July 2011: You’re carrying a cellular phone and a laptop computer for wireless Internet? What kind of dinosaur are you?!
The future of the phone for some users is not as a supplement to a laptop but as a replacement. Phones will become so powerful that you won’t need a laptop to enter long documents and view high-definition videos.
Enter the new Asus Eee PC 901 subnotebook computer, which contains the low-power Intel Atom microprocessor. Atom chips can run various flavors of Linux as well as Microsoft Windows. For typical tasks -- email, Web surfing, writing documents, downloading multimedia files -- the Atom will work fine.
Atom chipsets won’t be integrated into phones in the near future, but a new line of ARM-based chipsets will. They’ll perform about as well at Atoms, says Bob Morris, director of mobile computing for ARM.
ARM creates chipset architectures for numerous manufacturers, including cellular phone vendors. The ARM Cortex A8 is “almost identical” to the capabilities of the Atom, Morris says. It can operate at 600 GHz to 1 GHz or more. In essence, an Atom or Cortex A8 can perform similarly to a lower-end laptop computer of five years ago, he notes.
On another front, high-end graphics used to be for tricked-out desktop computers for games. But now we’re seeing graphics chipsets that can handle screen resolutions of 780p for cellular phones. Consumers are demanding graphics not just to play games, but also to zoom and pan and view videos in browsers.
We have begun to see phone LCDs with VGA resolution and contrast ratios of 2,000:1, such as a new Sharp handset in Japan. Within another three years, higher resolutions will filter down to mid-tier phones. The size of the screen, however, could be a problem compared to a subnotebook.
Displays in your contact lenses
Microprojectors, which display the screen’s contents on a wall, will be integrated into high-end phones during the next several years. Microvision Inc. (Nasdaq: MVIS) has been one of the pioneers, as are others, in devising a projector for the iPhone. Microvision also is working on displays built into eyeglasses. Researchers at the University of Washington are developing displays in contact lenses.
Skeptical? Not long ago you would have been considered a lunatic to wander around with earphones or, worse, headphones. But if you have the right type of job, you can get some displays for free. And I am convinced we will don eyeglass displays once they are sufficiently inexpensive and lightweight -- and don’t give you a headache!
The toughest part of using a phone as a laptop is entering text. Tiny Bluetooth plastic keyboards and roll-up keyboards aren’t optimal. Fold-out keyboards have promise; I sort of like that jack-of-all-trades device. Virtual keyboards that display on flat surfaces already exist, but there’s no typing feedback. We need some sort of feedback, the way some phones employ haptic touch screens that vibrate when you press an icon or key.
Alternatively, we could use voice recognition software. Computer speech-to-text software, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, has gotten much better.
Jott Networks Inc. and SpinVox Ltd. offer speech-to-text for notes. But the key is being able to quickly and easily enter large amounts of text. A new company, Audience has just introduced noise-canceling technology for cellular phones that could improve voice recognition.
Or perhaps we’ll simply employ nano technology to "morph" the phone into multiple shapes.
Maybe you’re thinking: So what? I can buy and carry multiple devices. But what about people who aren’t so fortunate? Many people around the world use cellular as their only connection to the Internet. If we could offer them a more computer-like experience, it would justify a great deal of research.
Microsoft has filed for a patent for a cellular phone dock that would use the heart of a cellular phone to transform it into a computer, according to unwired view. This is much more than just a dumb dock. This "Smart Interface System for Mobile Communications Devices" -- into which you plug your phone and, in turn, connect peripherals (monitor, speakers, hard drive, mouse, etc.) -- translates/transcodes/transforms Internet data into forms the phone can understand.
In other words, if you've downloaded a video and the phone doesn't have the appropriate software to display it, the software in the Microsoft dock will enable the phone to play the video, which you may view on your large LCD monitor that's connected to the dock.
In addition, the dock would contain a CPU, memory and an OS to enable the phone to perform like a more powerful computer. As I wrote in the ThinkerNET column, phones already are relatively powerful -- and have become even more powerful since I wrote the column in July 2008. For example, look at Nvidia's Tegra chipsets which feature, for example, 720p resolution for shooting and playing videos on cellular phones.
