View Full Version : Three Technologies That Could Profoundly Change Handhelds
Jason Dunn
03-10-2003, 07:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.brighthand.com/article/Technologies_That_Could_Change_Handhelds' target='_blank'>http://www.brighthand.com/article/T...hange_Handhelds</a><br /><br /></div>"While the current crop of handhelds is good, it could be better. There are three technologies currently being developed that could significantly improve future handhelds."<br /><br />Ed Hardy goes on to talk about fuel cells, near-eye displays, and virtual keyboards. What do you think? Are technologies like this going to have a big impact on the PDA scene? Or are there bigger, less-obvious technologies coming that will make a huge change in the way we use our devices?
Ed Hansberry
03-10-2003, 07:05 PM
Virtual keyboards are going to be the biggest dud IMHO. Only hunt-and-peckers will care. No touch typest will want one since there is nothing to touch! Remember the peanut-butter-and-jelly membrane keyboards form the Atari 400/800? I think the IBMPC jr had them too. worthless.
Typing on a wooden desk is even worse.
Fuel cells and near-eye displays? I'll wait until we have something closer to shipping. I've been hearing about fuel cells almost as long as I've been hearing about Bluetooth. :?
...and we thought cell phone use in cars was dangerous!
I can see it now, an business man goes up in smoke as his fuel cell explodes in a car accident caused by him running an Excel Spreadsheet on his specs while tapping the dashboard.
STOP THE WORLD I WANT OFF!!!!
On a more serious note. I feel the display may be of use - if they can get the geek factor down, but for me a keyboard needs feed back. As regards the fuel cell, I'll believe it when I see a PDA sized power source that lasts longer than a battery and is rechargable from a wall outlet...
PJE
shill79
03-10-2003, 07:13 PM
IMHO, these 3 technologies are all DOA unless we start seeing increased battery life.
The handheld market is progressing nicely now, but without a new, breakthrough battery technology, it could be in trouble.
yschang
03-10-2003, 07:19 PM
I don't know... IMO, I would say a foldable screen would revolutionise handheld...
I'm not hoping for a paper-like screen, but a screen which we can fold or bent into a current PDA size and open it if we need a bigger screen...
egads
03-10-2003, 07:36 PM
Near-eye displays, and virtual keyboards will flop big time. FuleCell's will have a bigger impact, but only if they lasted several days of heavy use instead of several hours.
Heck, a PPC that had a slide out KBY like the Zarus would be a killer PPC for me.
don dre
03-10-2003, 07:45 PM
i think battery life is th emost important issue. the rest will come. i think the proliferation of wifi will change how we use and view hadnhelds. we will be able to use them for a number of things but the abundance of broadband woudl change that IMHO. I don;t know anyone who is excited about ditching their keyboard. Virtual displays would be cool i think. Of course, VOIP and such are important as well.
Wuss912
03-10-2003, 08:02 PM
IMHO, these 3 technologies are all DOA unless we start seeing increased battery life.
The handheld market is progressing nicely now, but without a new, breakthrough battery technology, it could be in trouble.
um..
you do know that fule cells would replace batteries right?
Gen-M
03-10-2003, 08:03 PM
Two out of three ain't bad....
Looks like Fuel Cell technology will be usable as a battery replacement/enhancement within a couple of years. They have already addressed the safety issues. They have the OK to take them on airplanes.
Near eye HMDs are almost covert and cost about $1K today. With volume that will come down drastically. No major technology hurdles here.
Virtual Keyboards - I don't think so. As mentioned above, there is no tactile feedback. My bet is that there will be chording keyboards (like Twiddler, but with better form factors) for typing while moving (for that minority that requires this capability) and bluetooth keyboards (folding?) for when one is stationary.
