subject: Looking Into The Future Of Cutting Edge Mobile Technology: Quo Vadis? [print this page] Technology has so shifted and there's a clear that before the turn of this decade, anybody with a cell phone or any handheld mobile device is sure to have more computing power in their hands than was deemed possible on a top-of-the-line desktop PC more than a decade or so ago.
And that's not even considering bandwidth backbones necessary to power the grids that support wireless communication, such as DS3 bandwidth or the even more powerful OC3 bandwidth; and more likely, also the Ethernet.
So now you ask, what is the relevance of all these game-altering applications of such colossal computing power? It's absolutely more than watching a rerun of your favorite TV show or even programming your Digital Video Reorder on your handheld device!
The technology behind mobile device will never cease to amaze us with its awesome, ever escalating applications, bandwidth, computing capability, input/output selections, form-factor and contents that are generated and released by the thousands. And yes, that's daily - day in and day out. Just check all those application stores and you'll realize what that means.
The crucial factor, however, is the emergence of the real power - the "disruption" and "game-changing" - that can happen once the vast majority of society takes on the amenities being offered. That's where the real restrictions lie. It's alright to get all worked up about technology specs; sure, it's something to get excited about, no argument about that. But it's probably a little naive, unfortunately.
Don't forget that man made it to the moon with only half (maybe even less) than the computing power of, say an Intel 80386 PC. Computer processing power may have followed Moore's Law but growth in productivity or GDP certainly hasn't. And the simpler case of MMS phones, which has been in existence for several years now; yet people still insist on going with the SMS messaging.
These game altering devices and the technology and applications that come with them are here (or some can be built in a heartbeat); but the real issue is: Does the average wireless handheld device user willing to play the game? Can these technologies and applications stay and sustain the consumers' interest?
Undoubtedly, there are an endless number of applications that could be established for these mobile device technologies and applications. But if we want the "killer apps" that would really alter and make a big impact to our lifestyles over the coming decade, here are the sure-fire winners:
Science and Health. There is no better way to cut administrative costs in human health and other related sciences than mobile computing power in the system - real place, real time meta-tagged information on health and sciences will enable the creation of a national database for tracking diseases and other health issues.
Social Interaction and Experience. An increase in the capability for broadband wireless networks will mean less travel for global company employees and new opportunities for those who aren't global yet. A new generation foreign trade will rise as businesses and homes get equipped with video telephony for virtual yet life-like interaction. This is sure to slash down the complexities and costs of in-home networking.
Mobile and Global Money. It is for the experts to analyze and give this aspect a conclusion but from an ordinary consumer's point of view, it appears that mobile transactions might cause a substantial upheaval to the way we work and buy now. It seems a plausible conjecture that currency and exchange could transform mediums from cash/credit to something like "no contact" financial transaction.
Well, these particular examples are purely based on observations on the mounting demand as the new generation comes of age after the slumped economy fully risen and gotten back to its feet. The technology is already here; it's just a matter of putting the applications into optimal use.
