Peggy Smedley discusses how the iPad may cause a paradigm shift in the marketplace by offering users a monthly data plan with no contract and no cap on data usage, as well as how this will affect AT&T, which will host the device on its 3G network. Smedley also talks about how the touchscreen is becoming an important feature on connected mobile devices.;

 

Jon Bryan, managing director, Retrieva Ltd., talks about the Retrieva Collar, the company’s dog tracking solution and how it helps pet owners keep track of their animals from anywhere via a computer or Web-enabled phone. He also talks about the three specific types of technology the solution uses and what some of the other industries are that could benefit from such a solution.;

 

Daniel Johnston, product communications manager, Volvo Cars of North America, talks about Volvo’s Pedestrian Detection system and how it can automatically apply the vehicle’s brakes if a pedestrian walks out in front of the vehicle, as well as how this technology will potentially reduce the number of traffic fatalities involving pedestrians. He also discussed some of Volvo’s other innovative new safety features.;

 

Smedley and Mike Carrozzo, chief editor, M2M magazine, talk about some of the discussions that have taken place on M2M magazine’s LinkedIn forum and Connected World magazine’s Facebook fan page. Some of the topics discussed include the status of M2M in Europe as compared to the U.S., the letter to the Obama administration pushing for the smart grid, as well as whether people classify the iPad as a laptop or an ereader.