Hi Geekess,
If you are a "geekess" you should have no problem finding and installing the Windows Mobile 6 upgrade, which is available for the 8525. You'll probably prefer it.
Skyfire is in beta, but it might be a "closed" beta. It's a nice browser.
Voice/speech synthesis is becoming increasingly important for cellular and GPS.
(I'm writing and sending this from my BlackBerry Curve 8320.)
Alas, no, my 8525 is still on Mobile 5.0... I'll have to check into Skyfire.
I certainly prefer using a GPS Nav device like a Garmin or Magellan, but the TeleNav in the phone works nicely in a pinch (except for needing the separate GPS receiver). While driving with either nav device, I prefer good quality in the voice commands, such as letting me know to turn right and then stay to the right. If the voice commands are good enough, I usually don't even have to look at the screen. I wonder how much effort the vendors put into their voice commands, over the screen display?
It's tough to get a laptop for under $500, but it is possible. The subnotebook computers, such as the earlier Asus Eee PCs, can be had for $400 or less. Refurbished laptops are available for under $500. But in general, you've got to spend at least $500 for a laptop, and even then you might want a larger hard drive or more RAM.
Of course, there's the One Laptop Per Child Effort for laptops that are under $200 and other similar projects.
Several articles in the past day or two have discussed the iPhone 3G as the new mobile platform and, even the new mobile computer. Of course, Nokia for a couple of years has been calling its Nseries phones "mobile computers."
I often use my cellular phones, especially the Nseries and my BlackBerry Curve to read and answer e-mail, surf the Web, etc. But for writing anything more than a few paragraphs (and I've written long e-mails on various BlackBerrys), laptop/notebook/subnotebook computers rule.
You pay at least 700 for a laptop so maybe 400 isn't that bad! but I don't blame you, it's quite a commitment.
The good news is that the prices are going down.
But the problem, as Alan mentions, is to find a balance between mobile but usable. We want to type and watch videos but it has to fit in our pockets... hmm!... The way the industry is going, we are going to have accessories for that, while the size of the actual device stays basically the same. With the use of pico-projectors and maybe some modification from the infrared keyboards.
Hornswoggle means to cheat/swindle. You might want to say, "I'll be jiggered!"
Is your 8525 using Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.0? The browser's better than Windows Moible 5.
Actually, Windows Mobile isn't too bad for connecting to Exchange servers -- certainly better than many other mobile software solutions.
Opera Mini is a good browser, and getting better. Also, there's Skyfire browser for Windows Mobile. It's still in beta. It's a proxy server and the reviews have been good.
GPS capability in cellular phones has a lot of interesting uses. But the larger screens of dedicated in-vehicle GPS units makes them a lot easier to see and use while driving.
Well I'll be darned! [I was going to say 'hornswoggled' but I'm not entirely sure what that entails...] Must be a bit of a niche market, as I've never seen the phone vendors tout that capability. Good to know, though!
I have an 8525, and the browser with Windows Mobile stinks. I downloaded Opera and was pretty impressed with it as well. I haven't ever browsed with a Blackberry, plus their keyboards are such that I just can't type on one. I may have to just deal with that one of these days, as only the Blackberry devices provide the connectivity I'd like to have into enterprise email. *sigh*
I do like the capability that many of the newer phones have for providing GPS navigation - that makes for one less device I have to carry!
I don't blame you for sticking with your laptop now. But the point is that cellular phones are becoming increasingly powerful, especially with new microprocessors. The ability to browse the Web, work on documents, etc. isn't -- and won't be -- the main problems of using a phone as a laptop replacement. It's the two other main challenges -- text input and screen viewing (especially text input) -- that are the main stumbling blocks.
Cellular phones with business card scanners as well as business card scanning software using the phone's camera have been available for several -- overseas as well as, surprise, in the United States.
Verizon Wireless' LG VX9800 incorporates a business card scanner, but I wouldn't run out to buy the phone just because of that (not especially accurate) capability. The Sony Ericsson P990 has business card scanning software that works in conjunction with the camera.
