The Hindu Business Line : Mobile phones

It is an exciting time for those in mobile application development. From the evolution of the phone book into a scheduling lifeline for future generations to assuring access to knowledge by converging technologies, the cell phone will open up new vistas for the tech-savvy user. Here's a look into the future.

No longer will busy couples have to depend on stick-it notes or hurried phone calls when their schedules are upset. The phone book is undergoing a transformation into a `scheduling' tool. Soon your mobile's phonebook will link up to others' schedules and keep you informed about any changes immediately.

Innovative value-added services, which leverage the popularity of the Indian entertainment industry, will also be popular. You could send your cousin an MMS (multi-media service, one-up on the plain-text SMS - it can play a voice, video too) that would croon, "Happy Birthday to you" in the voice of Shah Rukh Khan! Such services will soon spring up, promises Mr Mohan Kumar, the head of research and development of Motorola's Mobile Devices Software division. These services are currently restricted to downloads of videos/songs/ringtones, but will broaden into more avenues when the time is ripe, he adds.

Contributions to the mobile medium will flow in from industries of all kinds - from mapping firms to Bollywood and even the government. Tools, entertainment applications and widgets that depend on a net connection will also become a common feature in mobiles, say sources.

Convergence

In an example of convergence of technologies on the mobile medium, GPS (Global Positioning System) will soon be integrated into mobiles. A GPS-enabled gadget allows you to receive your exact location in terms of longitude and latitude from satellites. So, with an advanced phonebook and GPS installed, the mobile will be able to alert you with a `blink' when friends are in the vicinity.

Imagine the convenience that this would bring to residents of expanding cities. Cellular service providers could also offer this service, using an alternative method - triangulation. However, GPS has a higher accuracy range of one metre, whereas triangulation helps locate a person up to a range of 10 metre, informed Mr Kumar.

Finally, it remains to be seen how soon these services arrive. As Mr Kumar says, "Technology is ready, it just takes time to apply."

More Stories on : Convergence | Telecommunications

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