottering baby steps being taken now are in no way indicative of what offerings are going to look like in a few years.

By the way, if you're looking for an amazingly terrific free word processor, spreadsheet, and office application suite, the newest version of OpenOffice (2.04) just became available.