GLOBAL – I’ve been thinking about what else I’d like my phone (or Mobile Computer) to do for me. There’s little in the world of consumer electronics that any of my mobile devices aren’t capable of replicating in some form, be it email, camera, satnav, watching and listing to films and music and of course making calls. Whether it’s through a physical function such as a camera or GPS, or an added feature or service such as Gravity enabling me to keep on top of Twitter, there’s a lot of stuff already catered for. But else could it do?There’s plenty of stuff in development, and I’m sure the boffins at Nokia are a long way ahead of me on this one (Morph concept anyone?). Sure, there’s NFC stuff being worked on which could see my wallet fall out of my pocket for the last time. Even accessing and controlling my house is a possibility. Do I want that stuff? I’m not entirely sure, until I try it for real, for a while.
Health and monitoring is another place and Sports Tracker is already starting to do some of that work for us. Combined with a heart rate monitor exercise and recording what happens takes on a new dimension.
But how could a phone (or a feature on it) help me get to sleep easier? Or find more time in my day? Could it help me think up ideas of stuff to write for Conversations (it’s arguable, that it already does that, but in an indirect sort of way). Is there something that I’m not thinking of right now that’d make the world of difference?
The upgrade path for a lot of devices is pretty clear. For many it’ll be more and better functionality. The N86 8MP is already showing us what cameras can really do, particularly in low light conditions. The N97 is showing us the real power of mobile computing. Apps and services are rolling out which help make our lives easier, continually so as those apps and services improve. New ways of interacting with devices make them easier to use, so more people can benefit from the functionality. In fact, much of the technology early adopters have been playing with since the N95 was released is now filtering down to mid-range devices where more people can get involved.
But what about the other stuff? The stuff our devices aren’t helping us with right now. The areas of life where we need a solution, or a helping hand but when we reach out right now it just isn’t there.
Question is, where’s the problem? Because, I think we might have the solution.
Photo by bitterjug