Yes it is a mobile phone, not a brick and yes, all it did was allow me to make and receive calls whilst on the move
The first mobile phone I owned was a Motorola DPC 650 back in 1997. At first, it didn’t feel natural to pull out what looked like a fancy brick, hold it up to my head and talk to someone whilst out in public. I realised quickly that it was also the first time technology allowed me to control when, where and whom I could have a conversation with. It was very powerful and liberating.
Watching Microsoft’s “Vision of the Future” videos recently made me wonder if in the near future (2019 according to Microsoft), mobile devices could give me a similar sense of freedom and immediacy when interacting with content and connecting with people. The videos show people learning, working, living and communicating in more effective, pleasant and natural ways using mobile devices. This is all great, but what is it going to take to make this all a reality?
First, get basic interactions right
The ability to ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ information in the future is vital, not because we have no original ideas, but because we may need to share and use information that is our own on more than one platform quickly and seamlessly. My mobile device will need the capability to capture, store, share and re-use any digital content across multiple digital platforms simply by framing the source, ‘copying’ it and then ‘pasting’ it to any number of other digital platforms. This also needs to be done wirelessly and capture the entire piece of digital content, not just a picture of it.
Paste copied digital content to any other digital platform via your mobile device
Copy digital content from one digital platform on to your mobile device
The ability to drag and drop content from one place to another must also be a prerequisite. There may be times when only specific parts of content need to be reused and the easiest way to select and move anything is to drag it WYSIWYG style to a folder and save it to a mobile device. Now that it is portable, digital content can be reused later as part of a presentation, simply by dragging and dropping it to a sharing surface like a projector wall or sharing table, like Microsoft’s Surface, for example.
To review content from a mobile device, drag it to another digital platform like a projector wal
Select, then drag and drop parts of content from one digtial platform to another
Make the technology affordable
Digital content needs to be sharable quickly and inexpensively if it is to be embraced by consumers. In the future, just place your mobile device on a sharing surface like a digital sharing table to view and share digital content between multiple users. Microsoft’s Surface table promised this interactivity years go but it was far too expensive (US$15K) and heavy for individual consumers to purchase. As a result sales were low. In January 7, 2011, Samsung announced manufacturing of a cheaper Surface bringing costs down to US$7600. If more consumers are to afford the technology to share content on mobile devices, prices need to come down substantially. After all how can we interact and share effectively if we can’t find enough of these sharing surfaces in the home, work and recreational spaces to do so?
Share digital content from one mobile device to another whilst collaborating in a shared environment
Placing my mobile device on a sharing table reveals the contents
Adapt to provide solutions to immediate needs
When travelling abroad my mobile device will detect where I am and double up as a boarding pass. Information on my mobile boarding pass can update to inform me of boarding times and gate changes. When I arrive the mobile device evolves into a map to guide me to my luggage and point me to the exit. I can then find a contact to call to make sure they know I have arrived. Relevant information and mapping technology can be used when sightseeing or trying to get to meeting too. This functionality should live in a mobile cloud and only be called upon or suggested when it is most useful to save having to download permanent apps just in case we need it.
Mobile devices can find contacts to video call and adapt to show a map of the surrounding area
A mobile device can adapt and function as an up-to-date digital boarding pass
Access personal information securely
Finger print recognition or iris scanning, needs to be in place if we are to allow mobile devices to store personal info securely for later retrieval remotely. Iris scanning technology is the most secure biometric verification method today and should be integrated into mobile device cameras to scan irises like you scan barcodes and QR codes today. Once I am recognised securely, I can safely pay for goods (linked to bank account), travel (e.g. boarding or train passes), prove my identity (driving license, passport) and even keep track of power usage when I am not at home (energy monitor) via my mobile device digitally.
Why not keep track and control your home power usage remotely?
Mobile devices can access stored digital info like payment and medical details
Recognise surroundings in order to inform
Mobile devices will allow me to frame an object, analyse it and give me in-depth information about what it is. Companies like LookTel already have smart phone object recognition software working today that enables blind and visually impaired people to hear the names of objects read out to them. This technology can be enhanced to offer more detailed context. Projection technology on my mobile device will allow me to interact with my surroundings using holographic interfaces and content. Apple may already has an idea for a holographic mobile device called the ‘Black Hole’ aimed to launch in 2020.
A mobile device shows directions via a projection or hologram
Framing an object with a mobile device reveals more information about it
Control other digital devices
As a controller, my mobile device will replace the countless remote controls I have at home and at work and allow me to control other digital devices like my TV, laptop, the air conditioning, lighting and even my car. Apple already has remote technology built in to control other apple hardware and software like their Apple TV and itunes on any mac. At work and at home my mobile device can interact with and show relevant content in surrounding digital displays to keep me informed no matter what I am doing or where I am located.
A central mobile device can display useful information on surrounding digital devices, keeping you informed at all times
A single mobile device can synch and act as a remote controller: selecting, displaying and interacting with content on other digital devices
Analyse and act upon voice input
Separate technology exists today that can already recognise, record, analyse and execute bespoke commands using a smartphone. Apple has built in Voice Control and desktop applications like MacSpeech Dictate International that can understand international languages and map it to commands. By applying this and other useful technology, mobile devices can act as a translator and execute useful tasks based on the context of a conversation or voice command.
Tasks can be spoken, translated, analysed and allocated using a mobile device to be used as a reminder later
Shared conversations can occur between people from different parts of the world
Conclusion
As a student at MIT Pranav Mistry created software that allows users to interact using simple gestures and project it onto any surface
Today, I use mobile apps on my smart phone to check emails, video skype, socialise on Facebook, tweet, make last minute bids on ebay and review restaurants on Yelp. I can store, audio, music and video but it is all quite disparate, not very interactive and let’s face it, offers instant gratification with very little long-term benefit.
Microsoft’s vision is a possible one for the very near future (2019) and promises to connect mobile technologies together to provide user experiences that will improve the way we learn, work, play and socialise. Post 2019, though, I hope we can interact more naturally with the environment around us. Natural User Interface (NUI) design explores user experiences that allow anyone to achieve a task or execute an action instantly, successfully, continuously and remotely without the need for any unnecessary extra hardware. Pranav Mistry, in his talk about Sixth Sense project shows us how we can take a picture by framing an area with our fingers, make a phone call by lifting our hand to our face and talking. This excites me far more than what I have seen from Microsoft. I look forward to the day when I can just think about something and just happens in front of my eyes, if I don’t like it I can just ‘CTRL Z’ or delete it in my mind.
References
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvA9lA7_5FE
Microsoft announces new Surface by Toshiba
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/01/07/microsofts-40-inch-computerized-surface-gets-sleek/
Mocom video on the future of mobile up to 2020
http://www.mocom2020.com/?2a00WlLA
http://www.looktel.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUUxGvDqok4
http://www.mobilecloudcomputingforum.com/
http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/remote/
Ted video on Sixth Sense – Mobile Natural User Interface
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html
John Canny, 2006, Future of Human-Computer Interaction, University of California Berkeley
Kurkovsky, S., Carpenter, T., MacDonald, C. July 2010, Experiments with Simple Iris Recognition for Mobile Phones, Central Connecticut State Univ., CT, USA
