CTO Blog

1. Intel’s vPro chipset. It enables remote management, diagnostics and security patches on your PC, even if it is turned off or enjoying yet another blue screen extravaganza. It thus significantly reduces the number of desktop visits. Yep, the Only Good Helpdesk People Are No Helpdesk People in this case. Nothing personal, you get the point.

2. Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud. Scale from one to thousands of virtual servers in minutes, using nothing more than an Internet connection and a few basic web services. Do the same for unlimited storage and robust message queuing. And it is about just as easy as the one click you need to order Gordon Ramsey’s latest bestseller book.

3. DeviceVM’s Splashtop PC. Using an ultra-light Linux variant installed on the motherboard, this PC will have you up and running with just Firefox and Skype in exactly 5 seconds after booting. With such a quick start-up, the only drawback may be that you get to miss these Buddhist moments with your previous PC, generously taking its time to come alive in the morning.

4. Apple’s Time Capsule. We drooled over it before: this wireless device backs up data in – well – an infinitely cool way. The Time Capsule is equipped with up to a terabyte of storage, the newest Wifi technology and a network router. In combination with Time Machine, it performs its backups as non-intrusive as it will get. Unfortunately, the juicy design of this little box does not really help to approach true invisibility.

5. Cisco’s Application Oriented Networking. “Application-fluent networks based on highly distributed, service-oriented and legacy architectures that may operate in a promiscuous mode”: Cisco’s marketing department could probably do with some Yoga classes. But the AON appliance packs all the maddening complexity of SOA, XML, web services, security and business policies in a simple blade box. It’s all in the network, for real. Integration experts and suppliers: this may just as well be the end of life as you know it.

6. Chip PC’s Jack-PC. We always thought it was a metaphor: to have our computing power on tap or out of the wall, like a true utility. But Israel-based computer manufacturer Chip PC took it slightly more serious. Their Jack-PC fits into a standard wall-size socket and is nevertheless a fully functional thin-client computer, including 4 USB slots and connections for mouse, speakers and a display. Firmly mounted in the wall, it will be very hard to steal. And with a power consumption of only 5 watts, this device is virtually invisible to both the eye and the financial administration.

7. Nintendo’s Wii game computer. Instead of joining Microsoft and Sony in the race towards even better graphics and processing power, console maker Nintendo chose a contrary approach. Actually, their Wii is more a denial of a game computer than anything else: the motion-sensitive controller is one of the simplest user interface devices ever created and the games excel in usability, not in pixel density. New extensions include a power glove, a skate board and a fitness mat. And who knows just how invisible this incredible machine may become in the future.

More or better suggestions for a second round of Invisible Infostructure wonders? Share them with us through the comments section!