My question is - What makes something a PPC? What disqualifies it? Is an X-scale device with no touchscreen, but an VGA HMD with handheld trackball/mouse and bluetooth keyboard still a PPC? Or is it like the smartphone - different enough to require its own OS?
dMores
03-10-2003, 08:16 PM
i think if we could get those near-eye thingies as simple to use as wireless headsets then that would be great.
being a bluetooth headset user myself, i'm starting to see more and more people using them.
this could mean that our pdas and cellphones are "dissintegrating" into seperate parts, cpu, display and audio all being seperate units.
i want a near-eye thingie !
LarDude
03-10-2003, 09:02 PM
Position awareness (i.e. GPS).
About 6 months ago, there was a web article (sorry, I don't have the link handy)
focusing on the work at one of the chip manufacturers (I think it was Texas Instruments).
In it, they were predicting the widespread use of very small GPS chipsets that could
easily fit inside the end of a pen, and that the mass adoption of these chips would
bring the costs down to approximately $10 per chip. They compared the impact to
when clock chips became supercheap and suddenly every consumer device had a
clock built into it. Together with ubiquitous WiFi, position awareness could result in a
PDA that is constantly fine-tuning itself for its owner's greater convenience. (Think of
how critical the built-in clock is to the functioning of your PDA).
i think if we could get those near-eye thingies as simple to use as wireless headsets then that would be great.
being a bluetooth headset user myself, i'm starting to see more and more people using them.
this could mean that our pdas and cellphones are "dissintegrating" into seperate parts, cpu, display and audio all being seperate units.
i want a near-eye thingie !
May too! I want one, now. I am currently looking for a decent solution for a combination of PDA + wearable display. Comercial choice is sparse. The closest thing to this is Hitachi's Xybernaut (http://infosync.no/show.php?id=507) but the wearable display is too big for my liking. However it is the right way forward.
Near-eye thingy would be great for watching movies, playing games and viewing full size documents, the ultimate geek accessory :P
My question is - What makes something a PPC? What disqualifies it? Is an X-scale device with no touchscreen, but an VGA HMD with handheld trackball/mouse and bluetooth keyboard still a PPC? Or is it like the smartphone - different enough to require its own OS?
That's a question that's been on my mind for a while.
Unless it violates NDA, can someone in the know please tell us what the hardware requirements are for a Pocket PC license?
dean_shan
03-10-2003, 10:21 PM
This won't be a huge change to the handhelds but it's something that PPCs are lacking. I want a line-in port. The Pocket PC has a great potential to be a portable digitial recorder.
trapper
03-10-2003, 10:53 PM
I want a line-in port. The Pocket PC has a great potential to be a portable digitial recorder.
Great point. The old Ipaq's had a great mic that I used to record concerts with pretty good results. The newer devices I've checked are nowhere near as good. I believe one model already has one but a line-in port should be included in every device. It would make the PPC an excellent audio recorder.
JonathanWardRogers
03-11-2003, 06:13 PM
Position awareness (i.e. GPS).
I agree! IMO, these are the three biggest or most important PDA technologies in order of importance:
Fuel Cells: Or cheap, efficient solar or motion/gravity chargers - anything to increase the battery life.
GPS: Positional filters on task, appointments, etc. Positional reminders, i.e., remind me when I'm near a grocery store that I need eggs. Record movement as a safegaurd. E.g., I lost my watch today. Where did I go? Where could I have lost it?
Built in Camera: Too many benefits to list (UPC scanner, parking space reminder, etc.)
Jon
double-o-don
03-12-2003, 05:48 AM
I have to agree with Mr. JonathanWardRogers.
Fuel cells, GPS, camera......
These items/features would be useful to any
user anywhere.
They are location and infrastructure independant,
....unlike things such as VoIP, cellular, WiFi......
Gen-M
03-12-2003, 05:22 PM
Cameras may make it in the consumer marketplace, but they are death in industry. Anyone that has access to product development, advanced development or research areas knows what I mean.
There are too many places where I would have to leave my PPC with the security office - NO CAMERAS ALLOWED. Voice recorders are problematic today. Wait until security learns about streaming audio over Wi-Fi. :roll:
And I am not talking about my military customers 8O
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