Author:
Date: 02/07/2009
In my second contribution here, I thought I would talk a bit about mobile devices.
I recently reviewed the Blackberry Curve 8900 in Upload Innovate ezine but this is just one example of the power you can now put in your pocket, which would have been unheard of and impossible only a few years ago. The latest smartphones effectively allow you, as both a business person and an individual, to take one single device with you and have all your information at hand, both for your business and for your personal life. This can be very powerful when making appointments, managing contacts with people and sharing information.
Something else is also happening with personal devices. The mobile phone used to be restricted to communications services, and later incorporated other services such email and limited web access. Any additional services were controlled by the device manufacturer. Now we are seeing many device makers opening up their products as platforms for others to develop applications for. This is extremely powerful, as the billion downloads milestone from the application store for Apple's iPhone demonstrates. Making it so easy to add a new capability to the device in your pocket definitely appeals to people. Being able to mix applications for business and for personal use on the one device platform is very convenient.
The device that you can carry around in your pocket now not only lets you communicate with people in a multitude of ways, but it also knows where you are, who you need to network with, what your interests are and can bring information in front of you instantly. Some devices know which way you are facing, what way up you are holding the device and can take, edit and share video and still pictures. I already get significant amounts of work done on my mobile device which I used to have to carry a laptop computer around for. In the future my device will do even more for me and be an even more essential tool for me.