Wehaveenteredanewageofembedded（嵌入式的），intuitive（直觉的）computinginwhichourhomes，cars，stores，farms，andfactorieshavetheabilitytothink，sense，understand，andrespondtoourneeds．It'snotscienceficti
We have entered a new age of embedded（嵌入式的），intuitive（直觉的） computing in which our homes，cars，stores，farms，and factories have the ability to think，sense，understand，and respond to our needs．It's not science fiction，but the dawn of a new age．
Most people might not realize it yet，but we are already feeling the impact of what's known as the third wave of computing．In small but significant ways it is helping us live healthier and more secure lives．If you drive a 2014Mercedes Benz，for example，an"intelligent"system tries to keep you from hitting a pedestrian．A farmer in Nigeria relies on weather sensors that communicate with his mobile device．Forgot your medicine？A new pill bottle from AdhereTech reminds you through text or automatic phone messages that it's time to take a pill．
Technology is being integrated（融入） into our natural behaviors，with real-time data connecting our physical and digital worlds．With this dramatic shift in our relationship to technology，companies can adapt their products and services．
To understand how revolutionary the third wave is，we ought to consider how far we have come．The first wave began when companies started to manage their operations through mainframe computer systems over 50years ago．Then computing got"personal"in the 1980s and the 1990s with the introduction of the PC （personal computer）．For the most part，computing remained immobile and lacked contextual awareness．
In computing's second wave，mobile computing and the smartphone took center stage．Billions of people，some of whom might not have had access to clean water，electricity，or even housing，were connected．Developers created applications and provided consumers with access to just about everything through their phone at the cost of a monthly data plan．
As the third wave keeps developing，designers must meet the demands of consumers who want to experiment with new technology．
Historically，designers have focused