Does Wi-Fi Aware Influence You?

Wi-Fi Aware

Wi-Fi Aware is the culmination of a lot of research and innovation by some of the world's largest companies. We're talking about Microsoft, Apple, Samsung, Cisco, and all the other Wi-Fi Alliance members involved. 

Process

The fundamental idea behind Wi-Fi Aware is that devices and applications will be able to determine and connect with each other automatically based on proximity alone, and no cellular data or Internet bandwidth will be lost because these connections are carried out internally over Wi-Fi. Subscriber devices are persistently looking for publishers and will trigger a link request when they are identified. On the go, users would be able to switch to Wi-Fi Aware features. It is a refined example of the Internet of Things, a concept that defines a network of interconnected computers where, without any human intervention, these devices are continuously transmitting information back and forth.

Wi-Fi Aware's Pros and Cons

Pros

Since Wi-Fi Aware is so new, it's impossible to tell with confidence how exactly it's going to play out, but we can reflect on the pros and cons of Wi-Fi. 

• The first idea that comes up is the rising popularity of smart home automation. To do a lot of what they do, smart home products focus on user interconnectivity, and smart homes are very handy.
• When you are at a shopping mall,  Imagine walking along and being notified at your favourite stores about nearby sales. 
• Wi-Fi Aware can help identify the whereabouts of lost friends and family. Speaking of crowds, let's say you're going through your city's bustling streets. Wouldn't it be awesome if your phone alerts you that an old friend is seated on a bench just a few metres away from you? The opportunities are infinite with Wi-Fi Aware.

Cons

• Battery life is one major concern. It is undeniable that any Wi-Fi Aware system would consume more battery than a device without Wi-Fi Aware, considering the fact that the Head of the Wi-Fi Alliance has already said that Wi-Fi Aware is energy effective even more efficient than standard Wi-Fi.
• Another major problem is safety. While in theory the Internet of Things is awesome, and in theory by default makes Wi-Fi Conscious great, we have already found that it is vulnerable to security exploits and threats.

Conclusion

Look closely and you'll see a pattern in digital technologies over the past decade: a trade-off between ease and novelty between security and privacy. In that pattern, Wi-Fi Aware is yet another data point and blends in well. There's no question that some pretty interesting software and products will result from Wi-Fi Aware, and hopefully, you will start enjoying them.