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"Traditional radio chips are hard-wired to communicate using one specific protocol. For example, a typical cell phone has several different chips to handle a variety of radio communications: one to talk to cell phone towers, another to contact WiFi base stations, a third to receive GPS signals, and a fourth to communicate with Bluetooth devices. In contrast, software-defined radio hardware works with raw electromagnetic signals, relying on software to implement specific applications.
This makes software-defined radio devices tremendously versatile. With the right software, a single software-defined radio chip could perform the functions of all of those special-purpose radio chips in your cell phone and many others besides. It could record FM radio and digital television signals, read RFID chips, track ship locations, or do radio astronomy. In principle it could perform all of these functions simultaneously. Software-defined radio hardware also enables rapid prototyping of new communications protocols."
Hmm. I don't see this as something consumers (outside of entrepreneurs and enthusiasts) will ever have a need to pick up like the personal computer. The personal computer was a typewriter, a game device, a calculator, etc. it did a lot of things people wanted to do and replaced multiple other devices at the same time.
I see this tech making our cell phones smaller (or more feature rich, freeing up space for more battery, other hardware, etc), and finding its way into a router that OEMs sell to consumers. It's way cool though.
I can imagine a time where a broadcasting device will find the best frequency (or frequencies) at that moment, and begin there, possibly moving as conditions change. Similarly, 'tuning in' might mean a search for the broadcast, then following it as it migrates across frequencies.