Cell Phones - Some Considerations of the Cell Phone of the Future

Cell phone technology has been moving forwardon your memory and the brain you are born with
at break neck speed, and sometimes we mayto carry on your daily endeavors - scary thinking,
not notice it, but think back to just a few yearsbut perhaps we need to address this as we
ago and you can see all the new featureconsider the evolution of cell phones.
integration and race in the marketplace - a raceToday, our cell phones have changed the entire
to "wow" consumers and get them to choose adynamics of our society. There are unspoken
specific device. But before we talk about theetiquette issues of cell phone use in public. There
current trends in cell phones and smart phones,are rules when we can use our cell phones and
let's discuss the past evolution of these devices.when we can't. Issues such as driving with a cell
Since, I had one of the first mobile "cell" phones -phone and the number of auto deaths which
I'd like to tell you a quick story to start out thisoccur while people are driving and talking on the
discussion.phone at the same time. There have been major
My first cell phones were state-of-the-art at thedisasters caused by texting while driving a bus or
time, but if you saw them today, you'd laugh. Oneconducting a train.
of them I actually kept; a Mitsubishi Transportable.The reality is that as our technology has evolved,
This phone is about the size of a six pack coolerit is evolving much faster than the human brain
that you might take to your child's soccer game,can to take it all in. Due to the multitasking
and it was quite heavy, as I recall it is well overrequired in our society to get along and the high
10 pounds. This of course included the batterypace and productivity that jobs require, many
pack to power up to 3 Watt phone.brains cannot cope or adapt fast enough. And this
Remember that Ion-lithium batteries at the timeseems to be a problem, if some people are not
were just coming off the assembly lines andable to make the switch, but they attempt to,
were quite expensive - they did not exist in thissometimes while driving with disastrous results.
size for anything but NASA and military usage.Our smart phones are becoming super cell phones
These original cell phones I had were nickelthat have more and more features, such as the
hydride powered, quite an inferior batteryability to store music like the iPod, and vast
technology for modern cell phones.amounts of data like our electronic PDAs. These
The Mitsubishi Cell Phone has a strap on it so youdevices are getting more high-tech each and
can carry it like a purse, and I often felt reallyevery year and they are feature rich. Many have
stupid carrying it, until of course it rang, and Ifive to ten gigabytes of information storage now.
unzipped the top, pulled out the handset on theOne recent study in the cell phone industry noted
phone and began talking. I can recall thatthat 90% of the people who own cell phones
everyone stared as if I was a secret CIA agent,have never used all the features, and do not
was working for MI6, and my name wasn't Lance,know how to program them, or even that they
it was really James Bond. You see, at that timeexist on their cell phone. Most people don't even
not very many people had the cell phones andcare, they use the features they want and none
they were very expensive.of the others.
Another one of my first phones was a AudiovoxThis is a common problem with new technologies,
1000 model, which was quite large and it wasand it is something that happened with that Beta
mounted in my car, a car phone - cell phone. Theand VHS recorders. What's that old joke, there
box that ran the Cell Phone was mounted underare tons of features on your video recorder at
the seat, and there was a cradle that held thehome, but no one knows how to use them, and
headset. The headset had a cord on it just like abefore we all learned that we need to learn to
phone at home, before the cordless phones thatuse these features, the VHS video recorder is
is. Under the seat the box was about 3 1/2 inchesout in the new DVDs are here. Now cable
high and the size of a laptop with a 17.1 inchcompanies offer boxes which can record multiple
screen.shows so you can watch later or pause a live TV
This Cell Phone or car cell phone was wiredprogram while you go to the bathroom, or go to
directly to the battery with a couple of fuses.the kitchen to get something to eat. Some allow
When I turned on the vehicle, the Cell Phoneyou to use your cell phone to do remote
would automatically turn on. If I turned off theprogramming too.
vehicle, I had to leave it on accessory with theThese are all things common challenges which are
key in the right position, unless I left the phone onencountered and similar problems with any new
which by-passed the ignition. When the phonepersonal tech devices which become mass
rang and actually honked the horn, which got meconsumer products. Cell phones and our current
into trouble a couple of times when the hornsmart phones are no exception. It's hard to say
went off while I was driving behind a police carthe future what types of new features in our cell
stopped at an intersection. I have a lot of storiesphones will have. The sky is the limit, and the
to tell you about all those early days with the firstimagination and demand for more features and
cell phones, and you may e-mail me if you aregreater technology is readily apparent. The early
ever interested in such experiences.adopters of such cell phone and smart phone
Folks today take all this for granted, as they don'ttechnologies are willing to spend big bucks to have
realize how cumbersome the original cell phonesall-in-one devices. Therefore, these trends will
were, or how stupid they were compared tocontinue.
