America Online...literally.

I’ve been talking the last few times about improving the hardware we use to communicate in the mobile world, but I haven’t talked too much about how to improve the speed at which we communicate. I know I promised to talk about streaming media and games, but before I do that I want to introduce the method in which we can. Today’s blog will be focusing on speeding up the way we connect to each.

Currently, one of the most popular ways to connect to each other is by cellular devices. This typically includes paying a fee to your mobile provider to connect to the web. I’ve been using the Sprint PCS network for a good while now and while I’m happy with it, my wallet isn’t. It is terribly expensive to access the internet on a phone plan. I pay around $25 a month for the ability to do so. Other cellular phone companies, like T-Mobile and Verizon, offer similar packages for their internet access. Let’s not forget to mention how painfully slow these can be. If I try to access a website with more than two pictures on it, it can take upwards of a minute to load completely. What a waste of my time.

But is this enough? In a world where everyone seems like they’re in a rush and don’t have the time to wait for a cell phone to download at a rate most 14.4kbps modems could crush, can’t we have anything better?

How about a system that allows anyone, anywhere, to connect to the internet at blazing fast speeds. It doesn’t matter if it’s a laptop, a cell phone, or a GameBoy.

Now, I’m sure you have all been to a Starbucks or a Barnes & Noble store where you were given the opportunity to take your laptop and sign online using their Wi-Fi network. Even McDonalds restaurants allow Nintendo DS owners to connect online and play against eachother. My new laptop even came with a sticker on the keyboard advertising the ability to use T-Mobile’s Wi-Fi hotspots.

Now picture this on a grand scale.

Read about WiMAX here: http://www.wimaxforum.org. What a tremendously ambitious project. They set out to create wireless hotspots throughout entire cities. If this project continues to hook up cities across the country, it would provide a quick, affordable, and highly applicable technology for us to take advantage of. Everyone will have the ability to communicate at extremely fast speeds with the equipment they already have. Because WiMAX uses existing wireless standards, there is no need to go out and buy brand new and costly equipment to use it.

The city of Philadelphia recently decided to log their city online. Check it out here: http://www.gcn.com/print/24_6/35315-1.html. Philly now joins a list of other major cities who plan on providing its citizens with either cheap or free wireless internet access. Although there are some hurdles left to clear, it’s pretty obvious that wireless internet will soon be available to everyone around the country.

That’s a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Adios.

Origami Unfolds Some More...

Clever title, I know...

This week, the trade show CeBIT took place in Germany. Many new innovative technologies and ideas are shared to the public and press for the first time. Last week, I talked about the Origami project and now we understand a bit more about the concept of a mobile PC.

Outlined in this article from IGN Entertainment (source: http://gear.ign.com/articles/694/694783p1.html), we learn that the new UMPCs (Ultra Mobile Personal Computer) will be available starting next month. The technology, spear-headed by Intel and Microsoft, will start a premium price and slowly become more affordable as the technology matures into what both companies imagine it will. The first models will be available from Samsung, Founder, and Asustek.

Unfortunately, for now it seems the UMPC idea will not sport all the bells and whistles one might hope. For one, the expected battery life is only around 2-4 hours. This is primarily due to Intel not having their new low-voltage chips available for use until the end of the year.

The product is still quite impressive. It sports a 7” touchscreen that uses something called the “Dial Keyboard”. Instead of having a physical keyboard on the device, the keyboard is superimposed on the screen in 2 distinct fan shapes in the bottom corners. This allows the user to type with their thumbs and read what is on the screen at the same time. In the pictures revealed we see that Internet Explorer and an email client will all be a part of the unit. This is confirmation that the device will support online activity. All of this runs on a modified version of Microsoft’s existing Windows Tablet PC edition operating system.

I made a big point of saying how much I believe this technology will benefit communication in this highly mobile and technologically-influenced society last week. We are always on the move. I am typing this out right now on the bus to my next class. Time has become a luxury we no longer have and the advent of UMPCs is going to help us do what we have to on such a rushed schedule we all seem to have. You can read more about the first wave of UMPCs here: http://www.origamiproject.com.

What does peak my interest are the menu options for streaming media and games. This idea I intend to dive into next week. The potential for this technology is endless in my eyes with cost being the only limitation.

Edit: Added some pictures I ran across today. They are from msmobiles.com

Origami

Whether or not Microsoft intended for it to leak so quick, news of their "secret" project, Origami, has leaked quite rapidly. Check it out here: http://games-industry.biz/news.php?aid=14987 .

This is quite exciting for people following the mobile technology industry. Even though Microsoft doesn't expect this product to sell on the market, there is an incredible amount of ambition behind this. As of now, Microsoft refuses to call it anything but a concept. Such a wonderful concept it is.

Think about a super portable laptop. Now add a touch-sensitive screen, something made popular by Nintendo's Nintendo DS handheld game system and tablet PCs. You have a simplified computer where you can instant message friends, surf the internet, answer emails, and play simple computer games. If Origami turns out to be affordable for the masses, Microsoft might have a hit on their hands.

One of the biggest problems with today's mobile electronics is functionality. Navigating websites on my cellphone is a skill one acquires after months of practice. Learning how to text message people without a QWERTY keyboard is a chore as well. Let's not forget we're doing this all on a screen smaller than a folded dollar bill. If a product remotely similar comes to market that resembles the Origami project, it will have solved one of mobile technology's biggest roadblocks - usability.

Some of the things I would like to see implemented is to include a full-fledged internet browser, wireless support for PC games, a media player, and for it to extremely user-friendly. Having the ability to be upgraded would also be a nice touch. I don't expect to see a product like this reach the market for the next few years, but when it does it will certainly be my next toy.