axxxr
Joined: Mar 21, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Londinium
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THE mobile phone of the future has finally arrived - or so the ad men would have you believe.
Last week,Vodafone launched its 3G network, joining rival 3 in offering video calling, sports and movie clips, and high-speed internet access on specialised handsets.
The technology has taken years - and billions of pounds - to develop but it's only the beginning.
Still bigger advances, which will make 3G phones look about as cutting edge as two tin cans on a bit of string, are just around the corner.
From watching digital TV, to starting your car, taking your pulse or paying for your shopping, the next generation of mobiles will be even more indispensable.
Here are the most significant ways it will change your life...
MOBILE TV
PHONES which double as portable TVs could be on sale within two years.
Experts from O2 have teamed up with NTL and Nokia to develop DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting to hand-held devices).
The system will broadcast 40 channels which users can watch live, or store on a handset, such as the Nokia 7710, to view later.
Instead of the few minutes of football highlights 3G makes possible, you will be able to watch an entire 90-minute match wherever you are. You could also watch, say, the latest episode of Corrie on a beach in Spain.
A six-month trial with 500 users in Oxfordshire starts in spring. If it's a success, O2 could launch a £10-a-month subscription service in 2006.
TOOTH PHONE
YOU may not even have to carry a phone to make calls if this molar mobile becomes a reality.
Developed by students at the Royal College Of Art, it is so tiny it can be implanted in a tooth.
The device transmits sound to your ear by sending vibrations along the jawbone and, while it is currently just a concept, the technology behind it is proven.
Designers James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau say the phone could be implanted in football players' teeth, so a manager could relay instructions from the sidelines, without giving away his plans to the opposition.
PHONE DOCTOR
IN the future, your mobile could be your saviour.
US firm Sensatex has developed the SmartShirt - a T-shirt woven with electronic fibres that monitor your vital signs.
Smart fabrics such as this will one day connect wirelessly to a mobile.
If a wearer suffers a heart attack, for instance, the phone will call 999 with all the details, including an exact location based on satellite navigation.
Again, there are sporting applications. Athletes' coaches will be able to monitor every detail of their charge's physical condition during a race - in the same way F1 engineers can already run checks on a car's engine from the pit-lane during a Grand Prix.
FABRIC PHONE
SMART textiles will also allow an entire phone to be woven into the fabric of a jacket.
The keypad could be a touch sensitive panel on the sleeve and, as the phone would be a basic calls-only device, there would be no need for a screen. A separate Bluetooth earpiece would house the speaker and microphone.
This is one for the rather more distant future - don't expect even a prototype for at least a decade.
But British firm Softswitch has already made great leaps in touch-sensitive material, including cloth control panels for electronic devices such as MP3 players.
PHONE CAR KEY
CLOSER to fruition is technology that will let your mobile replace your car keys. This may be widely available by 2007.
Keyless entry systems will let you unlock your car and start the engine simply by keying a PIN code into your mobile.
"There would be no problem introducing this technology as it is straightforward," says a Nokia spokesman. "But we will only do it if car manufacturers are eager. They are reluctant to give up control of security." Ford says the keyless system could become an option on Focus models. Further down the line, camera phones will use face-recognition software to replace the PIN number.
PHONE DOORMAN
KEYLESS entry will also apply to your house - key in your PIN on your phone keypad as you approach your front door and it will swing open.
The technology is already available and prototype versions have been installed.
Ericsson and Electrolux have teamed up to build the e2 Home, for example, a hi-tech showcase in Sweden.
But as phones become more advanced, you will be able to use them to unlock your house wherever you are.
If you need to let in a builder or delivery man, you could do it from work, for instance. Expect this to be available on new homes by the end of the decade.
PHONE SECURITY GUARD
SECURITY cameras that text you if they detect an intruder are already a reality. But in years to come they will also let you watch CCTV from your home wherever you are.
Users will be able to check their belongings are safe or just see that their teenage kids haven't thrown a wild party while they're away.
The system works by streaming video footage over the internet in the same way as the new 3G phones.
SIGN LANGUAGE PHONE
NOKIA scientists are working on Gesture Input Technology.
This will let you answer your phone by waving a hand over it, or even transfer data files such as video clips or songs simply by pointing from one device to another.
It will be years before it hits the shops but Nokia's developers already have basic, working prototypes.
_________________
WHITEHOUSE
Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to isolation, isolation leads to imagination, imagination leads to genius.
[ This Message was edited by: axxxr on 2004-11-15 17:57 ] |
Posted: 2004-11-15 18:56