A few private companies, such as ScanR, offer business card scanning software for camera phones. Also, Evernote, a note-taking/storage program that's rather good, can store photos of business cards. Evernote has a recognition engine that does a good job of pinpointing business cards when you scan for names, addresses -- just about anything on the card that's stored in Evernote.
I am finding that browsers on cellular phones are getting much better. The browser on the BlackBerry's new OS 4.5, as I wrote, is much better. So is Nokia's new mobile browser as well as Opera Mini and several other new ones. I often using my phones to surf the Web and save pages for research. I also use RSS readers. My phones are extremely useful for more work.
But I certainly agree that there's no comparison to using a computer's large screen and keyboard.
Glad you like the article. It seems that the glasses-type displays are almost, but, not quite, ready for prime time, whether it's the cost or the ergonomics or the tendency to give people headaches. They are getting much closer to a more mainstream device, though.
I carry multiple devices, too. I can see the possibility of phones being plugged into a docking station, that connects to a large monitor, keyboard, speakers, etc. -- just like a latptop dock -- at home or office. I was going to mention that in the article, but I didn't have enough room!
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The apartment and house sharing service, Airbnb, now requires members to verify their identities by demonstrating a presence on the web, and by either scanning a government ID or entering detailed personal details. Other enterprises should take a close look at Airbnb's verification policies.
Enterprises must keep a close eye on the Marketplace Fairness Act, now before Congress, which would allow a nationwide sales tax on US online purchases. The bill's enactment will affect every business that operates or buys from an e-commerce website.
Samsung Electronics recently announced two Galaxy Mega branded phones with enormous screens -- 5.8 inches and 6.3 inches -- that could be useful for enterprises, especially those in vertical markets.
Virtual walls combine analog and digital elements -- paper posters and wireless transmissions -- that offer fascinating business and branding opportunities for enterprises. These walls are powerful tools because they merge the emotional experiences of the analog world with the intellectual experiences of the digital world.
While many retailers bemoan customers' use of showrooming, a handful of Internet-savvy companies are embracing this trend. From their perspective, the Internet is encouraging businesses to explore innovative ways to leverage online sales with brick-and-mortar or even engine-and-wheels locations.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
Subsidized handsets, rather than locked handsets, should be the focus of regulators. We're not getting good deals, not fostering innovation, and weakening our power as buyers.
A survey by JD Powers found that customer interest in product features is lessening as phones evolve. Rather than features, price is driving purchases, and that change could have a dramatic impact on how IT departments secure these devices.
The iPad Mini is the latest iteration of the exploding tablet category. Because most tablets are WiFi-only, they create a new kind of mobile network. The problem is that we don't have issues like roaming and security defined for this new world.
When whole departments do BYOD and consumerization, it's a threat to IT and the whole organization. It's also an emerging business technology cliché you'll be sick of soon enough.
For the frazzled, hurried consumer, waiting in line has become a major bugaboo. A survey by Great Clips has found that 94 percent will wait less than 10 minutes to check out at a store. Self-check-in has become popular among airlines and is now making its way into the retail marketplace. Using smartphones, consumers can order items and pick them up, cutting down on their wait time.
New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority is conducting a pilot test of digital kiosks to guide subway users to where they want to go more efficiently and at lower cost.
The whole Amazon.reader debate is a double-stupid. It's stupid to think that there's any e-book buyer who doesn't know Amazon's URL, and it was stupider to let ICANN launch the whole free-form TLD initiative to start with.
While NFC's original goal was to enhance mobile commerce applications, it is finding its way into a number of other uses, which is creating both opportunity as well as challenges for IT departments.
Enterprises would like to move to cloud computing but are hesitant because they are concerned about providers’ ability to secure company data. Here are some tips that help to ensure that if breaches occur, the business is not left holding the bag.
Edmunds separates customers into segments based on the info it collects on its site and from partners, and uses that to push out custom content, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
The automotive website uses propensity modeling to target ads and customer registration forms, said Brian Baron, director of business analytics for Edmunds.com, at Predictive Analytics Innovation Summit.
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