the.world.is.flat-第42节

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phone；　and　video　camera；　but　it　has　also　evolved　to　the　extent　that　it　has　functions　
similar　to　a　PC；〃　he　added。　〃You　need　to　move　your　buttons　quickly　＇with　your　thumb＇。　
We　call　ourselves　'the　thumb　people。'　Young　girls　in　high　school　can　now　move　their　
thumbs　faster　than　they　can　type　on　a　PC。〃　
By　the　way；　I　asked；　what　does　the　〃Ubiquitous　Department〃　do？　


〃Now　that　we　have　seen　the　spread　of　the　Internet　around　the　world；〃　answered　Mitsuishi；　
〃what　we　believe　we　have　to　offer　is　the　next　step。　Internet　communication　until　today　
has　been　mostly　between　individuals…e…mail　and　other　information。　But　what　we　are　
already　starting　to　see　is　communication　between　individuals　and　machines　and　between　
machines。　We　are　moving　into　that　kind　of　phenomenon；　because　people　want　to　lead　
a　richer　lifestyle；　and　businesses　want　more　efficient　practices　。。。　So　young　people　
in　their　business　life　use　PCs　in　the　offices；　but　in　their　private　time　they　base　
their　lifestyles　on　a　mobile　phone。　There　is　now　a　growing　movement　to　allow　payment　
by　mobile　phone。　＇With＇　a　smart　card　you　will　be　able　to　make　payments　in　virtual　
shops　and　smart　shops。　So　next　to　the　cash　register　there　will　be　a　reader　of　the　
card；　and　you　just　scan　your　phone　and　it　becomes　your　credit　card　too　。　。　。　
〃We　believe　that　the　mobile　phone　will　become　the　essential　con…　
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trailer　of　a　person's　life；〃　added　Mitsuishi；　oblivious　of　the　double　meaning　of　the　
English　word　〃control。〃　〃For　example；　in　the　medical　field　it　will　be　your　
authentication　system　and　you　can　examine　your　medical　records；　and　to　make　payments　
you　will　have　to　hold　a　mobile　phone。　You　will　not　be　able　to　lead　a　life　without　
a　mobile　phone；　and　it　will　control　things　at　home　too。　We　believe　that　we　need　to　
expand　the　range　of　machines　that　can　be　controlled　by　mobile　phone。〃　
There　is　plenty　to　worry　about　in　this　future；　from　kids　being　lured　by　online　sexual　
predators　through　their　cell　phones；　to　employees　spending　too　much　time　playing　
mindless　phone　games；　to　people　using　their　phone　cameras　for　all　sorts　of　illicit　
activities。　Some　Japanese　were　going　into　bookstores；　pulling　down　cookbooks；　and　
taking　pictures　of　the　recipes　and　then　walking　out。　Fortunately；　camera　phones　are　
now　being　enabled　to　make　a　noise　when　they　shoot　a　picture；　so　that　a　store　owner；　
or　the　person　standing　next　to　you　in　the　locker　room；　will　know　if　he　is　on　Candid　
Camera。　Because　your　Internet…enabled　camera　phone　is　not　just　a　camera；　it　is　also　
a　copy　machine；　with　worldwide　distribution　potential。　
DoCoMo　is　now　working　with　other　Japanese　companies　on　an　arrangement　by　which　you　
may　be　walking　down　the　street　and　see　a　poster　of　a　concert　by　Madonna　in　Tokyo。　
The　poster　will　have　a　bar　code　and　you　can　buy　your　tickets　by　just　scanning　the　
bar　code。　Another　poster　might　be　for　a　new　Madonna　CD。　Just　scan　the　bar　code　with　
your　cell　phone　and　it　will　give　you　a　sample　of　the　songs。　If　you　like　them；　scan　
it　again　and　you　can　buy　the　whole　album　and　have　it　home…delivered。　No　wonder　my　
New　York　Times　colleague　in　Japan；　Todd　Zaun；　who　is　married　to　a　Japanese　woman；　
remarked　to　me　that　there　is　so　much　information　the　Japanese　can　now　access　from　
their　Internet…enabled　wireless　phones　that　〃when　I　am　with　my　Japanese　relatives　
and　someone　has　a　question；　the　first　thing　they　do　is　reach　for　the　phone。〃　
I'm　exhausted　just　writing　about　all　this。　But　it　is　hard　to　exaggerate　how　much　this　
tenth　flattener…the　steroids…is　going　to　amplify　and　further　empower　all　the　other　
forms　of　collaboration。　These　steroids　should　
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make　open…source　innovation　that　much　more　open；　because　they　will　enable　more　
individuals　to　collaborate　with　one　another　in　more　ways　and　from　more　places　than　


