As technology moves ahead, through the recession and into new frontiers, size is becoming an issue (as it always has been, no pun intended) and manufacturers and consumers are trying to push the boundaries of how accessible they wan to be and how much information and data they want to store. As data storage increases and people are more adept to mobile computing, the size of such devices is becoming smaller every year.
This is the first of a multi-part blog post that will check out the current standards and make way for what we could expect in the not too distant future. Intel's line of Atom processors, that were discussed in my post about Netbooks are paving the way for smaller computers that can do more with less space. I will not be surprised if Atom processors soon find their way into cell phones, although that industry is currently dominated by the likes of QuallComm, Texas Instruments, Motorola, and others.
Sony recently unveiled their Vaio P, a miniature version of a Netbook; basically making a mini out of a mini. I fail to see how that is possible but technology is supposed to get twice as fast and twice as small every two years. This little marvel comes with a beautiful 1600 x 786 pixel 8 inch screen, 1.33Ghz processor, 2GB DDR2 ram, a 60GB harddrive and even Wireless N. Damn. Even though it is priced at around $900, the reality of miniature laptops such as the Sony Vaio P or the Macbook Air is that innovation is neverending.
Now if you thought that was cool, then check out the rumors about the new Amazon Kindle 3, expected to be more powerful, with a complete touch screen, and probably even the ability to enter data ... meaning that people will create and view data wherever and whenever. Add a sim card to that mix and you have broadband access for truly being connected 24/7.
Mobile computing is the way of the future regardless of how much people might choose to disagree with it. A perfect exammple would be these blog posts. I tend to write these on my Windows Mobile phone while on the metro or in some mindless speech and then simply upload it to Blogger. The host of possibilities for the future is incredible, with better battery packs, to more power friendly Organic LED screens and better processors that can run faster and still use less juice than ever before. These opportunities open up the possibilties for open source software among other things.
My next post will explore the possibilities of smaller computing and even lifestyle changing functional prototypes.
Miniature Tech Part 1
Cell Tech
What if there were a way to go to that dark corner of your basement and still get signal on your cell phone, in case the boogie man comes out to get you of course. What if this were possible without a gigantic cellular tower in your back yard? Well it just might be possible with the help of something called a femtocell.
First off, you don't need to take another biology class to figure out what a femtocell is. With that out of the way, allow me to elaborate. A femtocell is basically like a special wireless router that acts as a miniature cellular tower. It has the range of around 15 meters, making it ideal for the home. Oh, and it is as small as a residential wireless router too.
Say your house is usually a dead spot, and as soon as you walk in the front door, you lose signal. This is where the femtocell will come in handy. Now, if you have one of these little buggers connected; as soon as you walk into your house, your cell phone will jump from the cellular tower to the femtocell signal and it will send your signal through the internet to your carrier's servers and vice versa.
Although femtocells are still quite pricey (~$200) even after being subsidized, they still represent a step in the right direction. Imagine an entire community with a femtocell built into every wireless router. Dead spots would almost be completely eliminated...except, of course, if you are in the desert.
Mind Tech
Hollywood has a way of getting us excited about things that are not real. People flying, super-human strength, insane stunts that would almost always kill you if attempted in real life, mind reading, disappearing...wait, did I say mind reading was not real? Oops.
Okay, we're not talking abilities such as the likes of Magneto from X-Men, but that may not be too far into the future either. What I am talking about is being able to control robots and other such things with one's mind. It has been proven to be possible, though primitive in control. Believe it or not, Honda is behind this major innovation with help from a tech company called Shimadzu and a research firm called ATR.
So can I control my civic with my head now? No.
[This image hopelessly jacked from: http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/03/31/humans-can-now-control-robots-by-thoughts-alone-video/]The user wears a helmet that checks (take a deep breath) electroencephalography or EEG that measures minute electrical activity near the scalp and also near-infrared spectroscopy or NIRS to measure blood flow. The measurements are compared with pre-sets for certain things such as arm movement or leg movement and are then relayed to ASIMO.
Even though this technology is in its primitive stages, it shows a world of possibility and gives Hollywood a run for its money at the same time.
I know what you're thinking!
