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Views: 6,483  ·  Replies: 7 
> The end of Smartphones
DownhillFR-S
  Posted: Feb 4 2013, 01:20 AM


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So I was thinking recently, and I came to a realization that smartphones will not be the be-all-end-all of mobile entertainment and communication.

We're seeing two things arise in the near future that are very, very interesting.

Thing A: Smart Watches

These watches have touch-screen capability, as well as bluetooth and wireless technology. They're essentially iPod Nano's with some better software.

Thing B: Google Glass and related Reality-enhancing virtual imaging systems

These, while not yet released, will project information in to the users field of vision, using a HUD-style display.


Some of you may ask, "Why do we need both?" and my response is: Wearing a pair of glasses housing all the sensors and processors that would be required for both would 1: Look flat out stupid and 2: Be un-ergonomic as well as uncomfortable, and also incredibly limiting as to what you could do, considering the watch will be used for a tacticle feedback and spatial locational awareness system.

The logical conclusion of these two emerging technologies is a sort of merger between the two. While wearing the glasses, all the information sync'd in to your watch would be immediately available. Much more convenient than digging in your pocket or purse for your slab of a device. You want music? Hold your wrist in front of you, and thumb through the hologram that's being projected in your field of vision until you find the app you want, and hit play.

Bigger screens? Why a screen at all?

Many of todays phones are promoting themselves based on screen size (See: Samsung Galaxy Note 1/2/3) and processing power. Have you seen the processors in phones? Miniscule! So I ask you the question, why a screen at all? Imagine looking down at your smart watch. The screen is small. Square, maybe round, a few apps floating on it's touchscreen. Now imagine wearing a Glass-like device and looking down at your smartwatch. Suddenly, from your fingertips to the middle of your forearm, icons, photos, playlists and a number pad are displayed. Now imagine your watch has an accelerometer and a locational awareness system that can detect where your fingers are using information fed to it from the Glass-like HUD you're wearing. Why a screen at all when the whole world can be your App drawer?

Google plans on the Glass system being paired to a smartphone, and I can't help but ask why? They're bulky, they take up all your pocket space, and are a bit of a hassle. They can be stolen from your pocket or your purse, and you can lose them entirely. Smartwatch and glasses? Both of them would be physically attached to you more or less all the time when in use. No risk of setting it down and having it picked up by a stranger. No risk of placing it somewhere and completely forgetting where\why. And even if someone did manage to pick up one or the other, they wouldn't pair to a new device without your password\retina ID\thumb print on the watch.

And Google is half way there. Check out these shots of their recent patent filings for Glass.

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As I said, why limit it to just your hand being used as a dialing pad when your smartwatch could detect that you're looking at it, and bring up relevant information to your surroundings, the people around you, and points of interest?

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This will revolutionize how you work

Video conferences? We all have them at some point in time at work or in our personal lives. Skype has become a household name for keeping in touch with... well, everyone. And why should you be confined to using a screen to keep in touch? With this combination of technology, you could carry it around with you, transparent in your field of view, while doing other work, or playing games, or cooking dinner.

Laptops? Not anymore. Anywhere-tops is more like it! With a holographic keyboard displayed over your watch, and a screen as wide as you want it (hell, your whole field of vision if you'd like!), why be confined to a tiny, physical shell? Sure, intense work such as photoshop and gaming will still need physical computers. But e-mail? Skype? Chatting and Facebook? Literally in the eye of the beholder!

Imagine your social life through the eyes of a new type of device: The one you'll keep on your all day every day. Permanently connected to the 'net, and to everyone you know and love. Speaking with a foreigner and having hard time? This combination would easily alleviate that! Once again Google is on the forefront of this issue.

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Now imagine playing games in VR with this set-up. Instant communication to team-mates. Playing an FPS? The watch automatically displays enemy locations, while your field of vision becomes the warzone. An example:

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So what about traveling? They've got that down, too.

