What does the future of the Internet look like? Think of a cell phone that uses radio technology to communicate with tabletops, walls, and other objects that are equipped with digital billboard technology. The phone would identify surfaces that are safe for projecting personal information such as a meeting schedule or travel itinerary, so people could access information on the go without the limits of a cell phone's small screen.

	Man with a vision

That's the vision that Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, presented last week to members of Congress. Speaking to the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, Berners-Lee spent hours explaining how the Net evolved and what he expects it will become. The talk is the first in a series of discussions with tech experts timed to help lawmakers, who are considering dozens of bills that could affect access to information on the Web.

Of course, there are still problems to be worked out, Berners-Lee said. "You don't want your calen- dar up on the subway."

He also described the Semantic Web, being developed at several locations, including the United Kingdom's Southampton University, where Berners-Lee holds a position. It will provide a framework to let data in maps, calendars, spreadsheets, and other storage tools be shared and reused across applications and communities.

Someone filling out a tax form and having difficulty remembering why he spent a certain sum of money could pull up a bank statement for the date of the purchase, then check that against his calendar, and even drop family photos into it, Berners-Lee said. Shots of the kids at Disneyland might jog his memory.