Kris Kumar
05-21-2006, 02:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.electronicdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/12436/12436.html' target='_blank'>http://www.electronicdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/12436/12436.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"There was a time when children could convince their parents they needed a cell phone because wherever they were, they would always be just a phone call away. It's hard for a teenager to use that excuse now. Today's cell phones are as much portable entertainment devices as they are phones. So many models boast MP3 players, games, cameras, and even video, some experts say we soon will spend as much as 80% of the time using our phones for entertainment. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes some sense to combine applications, especially popular items like MP3 players, with cell phones. One thing's for sure, though. Whether we want it or not, we're going to get it anyway."</i><br /><br />Louis Frenzel over at the electronic design has posted an article on how the cell phone is becoming the entertainment device. It all started with flash based MP3 players being integrated into the cell phones, now we have cell phones with removable flash media and some have micro hard drives. Carriers are providing music and video downloads; they are charging a premium price compared to sites like iTunes. The thing that got my attention in this article was the statement by the author - <i>"It makes some sense to combine applications, especially popular items like MP3 players, with cell phones. One thing's for sure, though. <b>Whether we want it or not, we're going to get it anyway.</b>"</i> Overall it is a good weekend article. It not only talks about the current cell phone based entertainment technologies and options, but also explains the emerging technologies like MediaFLO and DVB-H. While you are on the electronic design Web site, check out this article also - <i><a href="http://www.electronicdesign.com/Articles/ArticleID/12435/12435.html">"Next-Generation Cell Phones."</a></i>