Controlling your digital world

Back in 2001 I worked on a project for Hewlett Packard that positioned the home computer as the centre of your digital world.

It was a bit ahead of its time to be honest.

Things are pretty different today though. The computer is now an important device in most households.

Having said that the computer is about to be replaced at the centre of our digital lives by the mobile phone.

Nokia has long said that it is in the mobile computing market not the mobile phone market.

And since its arrival a year or so ago the iPhone has taken that mantra and run with it.

Thanks to the Remote app I can control my iTunes from anywhere in the house using my iPhone.

It doesn't stop there. Before we know it we'll be able to download apps to control most things in the house from the iPhone.

In fact this is already happening to a certain extent.

Companies like Creston, Lifeware and Control-4 all have downloadable apps that can control everything from the air-conditioning to household lighting.

I wonder if Alexander Graham Bell foresaw any of this when he invented the telephone all those years ago?