Has anyone seen the commercial in which a repairman rings the doorbell of a young couple's house? It goes like this: a husband and wife are sitting on the couch watching television when the doorbell rings. The husband answers the door and there's a crisply dressed serviceman, toolbox in hand, politely announcing that he's there to repair the refrigerator. "But I never called you," the young husband exclaims. "Honey, did you call someone to fix the refrigerator?" he shouts to his wife. "No," she replies. The husband fixes a puzzled gaze on the repairman and shrugs his shoulders. "No one called me," explained the serviceman, "It did," and he looks at the refrigerator.

In that commercial the refrigerator called the repairman just before something was about to break. Using embedded software, probably Java, the appliance was able to monitor all its critical activities and call for help right before something was about to go wrong. This example epitomizes the future of wireless programming. So far, the vanguard of the wireless Internet extends our ability to check our e-mail and surf the Web.

But look out. In a few short years wireless computing will literally affect our everyday life. Already simple wireless systems are in place. Many states, for example, use wireless systems for highway toll collection, others to monitor people, such as convicts on house arrest. These are two great examples of how wireless systems can improve the life of the general public.

What's next? Soon car manufacturers can use wireless programming to automatically adjust the emissions of cars as they travel from state to state. Imagine paying for a soda at a vending machine by clicking your heldheld computer. Or even paying for groceries without ever going through a checkout counter. All of these are "in the works." How far can it go?

What if you were in an auto accident and the police and paramedics were called as the air bag deployed. What if people with heart problems could wear a watch that notified a doctor when their heart rate became irregular. Perhaps this watch can use GPS technology to direct the closest ambulance to the scene of a soon-to-be heart attack victim. The patient may even see a paramedic before realizing he or she is about to have a medical emergency. Not only are these scenarios possible in our lifetime, they're possible right now. But all is not as rosy at it seems.

There are real human problems with this technology, from annoying to downright sinister. For example: as you're walking through your local downtown area you approach a bagel shop. Last week you stopped in for a doughnut and coffee. You paid with a wireless transfer from your cell phone and went on your way. Today, as you get within one block of the bagel shop, your phone displays an "e-coupon" for a free coffee with the purchase of a bagel. GPS technology was able to pinpoint your location (from your phone) and offer you a deal as you were approaching the store. A convenience? To many perhaps. But who else can get this information? Should real estate developers raise the rent for shops because they can accurately estimate the foot traffic in each corner of town? What about the government? Should they be allowed to monitor the movement of the populace for reasons relating to civil defense or in the event of a disaster? Can our location be monitored for "no reason at all"?

As we accept the conveniences of our wireless future, we must be careful not to give up our freedoms and our privacy. But aren't these rights guaranteed to us? Not really. The word "privacy" doesn't even exist in the Constitution. Privacy is interpreted by the courts. It's by no means automatic. Future evolution of wireless systems will no doubt make our planet a better place. It's up to us to determine how much freedom we're willing to give up. Let's choose carefully and wisely.