Six technologies endangered by smartphones

[kjk]

The tragic death of practically everything: http://technologizer.com/2010/08/18/...ly-everything/

[carld]

I will allow that XBox Live on Windows Phone 7 looks pretty sweet for handheld gaming. If it eventually runs Chessmaster and Magic The Gathering, it'd cover my gaming 100%

XBOX Live on Windows Phone 7

[EricDP]

Originally Posted by carld

The only technology phones really endanger is alarm clocks. They'll have some limited impact on other devices, but they're just not good enough to overtake other specialty electronics.

I just bought an alarm clock because I can't glance over and see the time on my BlackBerry in the middle of the night without touching it, and then it blinds me. A nice soft red LED clock for $10 that does two things very well: show me the time and alert me when a pre-specified time has arrived. It does nothing else. And that's what I wanted.

[Ben Thornton]

Originally Posted by petermillard

On a call, take phone away from ear, touch 'speaker', hit 'home' button, select 'calendar' and continue conversation whilst making appt. That took about three times as long to write as it does to do it in real life.

Simples

Pete

Two things. One, I have too many thumbs for this to be a reliable procedure. Two, I don't want to make all my calls on speakerphone - often I'm in an office with others, or in public (travelling, say). So, I think that a separate PDA might be a better option, with a phone that's a phone. Or - maybe - a separate screen for the phone. I liked the idea of a watch that was essentially a touchscreen that you could drive from the phone.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

I very very sincerely disagree with several of the points.
When it comes to digital cameras, yes, at some levels. Point and shoots, etc I can see being phased out. SLRs, etc will stay around...

Even a bottom end digital camera takes better photos than a camera phone simply because the optics are so much better. The odds are the sensor is much bigger in the camera than in the cell phone. Since even if I had a phone with a camera I would never leave it turned on, I keep my old HP 735 Photosmart camera in my purse. It takes the phone 25 seconds to fire up; the camera needs but 5 (I just timed both out of curiosity with, get this, an analog watch). Any cell phone would poop out long before the camera would. I use that camera for quick candid shots (granted, a cell camera on a continuously on phone would be a bit faster), a portable scanner (great for when you want a copy of a magazine article or ad in a waiting room somewhere;camera phones may or may not be able to pick up the detail), pictures of products and their descriptions when shopping for research later, etc. It would be handy for recording details of an accident scene, etc. It's a bit bulky but doesn't weigh that much. If the batteries do poop out (2 AAs; it takes a few hundred 1.5 MB photos to do that), it takes 30 seconds to pop in a fresh pair of rechargeables.

[nyrath]

I like my Palm Pre smart phone, but reading eBooks on it is like trying to look through a keyhole. The screen is just too small.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Even a bottom end digital camera takes better photos than a camera phone simply because the optics are so much better. The odds are the sensor is much bigger in the camera than in the cell phone. Since even if I had a phone with a camera I would never leave it turned on, I keep my old HP 735 Photosmart camera in my purse. It takes the phone 25 seconds to fire up; the camera needs but 5 (I just timed both out of curiosity with, get this, an analog watch). Any cell phone would poop out long before the camera would. I use that camera for quick candid shots (granted, a cell camera on a continuously on phone would be a bit faster), a portable scanner (great for when you want a copy of a magazine article or ad in a waiting room somewhere;camera phones may or may not be able to pick up the detail), pictures of products and their descriptions when shopping for research later, etc. It would be handy for recording details of an accident scene, etc. It's a bit bulky but doesn't weigh that much. If the batteries do poop out (2 AAs; it takes a few hundred 1.5 MB photos to do that), it takes 30 seconds to pop in a fresh pair of rechargeables.

My phone takes pretty good pictures, though, and since it is always on, the camera fires up fast. I use it for all those things you mentioned above, and in fact I've been known to take a picture of a label on a medicine bottle and blow it up on my phone screen so I can read it. (I swear that print is getting smaller and smaller.)

It works great for beach pictures and such, and since it's always in my pocket I always have it with me even if I don't carry a purse. So yeah, for people like me who don't require a high-end camera, it does replace what I used to have. Beach picture I took last summer with my phone:

[gollu]

I find it interesting that mp3 players are not listed in the article. It's because they really are dead. Most people use their phones for music.
I also think that most of the other devices are going to merge in the smartphone. GPS for sure is on going in, no need for larger than 4" screen for that function and when you have it on the phone, it can be implemented with social networking, camera functions, mmorg and many other.
As a portable game console-- I'd tip all the non-believers to check the numbers of games sold for iOS and Android - they speak for themselves.
The big advantage of all-in-one device is charging only one battery and carrying less bulk. I am ready to compromise quality for those life-saving features.

