comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

Matrix overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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hidden mode (or chucking it into the nearest recycler) is suspicious
or illegal, and will almost always get you noticed by police or security
forces. For the average Joe on the street, the constant ad-war is a simple
fact of life. For runners, however, I’d highly recommend that if you
begin to have personalized ads sent your way, it is a sure sign that it’s
time to chuck your current ID and buy a new one.
HoMe
The home of your average Joe is a fully networked, fully controlled
AR-enhanced environment managed through a central node
that is linked to the resident’s commlink. If the fridge unit detects
that the soy milk is getting sour, the central home management software
notifies your commlink, which then orders a grocery delivery,
pays through automatic debit from your bank account, and even
sends your kid a reminder note to dump the old milk down the sink
when he gets home from soccer practice. More affluent homes will
skip the kid part, of course, since those critters are notoriously unreliable,
and simply tell the home drone to perform the task. Homes in
more modern apartment buildings, neighborhoods, and corporate
enclaves are designed to take care of all those pesky homeowner
responsibilities like scheduling regular maintenance, monitoring
systems like plumbing or HVAC, and automatically requesting
repairs or upgrades from authorized service providers. You’ve got
a problem with your laundry machine? The machine notifies the
central home management software, which asks you to approve the
repair charges then authorizes a repair tech to your home, who is allowed
access to your home when he approaches with his work-order
and service ID (stored on his commlink, of course), all while you’re
out enjoying yourself shopping for more gadgets.
> Of course, poor neighborhoods have few, if any, of these amenities.
And the really high class neighborhoods and buildings have
actual metahumans running the systems, so don’t expect to get
away with the “water-heater repair guy” act in those places without
some serious prep work.
> Ma’fan
Drones are also common in most homes. The middle class
is especially fond of household drones, which can take care of the
cleaning, home maintenance, and other home chores. Drones can
be toys for your kids, pets for your family, or even provide security
for your home. The drones are generally controlled through the
home’s central node and home management software. After the
events of the last year, drones have gotten a bad rap, but the corps
are pushing back with heavy advertising on how safe, efficient, and
“unhackable” the new generation of drones are.
> “Unhackable?” What a laugh. I’ve used drones to open doors, record
incriminating videos, place drugs in beverages and food, even
to give a particularly annoying asshole food poisoning (by having a
home service drone leave some ham out at room temperature for
too long then serve it up in a sandwich).
> Glitch
> That’s not counting the fact that you can use home drones to
attack people—even if it’s just the little vacuuming drone tripping
someone as they walk by the stairs … .
> Slamm-0!
In addition, AR connected interior design programs are very
popular, allowing a user to customize wallpaper or carpet patterns,
change lighting and music options, even alter the views out of a
window. For those who prefer to live a totally augmented life,
a variety of AR image overlays exist, providing virtual artwork,
virtual image overlays for furniture and appliances, virtual pets,
even virtual roommates for those who want them. I’ve walked into
places and seen writhing dragons where the sofa should be, sat
on squat gargoyles instead of chairs, and met the most annoying
virtual hellhound puppies. The only limits are imagination and
the depth of your bank account (good taste, apparently, is not a
limiting factor in many decorating schemes).
Home entertainment has also blossomed with AR. If your
daughter wants to watch the newest VirtualWorldDisney cartoon
crap while your son wants to see the latest “Nathan Never” sim,
your wife wants to watch a celebrity gossip show, and you want to
zone out to some quiet tunes, you can all do so while sharing the
comfort of your own living room. There are numerous entertainment
services that advertise as “family friendly,” meaning they offer
multiple feeds for each person in the household. If you choose AR
or full VR immersion, you can have your entertainment of choice
blasting your senses without bothering your family or neighbors.
> Speaking from experience, I’m much happier when my son blows
out his eardrums virtually rather than making me listen to the crap
he calls music.
> Snopes
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9