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This will revolutionize how you eat

Imagine you've gone to the store, and your list isn't cramped up on a tiny screen, or rumpled up in your pocket on a piece of paper. Your list is always in your field of vision, and it's not your traditional list either. Beside each item is a calorie count, and where it can be found in the specific store you are in. Prices are automatically compared to the store you're in and other local grocers.

Now consider dieting with this method. Pizza sounds amazing, doesn't it? Not on your diet it doesn't. You walk to the frozen food isle. You look at the pizza. 1200 calories per serving. You're on a 3400 calorie a day diet. Do you really want one whole slice of pizza to be ONE meal for you, out of the three and a half you can have today?

That's not me asking. That's the dieting app that's displaying those words in to your field of vision, giving you clear visual reminders that no, you probably don't want to eat one slice of pizza for dinner.

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Wrapping up, I will admit, the watch will almost entirely be the processing and wireless power-station that powers the glasses, while maintaining it's own functionality to an extent. Regardless, this seems to be where the future is taking us! Smartphone-free, easily-accessible instant always-on information. And I love it.

This post has been edited by DownhillFR-S on Feb 4 2013, 02:20 AM
MattW
Posted: Feb 4 2013, 03:53 AM


VOLVO For Life.
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someones been smoking the good shit
Spaz
Posted: Feb 4 2013, 05:35 AM


Just a guy towing a car across the country to chase a dream.
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I dunno, I said in 2006 that in 10 years the technology for Google Glass, granted in detail of the tech as opposed to using an at the time non-existent brand name, would not only be available, but mainstream. And quite frankly, at the rate things are going, I'm still not too far off the mark on that one.
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DownhillFR-S
  Posted: Feb 4 2013, 10:44 AM


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Haha, I didn't smoke anything. I just took some time to look at emerging technologies, where they were going, and what the most likely outcome is for consumers and professionals.
W.A.R
Posted: Feb 6 2013, 12:32 PM


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I dont know as far as translation for Google.

I know spanish and know little french but the translations by far do not make any sense. Even when you try to say your own words then translated it will confuse that person that you are trying to speak to.
So we could throw that out the window.
Sadly people speak in a slang. Every language has a way of talking so alot of people wont understand traditional ways of speaking.

Unless they fix this but I dont ever seeing that coming to be.

This post has been edited by W.A.R on Feb 6 2013, 12:34 PM
Nomake Wan
Posted: Feb 6 2013, 06:38 PM


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QUOTE (W.A.R @ 6 hours, 5 minutes ago)
I dont know as far as translation for Google.

I know spanish and know little french but the translations by far do not make any sense. Even when you try to say your own words then translated it will confuse that person that you are trying to speak to.
So we could throw that out the window.
Sadly people speak in a slang. Every language has a way of talking so alot of people wont understand traditional ways of speaking.

Unless they fix this but I dont ever seeing that coming to be.

That's with current consumer-grade tech. We're already advancing in the AI front with context-based language and that's where current automated translations fall flat on their face. Any context-based language just comes out hilarious. Once that's tackled dealing with slang should be fairly simple.
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MetalMan777
Posted: Feb 6 2013, 08:21 PM


Snooping as usual
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I welcome this crap, I'll enjoy it for all of a day, then get bored with it. It'll become pretty mainstream, and people will slowly forget how to get around without augmented reality. A bunch of stuff will happen, and pretty soon some black guy is going to offer you one of two colored pills. Then Hugo Weaving will fuck up your shit, and robots will attack your friends. I'll be fine because I'll have moved to a very remote luddite community on an island/mountain somewhere, because can't stand living in a society where people are incapable of getting out of bed without their glasses.




Alternatively Will Smith will take a dump on Isaac Asimov's grave, I'm not sure which future is in store for us.

This post has been edited by Cactus on Feb 6 2013, 08:22 PM
MidnightViper88
Posted: Feb 6 2013, 09:23 PM


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AR? Pfft...Wait until they actually make cybernetic implants...

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