Thoughts on futures now
Several weeks ago, I purchased a Motorola Droid phone.
A bit of background, the Droid is a smartphone that uses the android operating system developed by Google. This OS is available on a small but growing number of phones and is in the same realm as a Blackberry or iPhone. Unlike the iPhone, however, the android system is open source and the market for applications is much broader and more open. This means there is a lot more junk as well, but a rating and comment system helps with that problem.
As mentioned above, the phone is open source, which allows anyone to make whatever applications they can dream up. But it is not merely the software, but the hardware that is open to tinkering. The Droid, like most modern phones, has a plethora of sensors, including tilt, rotational, proximity, magnetic, GPS, cameras and more.
For the first time in a device that I've seen, all of these features can be used together as well as individually. The phone has achieved a degree of omniscience. For example, a program exists which allows you to use the camera as a barcode scanner to find information on a product, and then research to find out what stores in your proximity have it the cheapest. You can use the GPS compass and tilt sensors to determine what part of the sky the phone is facing, and display the stars you see there.
Even more basic stuff is impressive in how well disparate items work together. I can take a high quality digital picture and then immediately send it in a text or email, or upload it to a website. I can receive notifications on emails, or track packages. Keep track of credit cards and stock options.
The main gist I wanted to get across is that the smartphones have achieved an astonishing level of omniscience in the current generation, and more to the point, they are capable of using the knowledge in a plethora of ways, from star mapping, directional aids and more.
A bit of background, the Droid is a smartphone that uses the android operating system developed by Google. This OS is available on a small but growing number of phones and is in the same realm as a Blackberry or iPhone. Unlike the iPhone, however, the android system is open source and the market for applications is much broader and more open. This means there is a lot more junk as well, but a rating and comment system helps with that problem.
As mentioned above, the phone is open source, which allows anyone to make whatever applications they can dream up. But it is not merely the software, but the hardware that is open to tinkering. The Droid, like most modern phones, has a plethora of sensors, including tilt, rotational, proximity, magnetic, GPS, cameras and more.
For the first time in a device that I've seen, all of these features can be used together as well as individually. The phone has achieved a degree of omniscience. For example, a program exists which allows you to use the camera as a barcode scanner to find information on a product, and then research to find out what stores in your proximity have it the cheapest. You can use the GPS compass and tilt sensors to determine what part of the sky the phone is facing, and display the stars you see there.
Even more basic stuff is impressive in how well disparate items work together. I can take a high quality digital picture and then immediately send it in a text or email, or upload it to a website. I can receive notifications on emails, or track packages. Keep track of credit cards and stock options.
The main gist I wanted to get across is that the smartphones have achieved an astonishing level of omniscience in the current generation, and more to the point, they are capable of using the knowledge in a plethora of ways, from star mapping, directional aids and more.