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Experts in mobile look to the future
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The mobile landscape of 2008 looks completely different than it did just two years ago, and experts predict the next few years will bring innovations that make communication through mobile devices even more pervasive.
B.J. Fogg, who runs the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University, has spent the last decade looking at how technology changes attitudes and behaviors. The lab’s studies about text messaging and mobile usage have convinced him mobile technology will become the most persuasive method of reaching people in the years to come and will be tapped by political leaders, religious figures and advertisers.
“If someone right now is running a company and doesn’t have a Web site, you think, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ That’s going to be the same thing you say if someone doesn’t know how their constituency uses mobile,” Fogg said.
Fogg says mobile platforms will be used to organize protests, mobilize supporters and influence voters during this year’s presidential campaign. Individuals will share viral clips about their candidate via phone, for example.
Fogg also thinks that location-based technology such as GPS will be used in more social scenarios. A mobile device might be able to tell when you have a friend nearby and urge you to go talk to her; your phone could alert you when you drive by your dry cleaners that your clothes are ready.
Mobile phones in the future could eliminate the need for credit cards, and potentially even car keys, as the U.S. follows the lead of countries such as Japan and Korea that have implemented mobile payment systems extensively, said Rob Forsyth, AT&T’s vice president and general manager for the D.C.- area wireless division.
Joel Evans of Geek.com said that mobile, GPS and voice recognition technology will soon overlap so people interact with phones as they do with individuals, asking what their schedule looks like or requesting a latte from the Starbucks they’re about to drive past.
“All this stuff is so close; there’s no reason why it can’t be there,” Evans said.
Digital cameras could be another point of convergence. Envision a scenario where a photo taken on a camera will be automatically sent to a parent’s mobile when he or she can’t be at the family trip to the zoo, said Derek Kerton of The Kerton Group. He thinks laptops and cell phones will become almost interchangeable, with some individuals deciding not to have computers or pay for broadband service beyond their phones. Such a development could suggest it would be more efficient to provide smart phones rather than laptops to underdeveloped countries, he said.
“This could be a world-changing thing,” he said.
melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
5:49 PM MST on Fri., Mar. 28, 2008 re: "Lawmakers hang up ban on cell phones"
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Examiner Reader said:
Remember, cops dont pass the laws they just enforce them. Good for the speed cameras, now more police can stop you for other things and write you a ticket. You know, the law you broke when you did not use your turning signal, or for now stopping when entering a main thrufare. YEA YEA YEA
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Yea, next time one of these jerks driving and talking on a cell phonehit you and injures you or kills someone than forget about calling the cops etc and go home and get over it before you start crying fowl.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Now they need to go after the women who drive and put on makeup
5 agree | 1 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Reader @ 9:10 I'll second that!!!
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Examiner Reader said:
I'm for the ban but those idiots in the house delegates can't do anything right.
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Examiner Reader said:
This is like the proposal for "Speed Cameras." The state isn't making enough from "red light cameras" so, let's find another way to "tax" drivers. Making a common legal behavior illegal is just another way to criminally tax citizens. The cell phone law would be just another reason for a cop to pull over a law abiding citizen. Next, drinking a soda will be illegal. I remember when the seatbelt law was a "secondary offense". Now the cops run "seatbelt checkpoints" just to write tickets. Another criminal tax on an otherwise law abiding citizen. Hopefully the House of Delegates is wiser than the Senate and kills this bad idea.
3 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
In stead of stopping people from talking on their phones they should try to stop the young punk A@@ kids that are out on the streets committing crimes.
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Examiner Reader said:
Lets Ban All Lawyers!!
14 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Gee a "good for the public safety" bill with heavy fees attached to it. Revenue grabs are the greatest, aren't they? If they REALLY wanted to make it an effective measure for public safety and stop people from talking on the phone while driving the officer would confiscate the phone, give the driver a slip of paper with an identifier on it, and say "you can come pick up your phone in 24 hours from (X police station)." Then make the person wait in line to get their phone and charge a 10 dollar handling fee. THAT would make people think twice before violating the Sanctity of Maryland Law and its brilliance! But no, better to just take your money for doing something everyone does normally.
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Ravens/Orioles Fan. said: said:
This was way over due..I don't think anyone can argure that fact...Driving a vehicle today, is alot different than driving a vehicle 34 years ago..there are so many distractions like, DVD players, Cellphones, Texting as well as other distractions...Excellent job to those of you in Annapolis who fought long and hard for this bill.
3 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This is really stupid. The law should deal with any attention diversion activities like putting on makeup, reading papers, looking at maps, shaving...all of this has caused accidents that I have seen in 25 years as a Paramedic. It's not just cell phones.
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Examiner Reader said:
What about hearing impaired folks that can't use a headset? Oh, that's right -- the ADA doesn't apply to DNC initiatives.
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Jeff in New Freedom said:
Let's see, the Maryland Legislature, which is really just a rubber stamp of O'Malley & the Democratic party, is all wound up about people using cell phones? Gee, why don't they address how they are ruining people with their tax increase & what they have let BGE/Constellation do to the hard working people of this state. While I don't live here anymore, my parents still do & they are getting killed by the 1-2 punch of O'Malley & BGE. How about addressing the real issues? How about cutting your bloated budget & repealing your un needed tax increases? How about re regulating BGE/Constellation? No, that would make too much sense. That would be doing the people's work, which is what you are supposed to be doing.
6 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Liberal Nanny State steadily advances as Maryland voters get more of the fascist control they adore. There will be lots of unexpected negative consequences. My decision will be not to call 911 while driving the next time I see a bad accident or stranded MD motorist. They voted for this nonsense and can suffer the result.
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BA said:
Death, really? Come on everyone use your brain cells and stop acting like a bunch of soccer moms with nothing better to do than complain. Maybe you should ban them from driving during rush hour too, why not ban them listening to music and make them wear sunglasses when its sunny while we're at it too! Bad drivers will be bad drivers. If you really cared, you would complain about the licensing standards being to lenient, therefore letting poor drivers on the road. This "what about the children!?" crap doesn't fly when they're basically adults. Stop bad driving, not young driving.
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Examiner Reader said:
The General Assembly is just a meeting of idiots.
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Grumpy said:
When your distracted, cell phone using teenager drives his Rav 4 through a red light and a cement truck turns it into a flaming coffin, MAYBE someone will remember this bill and why it didn't pass. Thank god the little darlings won't be "profiled".
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On the Court said:
Just sit back, ignore everything. Watch them laugh all the way to the bank and buy more cells with no say so within a day of the bill cancelation. Hate not talking on the phone is the answer for these fools.
4 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I hate when everyone crys about being profiled, if your not doing anything wrong than you will not be stopped. When you drive pass a cop don't act like your the perfect driver all of the sudden and you might not get stopped. I think the state should stop kids from talking on the phone and driving. Everytime I see a teenager driving, they are on the phone or doing something or allowing someone in the car to do something stupid. Kids are not responsible now these days, and there just needs to be monitored more than ever.
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Examiner Reader said:
Is Lisa Gladden for real? She's apparently more concerned with "profiling" than death. Misplaced priorities.
41 agree | 36 disagree
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