ever　before。　They　will　enhance　outsourcing；　because　they　will　make　it　so　much　easier　
for　a　single　department　of　any　company　to　collaborate　with　another　company。　They　will　
enhance　supply…chaining；　because　headquarters　will　be　able　to　be　connected　in　real　
time　with　every　individual　employee　stocking　the　shelves；　every　individual　package；　
and　every　Chinese　factory　manufacturing　the　stuff　inside　them。　They　will　enhance　
insourcing…having　a　company　like　UPS　come　deep　inside　a　retailer　and　manage　its　whole　
supply　chain；　using　drivers　who　can　interact　with　its　warehouses；　and　with　every　
customer；　carrying　his　own　PDA。　And　most　obviously；　they　will　enhance　informing…the　
ability　to　manage　your　own　knowledge　supply　chain。　
Sir　John　Rose；　the　chief　executive　of　Rolls…Royce；　gave　me　a　wonderful　example　of　
how　wireless　and　other　steroids　are　enhancing　Rolls…Royce's　ability　to　do　work　flow　
and　other　new　forms　of　collaboration　with　its　customers。　Let's　say　you　are　British　
Airways　and　you　are　flying　a　Boeing　777　across　the　Atlantic。　Somewhere　over　Greenland；　
one　of　your　Rolls…Royce　engines　gets　hit　with　lightning。　The　passengers　and　pilots　
might　be　worried；　but　there　is　no　need。　Rolls…Royce　is　on　the　case。　That　Rolls…Royce　
engine　is　connected　by　transponder　to　a　satellite　and　is　beaming　data　about　its　
condition　and　performance；　at　all　times；　down　into　a　computer　in　Rolls…Royce's　
operations　room。　That　is　true　of　many　Rolls…Royce　airplane　engines　in　operation。　
Thanks　to　the　artificial　intelligence　in　the　Rolls…Royce　computer；　based　on　complex　
algorithms；　it　can　track　anomalies　in　its　engines　while　in　operation。　The　artificial　
intelligence　in　the　Rolls…Royce　computer　knows　that　this　engine　was　probably　hit　by　
lightning；　and　feeds　out　a　report　to　a　Rolls…Royce　engineer。　
〃With　the　real…time　data　we　receive　via　satellites；　we　can　identify　an　'event'　and　
our　engineers　can　make　remote　diagnoses；〃　said　Rose。　〃Under　normal　circumstances；　
after　an　engine　gets　hit　by　lightning　you　would　have　to　land　the　plane；　call　in　an　
engineer；　do　a　visual　inspection；　and　make　a　decision　about　how　much　damage　might　
have　been　done　and　whether　the　plane　has　to　be　delayed　in　order　to　do　a　repair。　
〃But　remember；　these　airlines　do　not　have　much　turnaround　time。　If　

this　plane　is　delayed；　you　throw　off　the　crews；　you　drop　out　of　your　position　to　fly　
back　home。　It　gets　very　costly。　We　can　monitor　and　analyze　engine　performance　
automatically　in　real　time；　with　our　engineers　making　decisions　about　exactly　what　
is　needed　by　the　time　the　plane　has　landed。　And　if　we　can　determine　by　all　the　
information　we　have　about　the　engine　that　no　intervention　or　even　inspection　is　needed；　
the　airplane　can　return　on　schedule；　and　that　saves　our　customers　time　and　money。〃　
Engines　talking　to　computers；　talking　to　people；　talking　backto　the　engines；　followed　
by　people　talking　to　people…all　done　from　anywhere　to　anywhere。　That　is　what　happens　
when　all　the　flatteners　start　to　get　tur…bocharged　by　all　the　steroids。　
Can　you　hear　me　now？　

：：：：：　THREE　
The　Triple　Convergence　
What　is　the　triple　convergence？　In　order　to　explain　what　I　mean；　let　me　tell　a　personal　
story　and　share　one　of　my　favorite　television　commercials。　


The　story　took　place　in　March　2004。　I　had　made　plans　to　fly　from　Baltimore　to　Hartford　
on　Southwest　Airlines　to　visit　my　daughter　Orly；　who　goes　to　school　in　New　Haven；　
Connecticut。　Being　a　tech…sawy　guy；　I　didn't　bother　with　a　paper　ticket　but　ordered　
an　e…ticketthrough　American　Express。　As　anyone　who　flies　regularly　on　Southwest　knows；　
the　cheapo　airline　has　no　reserved　seats。　When　you　check　in；　your　ticket　says　simply　
A；　B；　or　C；　with　the　As　boarding　first；　the　Bs　boarding　second；　and　the　Cs　boarding　
last。　As　veterans　of　Southwest　also　know；　you　do　not　want　to　be　a　C。　If　you　are；　you　
will　almost　certainly　end　up　in　a　middle　seat　with　no　space　to　put　your　carry…ons　
in　the　overhead　bin。　If　you　want　to　sit　in　a　window　or　aisle　seat　and　be　able　to　store　
your　stuff；　you　want　to　be　an　A。　Since　I　was　carrying　some　bags　of　clothing　for　my　
daughter；　I　definitely　wanted　to　be　an　A。　So　I　got　up　early　to　make　sure　I　got　to　
the　Baltimore　airport　ninety…five　minutes　before　my　scheduled　departure。　I　walked　
up　to　the　Southwest　Airlines　e…ticket　machine；　stuck　in　my　credit　card；　and　used　the　
touch　screen　to　get　my　ticket…a　thoroughly　modern　man；　right？　Well；　out　came　the　ticket　
and　it　said　B。　
I　was　fuming。　〃How　in　the　world　could　I　be　a　B？〃　I　said　to　myself；　looking　at　my　watch。　
〃There　is　no　way　that　many　people　got　here　before　me。　This　thing　is　rigged！　This　is　
fixed！　This　is　nothing　more　than　a　slot　machine！〃　

I　stomped　off；　went　through　security；　bought　a　Cinnabon；　and　glumly　sat　at　the　back　
of　the　B　line；　waiting　to　be　herded　on　board　so　I　could　hunt　for　space　in　the　overhead　
bins。　Forty　minutes　later；　the　flight　was　called。　From　the　B　line；　I　enviously　watched　
all　the　As　file　on　board　ahead　of　me；　with　a　certain　barely　detectable　air　of　
superiority。　And　then　I　saw　it。　
Many　of　the　people　in　the　A　line　didn't　have　normal　e…tickets　like　mine。　They　were　
just　carrying　what　looked　to　me　like　crumpled　pieces　of　white　printer　paper；　but　they　
weren't　blank。　They　had　boarding　passes　and　bar　codes　printed　on　them；　as　if　the　As　
had　downloaded　their　boarding　passes　off　the　Internet　at　home　and　pri