11.6.11

Blog: Our phones & us

My phone is my best friend, I keep talking to it at weird times of the day, I surf the net, update my (apparent) status in social network,  check out the stock prices and mails, search, play Tetris which is the only game I like to play, there is off course a Sudoku and Snake, at times the radio on it, the playlist on the phone resembles the one on my iPod. The songs haven’t been refreshed for a long time. I like to have songs and soothe or excite my mood depending upon the time of the day. Then there this camera in it to click photos, which compete with a decent digital camera. I had a pleasure of owning some nice camera phones in the recent past. The snaps that I clicked buttered my ego into believing that I am a notch above an amateur photographer.

I must confess one in five snaps that I clicked were just amazing. I know realize it in retrospect that it was more to do with the wizardry of the camera-phone rather than me being better than an average amateur photographer. I must confess some phones are worth alone of clicking snaps, let alone the function of the phone. It also keeps my times, at times remembers my friends birthday and now anniversaries too.

I know what it is to lose a mobile phone. We all lost a phone at least once or replaced the older phones with brand new ones. Along with the improvement in technology comes its bane. If you have an old phone, which is fast getting obsolete, try updating contact and other date from old to new.

My phone is reflective of what I am, as life progress; I too may change my phone to a touch screen one. I am one for a touch screen one. A next generation smart phone may not make me smart; I may make me more addictive though, addictive to the phone off course. How many times do we unlock our phones only to lock it again? All of this routine taking like 1.3 seconds or less. Its amazing how phones have evolved so quickly from once being a status symbol to one that of necessity, the fact today is that there are more phones than family members at home.


The idea of age convergence, one we have left behind.

There use to be programs which would talk of convergence of technology. It's an idea we have left behind; it is reality now. Radio-telegram-telex-telephone-fax-computer-internet-mobile phones, communication has come a long way. Each mode of communication evolved into the next one, and the evolution of next generation was faster than the previous one. All of technology does not decline and grow obsolete, all at once. A Bluetooth enabled phone is now an essential of phones, while the infrared is now not preferred, not sure if people were great fans of Infra-red either. There is now extensive research on applicability of the good old Morse code. I wonder if it could be used as a Machine level language, it is just one of the examples. There is a lot of scope for improvement in technology and reduction in price. One isn’t sure which form of technology and communication shall we see in the future.

Road ahead.

We now have a projector on the phone. So one thing is for sure our wildest imagination will soon be humble in times to come if we discuss mobile telephony. Wireless and wire technology will integrate more services, applications, hardware, and software. There would be major challenges too, like that of safe guarding privacy and maintain the network's integrity and safeguarding vulnerable data, hacking of mobile phones, not undermining offers of credit cards,  latest caller tunes and other irritating menacing calls and spam sms that are now thorns of the rose of technology that has seduced us.

We have seen better displays from monochrome screens to the best resolution of display screen, better batteries and Nano-technology etc will further keep feeding the pace of evolution of technology. CDMA and GSM technologies will give rise to further ways of communication. The user will utilize more than just a sms and a call, booking tickets for movie shows and travel buying online look for more avenues...

As more and more people converge towards converging technology prices of phones, services will further make it cheaper, and falling prices of service will be a benchmark to growing revenues of technology enabling companies i.e. Phone makers and service providers.
 
Hacking and unauthorised usage of phone remains a possible grey area e.g. Play station networks suffered latest show of vulnerability of networks and stringent and restricted data access when it come to priority. The legendary Ankir Fadia on twitter suggest that the number of hacking attempts on smart phones rising already. Privacy of data and vulnerability of networks is already a bone of contention between tech companies and governments. I feel eerie about somebody analyzing how I use my phone or my internet habits (Internet foot print) and its various services. I should know who will have an access to the data. I want know what are my rights for data that my phone & internet foot prints yields?

Tailpiece

The mobile technology will see various ideas converging and spinning off from the main branch. Next for of technology may render desktop computer and laptops obsolete, high-end phones and tablets are the first step towards it. iPads and other tablets with phone integrated capabilities and data processing capabilities may see hand held devices more integrated with computer if they don’t replace it at all. I hope they also find ways to make technology more energy efficient. A solar charging phone body, I think it is already done, if it isn’t, it’s just the matter of time before it.

1 comment:

Ar Ar Ar Arrrrr said...

Your view of mobile phones in many extent matches that of mine. The fact that everything is moving on smartphones, looking forward, I'd not be surprised if that tiny little gadget does everything for you.

Using mobile phones to pay your purchase (like CC's) has already been launched. Solar powered should make 'Dammit I need to charge my phone', look like thing of past.