the phone adds another dimension to reality
What you get is more than what you see – welcome to the world of augmented reality (AR), coming soon to your mobile. The BBC reports that augmented reality based services are in the offing for mobile phones.
Using a heady combination of GPS, Internet and the mobile camera, these services will display vital information on your surroundings, enhancing your perception of the real world.
Well, one thing’s for sure, the new reality will definitely augment the dumbness quotient of our race.
Call it Terminator Vision – a view of the world tagged with rich, location-relevant information whilst your gaze flickers here and there.
Using the phone’s built-in GPS, Sekai calculates your position. The viewfinder for the camera then displays location-specific information graphically on top of your real-world view.
Perhaps the most advanced service is SPRXmobile’s Layar service. Launched this June in Amsterdam, residents and visitors can now see houses for sale, popular bars and shops, jobs on offer in the area, and a list of local doctors and ATMs by scanning the landscape with the software.
the self-charging phone
Break free from wires – The Guardian reports that Nokia is testing a mobile phone prototype that charges itself, by harvesting ambient radio waves from the environment.
The Nokia Research Centre in Cambridge estimates it will take three to five years to develop the technology, before the phone hits the market.
Standby mode is often accused of being the scourge of the planet, insidiously draining resources while offering little benefit other than a small red light and extra convenience for couch potatoes. But now Nokia reckons a mobile phone that is always left in standby mode could be just what the environment needs.
A new prototype charging system from the company is able to power itself on nothing more than ambient radio waves – the weak TV, radio and mobile phone signals that permanently surround us. The power harvested is small but it is almost enough to power a mobile in standby mode indefinitely without ever needing to plug it into the mains.
Txtin hrts
An acute drop in grammatical standards due to rampant texting may not be the only cause of worry for parents and teachers – NYT reports that going overboard with texting has serious psychological implications for teenagers, and it’s beginning to take a toll on their health.
Texting seems to show no signs of stagnation, in fact it has doubled over the past year, fuelled primarily by the rise in the number of unlimited texting plans.
Parents, you might want to take a closer look at your teen’s phone bill.
Psychologists expect to see teenagers break free from their parents as they grow into autonomous adults, Professor Turkle went on, “but if technology makes something like staying in touch very, very easy, that’s harder to do; now you have adolescents who are texting their mothers 15 times a day, asking things like, ‘Should I get the red shoes or the blue shoes?’ ”
Michael Hausauer, a psychotherapist in Oakland, Calif., said teenagers had a “terrific interest in knowing what’s going on in the lives of their peers, coupled with a terrific anxiety about being out of the loop.” For that reason, he said, the rapid rise in texting has potential for great benefit and great harm.
wave and pay
Replace your credit card with your mobile phone – NYT reports that in a significant move to take mobile payments mainstream, Visa has announced the launch of its mobile payment service using Near Field Communications (NFC) technology.
Shoppers can make a purchase by simply waving the phone close to a contactless reader at the merchant. Currently available in Malaysia, the service will be gradually expanded to other regions.
Any one fancy a “Citibank Nokia Vodafone Visa Gold” phone?
As for convenience, the technology standard will ultimately allow you to load multiple accounts onto one phone. The program allows phones to be used to pay for parking and public transit fares through a separate account.
Eventually, the system will allow credit and debit card accounts from multiple providers and payment brands. You need to run an application on your phone to switch the default account that is charged when you swipe the phone over a terminal.
one world, one charger
It’s a move that will be welcomed by consumers and environmentalists alike. The Guardian reports that the GSM Association has announced an initiative to introduce a universal mobile charger, which would also meet higher energy efficiency standards.
It’s likely to be based on the micro-USB connection, found on devices like the new BlackBerry Storm.
Still on the drawing board, it’s expected to be a standard by around 2012.
The mobile phone industry plans to introduce a universal charger as part of a drive to improve its previously patchy environmental record.
Not only will it mean phone users no longer have to hunt for the right charger, but the specifications for the new device include a 50% reduction in standby energy consumption.
.tel – more like .hype
Hurry, rush, grab – The Times reports that yet another top-level domain has gone live.
According to Telnic, the company that runs the .tel registry, businesses and individuals can manage all their contact information through their .tel domain – sort of a unified communication hub.
And boy, at just $300 for the first three years, isn’t it a steal?
What’s next – .con?
“.tel is your place on the internet, which will act like a switchboard.” said Kash Mahdavi, the chief executive of Telnic, the London-based company that runs the .tel registry. “You can say, ‘Here are my Facebook details, here is my mobile number, and people will always be able to find you’.”
a turning point for mobile TV?
The Obama inaugural is poised to be probably the most viewed television event on mobile but it’s also going to be an acid test for MobiTV’s ability to handle network overload.
NYT reports that with even the presidential debates drawing more than double the average daily viewership, challenges abound for MobiTV which broadcasts live television across 20 mobile networks.
Live breaking news and sporting events are some of the company’s most popular broadcasts, but also “have the greatest load on the network in terms of number of concurrent users,” said Ray DeRenzo, the director of programming and marketing at MobiTV, which began offering wireless video in 2003.
The biggest challenge when handling popular live events is network overload, an obstacle Mr. DeRenzo says the company tackles by lowering video and audio quality; its video frame rate drops from 20 frames per second to as low as 15. MobiTV’s service can also delivers video over Wi-Fi if a subscriber’s phone is set up for it.
friends (no, keys) don’t let friends talk while driving
The drive against using mobile phones while driving gains a bit of momentum – Live Science reports that a pair of researchers in the US have developed a computerized key which prevents mobile phones from being used during driving.
It seems to be primarily targeted at teens with parental supervision though it’s probably the adults who could do with a couple of lessons in safe driving – nevertheless it’s a positive move.
While in driving mode, teen drivers cannot use their cell phones to talk or send text messages, except for calling 911 or other numbers pre-approved by the parents – most likely the parents’ own cell numbers.
Incoming calls and texts are automatically answered with a message saying, “I am driving now. I will call you later when I arrive at the destination safely.”
Heavenly intervention in the form of a mobile phone
R.J. Richard was mowing his lawn, when he felt something slam into his chest – well, that something turned to be a .45 caliber bullet. MSNBC reports that Richard’s Motorola mobile phone was covering his heart and absorbed the impact, saving his life.
Reports of pocket Bibles saving their owners’ lives pop up every so often. Richard says he’s sure that God told him to put the phone in his overalls chest pocket rather than a pants pocket as usual. He said that Saturday’s incident increased his faith.
check in with your mobile
Flash your phone – after Continental and Delta, American Airlines is the latest airline joining the fray to issue mobile boarding passes. However, a range of conditions apply – only available on domestic flights with no change in planes, applies to only passengers traveling alone etc.
Initially, the facility will be limited to passengers traveling from Los Angeles International and John Wayne Orange County airports. If the trials conducted with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are successful, it will be extended to other U.S. airports.
Looks like it’s going to be quite a wait before mobile ticketing goes mainstream.
When customers check in for their flight using American’s Web site, AA.com – either the desktop or mobile versions – they have the option to receive their boarding passes on their cell phones or PDAs. If this option is selected, they will get an e-mail with an Internet link to their boarding pass. The mobile boarding pass contains a 2-D barcode that can be scanned at TSA security checkpoints and at American Airlines gates. At the airport, customers simply scan their cell phone or PDA screen when going through Security (proper identification must be presented) and when boarding, just as they would a traditional paper boarding pass.