[carld]

Originally Posted by EricDP

I just bought an alarm clock because I can't glance over and see the time on my BlackBerry in the middle of the night without touching it, and then it blinds me. A nice soft red LED clock for $10 that does two things very well: show me the time and alert me when a pre-specified time has arrived. It does nothing else. And that's what I wanted.

I had one of those. I ended up turning it face down on my nightstand because the light would keep me awake. I much prefer picking up my phone to check the time. Being near sighted I had to pick up the alarm clock to look at it anyway.

[Ben Thornton]

Originally Posted by gollu

I find it interesting that mp3 players are not listed in the article. It's because they really are dead. Most people use their phones for music.

Evidence? I'm not persuaded that mp3 players are quite dead yet.

I also think that most of the other devices are going to merge in the smartphone. GPS for sure is on going in, no need for larger than 4" screen for that function and when you have it on the phone, it can be implemented with social networking, camera functions, mmorg and many other.
As a portable game console-- I'd tip all the non-believers to check the numbers of games sold for iOS and Android - they speak for themselves.

As of the middle of this year, there were ~100m iOS devices worldwide, and ~132m Nintendo DS devices. The next DS has 3D, a D-pad, etc., and I expect it to sell pretty well. So, I don't think that this is right either.

The big advantage of all-in-one device is charging only one battery and carrying less bulk. I am ready to compromise quality for those life-saving features.

But people like things that work. My smartphone battery runs down pretty quick, but I can rely on my mp3 player for music, and my reader for books much more, because their batteries last much much longer.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by bjones6416

My phone takes pretty good pictures, though, and since it is always on, the camera fires up fast. I use it for all those things you mentioned above, and in fact I've been known to take a picture of a label on a medicine bottle and blow it up on my phone screen so I can read it. (I swear that print is getting smaller and smaller.)

It works great for beach pictures and such, and since it's always in my pocket I always have it with me even if I don't carry a purse. So yeah, for people like me who don't require a high-end camera, it does replace what I used to have. Beach picture I took last summer with my phone:

Is 197.1 KB the actual size of the original photo or was it reduced for the site?

The camera I was telling you about takes pictures that are saved at an average of 1.5 MB (.jpg). It also has 3x optical zoom. It's an antique but for what I use it for, it still works fine. I'm more likely to carry the camera in my pocket than I am the cell phone.

Either the print size on pill bottles is getting smaller or we are getting older. I've been known to take a picture of fine text so I could blow it up for reading. I have a lighted magnifier for that in my purse now.

[EricDP]

Originally Posted by carld

I had one of those. I ended up turning it face down on my nightstand because the light would keep me awake. I much prefer picking up my phone to check the time. Being near sighted I had to pick up the alarm clock to look at it anyway.

I get where you're coming from - I like my room very dark. If I can see my hand in front of my face it's too bright. I have blackout curtains and I usually electrical-tape over the bright LEDs indicating other electronics are on/being charged (e.g. shaver in the ensuite used to light up the bedroom too much).

The trendy green and blue ones for sure are too bright and light everything up, but try to find a boring old red one with multiple brighness levels. The red somehow doesn't light up the room, especially at the dim setting.

To each his/her own, but this is my preference after having tried with something else for some time. And I expect I'm not the only one or a small niche market for that matter.

[MikeFromHC]

Originally Posted by Kumabjorn

When phones comes with fold-out screens I can see them becoming a Jack-of-all-trades but it will most likely take another ten years. In the mean time I will thoroughly enjoy my Kindle.

My, how time flies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgnADSuF8MA
Even today we are close to an arbitrarily small computer with significant processing power. Ten years will see powerful phone sized computers.
I say phone size because it is large enough so you don't have to worry a lot about loosing it.
Add a 10 year from now pico projector, blue tooth connectivity for (folding) keyboards and mice, voice input for the phone and GPS and a 10 year from now camera and it will be a PC that can be a smart phone in it's spare time.

[bjones6416]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

Is 197.1 KB the actual size of the original photo or was it reduced for the site?

No, I reduced it. It'll do 5 MP, I think. Fine for outdoors, but not so great indoors.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by carld

I had one of those. I ended up turning it face down on my nightstand because the light would keep me awake. I much prefer picking up my phone to check the time. Being near sighted I had to pick up the alarm clock to look at it anyway.

Once my contact lenses are out and my glasses are off, I am blind as a bat. So I wear a watch to bed and use my bedside alarm clock for precisely that reason. Sounding an alarm to wake me up.

When I leave for work I let my wife know the time so she then sets a small kitchen timer at her bedside to wake her up in time for her to go to work. (She is awake anyway, due to the noise I make getting ready for work! )

I seriously doubt any smartphone wonder device could do all of that.