I was recently asked, “What would you want in your ideal mobile device?” I had to take a moment to think about it because I have become so accustomed to using the device that I have on hand. I am constantly bouncing from my smartphone to a laptop, to a tablet and to my workstation. So I wanted to challenge myself to come up with some requirements for my “magical mobile device.”
First of all, I ruled out any application executions. There are hundreds of thousands of apps for both Droid and iOS devices. I haven’t downloaded every one of them, but chances are, somebody has created another one I may want. Secondly, I wanted to remove the obvious hardware issues that I have with mobile devices. I took two years of typing in high school so I will always be more productive and faster using a keyboard. Granted, I could practice and become like this fast typing iPhone user.
So here are five features that I would love to have as part of my magical mobile device.
A True Media Center
To begin with, I would love for my device to have the storage capacity to hold all of my media files. I’m talking about high resolution photos, HD videos and my ever-growing music library. This will eventually be possible as solid-state drives become cheaper and their capacity increases. With all my files in hand, I should be able to integrate nicely with any type of projection technology. This could be the laptop at the office, a conference room projector, or a 103-inch, HD, 3-D television.
And no media center would be complete unless it could replace my gaming console. My mobile device would not only be fast enough for gaming but would have all the social aspects of connectivity and sharing built in.
Let’s Talk Some Real 3-D
I know 3-D televisions are all the rage, but I want my device to have 3-D projections like a hologram. This could eventually happen, too. Companies such as Holocube are making impressive strides in 3-D projection technology. Maybe in the near future they can make their product in a smaller form factor that will allow this wish-list item to occur.
Payment Device
With the ongoing development of near field communication (NFC), I look forward to being able to make payments with my mobile device. Starbucks has already included this integration into their mobile app Starbucks Card Mobile. This feature will be widely available before you know it. Rumor has it that the iPhone 5 will include an NFC chip so that “iWallet” could be on its way by this summer.
Wireless Charging
I know there are wireless charging pads that you can use with your phone. But those require a jacket that you have to slap on to your mobile device. I would rather see this wireless charging technology as a built-in feature.
Fold-able. Roll-able. Bend-able.
That’s right; I want to be able to bend, fold and roll up my mobile device. Now this one may take a while to happen. But progress is being made on flexible display technology. Sony has recently demonstrated a flexible OLED display panel. Of course a malleable device may be tough to use. So this device would need a technology that would make it more rigid on demand. Sound impossible? Well according to the History Channel, technology right out of a “Batman” movie is already in the works. Let me introduce you to magnetorheological fluid. Its technology relies on magnetism to turn a liquid into a viscoelastic solid. I am looking forward to seeing what happens with this new smart fluid.
So those are five features that I would love for my magical mobile device to have. A boy can dream, right? What features would you love to include in your magical mobile device?
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