Mobile ComputingInformation on the go!
By: Meg Riegel
So many mobiles…
Mobile device, mobile computing, mobile hardware, mobile software, mobile communication, mobile app, mobile network, mobile internet…
How do we make sense of all these words?? Let’s start with one Mobile Computing
Mobile ComputingA type of Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
“Taking a computer and all necessary files and software out into the field.” (Wiki)
The idea is that we can have all the power of a computer into a device that is easier to transport and take “on the go”
3 Main Categories of Mobile Computing
1. Mobile HardwareDevices, pieces, accessories
2. Mobile SoftwareApps, bundles, coding
3. Mobile Communication
Cellular networks and services
1. Mobile Hardware
Includes (but not limited to):
PDA’sPalm Pilot, other versions by Palm, first in 1984
Mobile Hardware (cont)
SmartphoneA “miniature computer” that can also place and receive phone callsiPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, etcFirst smartphone by IBM in 1992 called “Simon”
(http://cellphones.about.com/od/coveringthebasics/qt/cellphonesvssmartphones.htm)
Simon?The first Smartphone created by IBM in 1992
• Simon had features such as touchscreen, email, and PDA , which was extremely advanced for its time
Yours for only $899 (at the time)!
Mobile Hardware (cont)
Tablet computerA larger version of a SmartphoneMoveable, more flexible use compared to a computer (no mouse, keyboards, etc)iPad, Blackberry Playbook, Kindle, HP, Samsung, Acer, and many more have their versions of the tablet
Mobile Hardware (cont)
Ultra mobile PCA class of laptops launched by Microsoft and Intel in 2006
A mixture between Smartphone & tablet
Sometimes include keyboards and webcams
Mobile Hardware (cont)
Wearable computerAka “Body borne computers”Constantly in contact with the user, no on/off switchInteracts with the human bodyCommon example is a running watchThey are UP AND COMING!!!!!
NY Times cited: “Wearable devices, or ‘wearables’ for short, have enormous potential for uses in health and fitness, navigation, social networking, commerce, and media,” (Bilton 2012)
This is our future?!
Evolution of Mobile Hardware
Getting smaller
Cheaper- cost production has greatly decreased
Faster- increased battery life, longer talk & standby
Lighter- they weigh less
More efficient, more capabilities & features
Infographic 1983-2007
http://joaogeraldes.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/1-infographic-evolution-of-the-mobile-phone.jpg
How does a Smartphone work?
Inside the phone is a speaker, microphone, keyboard, display screen, and a very powerful circuit board
They all act together to make the phone work
Signals are passed back and forth from the device to the nearest base station (tower)
Communicate via radio waves…but this is subject to change!
A look inside
A cell phone is much like an onion, it has many layers that sit atop each other, helping to carry out tasks on the phone
Circuit Board•Phones are generally powered by battery.
•Electric signals are transmitted through wires and boards to create a transmission cascade within the phone, which is then displayed on the screen
2. Mobile Software
Operating Systems (Mobile OS)
Much like the operating systems for computers
PalmOs, Nokia Mameo, Android from Google, iOS, web OS, Bada OS from Samsung, Blackberry OS from RIM, Windows for Mobile devices from MicrosoftCombines features such as touchscreen, wireless network, Blutooth, GPS, camera, voice recognition, etc
Mobile Software (cont)
Apps
Are a software application designed to run on a mobile device
Apps are BUNDLES
Originally, designed for general productivity
Info retrieval, email, calendar, contacts
Easy access to large amounts of info
More recently , designed for entertainment
Games, banking, GPS services, purchases
Mobile Software (cont)
Apps (cont)Application Distribution- apps come a variety of platforms such as “app store” and “app world”
Some apps are pre-loaded on the device and “locked”
Others are bought or downloaded for free
How apps work?Apps are bundles of code that work much like programs on a computer
They must be downloaded, installed, and opened to operated
A lot of hard work and code goes into the making of an app!
Apps that are really useful
Apps for fun
3. Mobile Communication
The idea that our mobile devices can act as communication devices
Works by sending & receiving radio waves through a chip built into the device
SIM Card- microchip “Subscriber Identity Model” that stores information
Slowly moving away from these
Mobile Communication (cont)
Phone Calls- much like radio waves, two or more people communicate on a “channel”
SMS & MMS MessagingShort message service (a text), multimedia messaging service (picture/video message)
Internet accessAbility to connect to WiFi, 3G, 4G, LTE networks
Short-range wireless sharing (Blutooth, Infared)
Benefits of Mobile Devices
Information on the go, at our fingertips
Generally user-friendly
Lower cost compared to PCs
Less energy to run
Connects people across the world
Entertainment
Safety- they can carry medical emergency information
Can help with special accessibility needsVoiceover, speech recognition
Major benefitMobile devices in the workplace
Can connect workers & help them to communicate
Can be used as reference or tools to collect info
Mobile devices in the health field as hospitals begin to go paperless
Reference guide for physicians and nurses
Ultrasound mobile attachment
How mobile devices can ease everyday tasks
iPhone credit card slider
Monopoly “snapped” edition played with the iPad
WiFi Body scale that sends info to your mobile device
More cool gadgets
iBaby Mobile Baby Monitor
A chip on your pet’s collar to track where they are at all times
DisadvantagesProduces “non-thinkers”, reduces our creativity and ability to think on our own
Harder to protect intellectual property
Less privacy- your information is being tracked every second
Disadvantages (cont)
Negative health affects
Links to cancer? Exposure to radio waves
They can be distracting
Texting and driving
Older generation might have a hard time using
SummaryMobile computing can be performed on multiple types of devices
These devices are much more portable and thus increase our capacity to find information
However, our dependence on them is becoming apparent and they can sometimes be distracting
Mobile devices are moving towards more “wearable” devices in the future