modern day smart cell phones. Today they giveJust to give you an example of some of the
you a free cell phone when you sign up forcrazy ideas people come up with for future smart
service - back then you had to pay $1000 for aphones let me tell you a little quick story.
car cell phone, and as much as a couple hundredOur on-line Think Tank came up with a plan to
dollars to have it installed. It was quite aproduce a PhD or Personal Health Device, which
procedure, if you have a stereo system, and antracks your diet - on your cell phone. How it
XM radio put in your car at the same time, that isworked was quite simple, when you are at the
about how much work it took to do this.grocery store, you would scan all the items that
Therefore, at today's labor rates you could easilyyou bought, and they would go into storage inside
pay three or $400. That's definitely something toyour smart phone. Each time you ate one of
think about.those items you would simply select what you
If I was talking to someone on the phone whileate, and punch in the number of servings and you
the engine was running, if I turned off the car andwould calculate and keep track of your calories,
moved the key to the accessory position I wouldfat content, and recommended daily allowances in
dump the phone call, as I cut it out during thatthe major five food groups.
transition. However, having a cell phone in my carThe smart phone would have a scanner system
helped me increase my business. At the time Ion it, later subsequent versions of this smart
was only 17 years old - I had an aircraftphone and personal health device would be able to
brokerage firm and aircraft finder's service and Iscan products via RFID tags. Your phone could
would work off of fees whenever an aircraft thattabulate and even recommend what you should
I represented sold. I also had a small aircrafteat, how many more miles you should jog, and
cleaning service and was able to contactwhat you would need to maintain your diet to
customers from my vehicle on the flight line, andmeet your personal health goals, and weight loss
my crews could call me when they were doneprogram. Sounds crazy doesn't it, yes, it does, but
with the job as they would use the localthe venture capitalists like the idea. So too, do
payphone to call me.companies that produce high tech smart phones
Thus, this mobile technology allowed me to maketoday, as everyone is looking to get a jump on
more money, and remain more efficient than thethe competition.
competition. Remember at the time this wasGPS systems by way of smart phones or cellular
leading edge technology, it was state-of-the-art,high-tech phones is quite possible (now available),
and I had it - the competition did not. No longerand you don't even need satellites to do it. If you
was I stuck in an office, I could run my businessare within the realm of several cell towers your
from anywhere and it allowed me much freedom.location can be triangulated quite quickly, which
Often people today do not realize what it was likepinpoints your exact location within 10 feet. Ah ha,
before mobile cell phones. Anyone who is inyou see the problem in this too; What about
business now over the age of 50 certainlyprivacy you ask? That's a good point and that is
realizes, because they remember a time whenanother issue that people are quite concerned
there were no cell phones.about with all this new high-tech personal smart
This was a period in our nation's history wherephone innovations.
there were pay phones in every shopping center,Google Phone and social networking connections
every gas station, outside of every fast foodappear to be on horizon. That is to say, linking
restaurant, and people used them all the time.your smart phone with all of your social
Business People who didn't smoke filled theirnetworking friends, but apparently Google got into
ashtrays with coins so they can stop and use thea little bit of a problem and noted that many
pay phone. Thus, allowing them to call clients,people are not ready for that just yet. In fact,
customers, vendors, and maintain their operationsmany people who are friends on social networks
in the office. When cell phones first came into playand make connections, have no intention of ever
they displaced the old Motorola technology ofmeeting these people in real life, and therefore
push to talk phones, which worked off athey aren't really friends. And since you don't
mountaintop repeaters, these phones were veryreally know anything about those connections or
big in the military, construction industry, and all thefriends on your social networking site, the last
executives with large corporations had them.thing you want them to do is know exactly
Since this was radio technology, they workedwhere you are within 10 feet.
farther than the first cell phones which had to beThat should appear to be obvious, and in the
within 10 to 15 miles of a cell tower. Today, thefuture it may not be such a big deal, but people
cell phones are less wattage than they were backare still a little paranoid and they like to have their
then, so the average cell tower is 6 miles or lessprivacy. Meanwhile, we read more and more
apart. Back then the cell phones worked off threearticles about social networking gone bad. That is
Watts, and now with 3G technology the wattageto say people using social networks to stalk other
is under 1 W. This is probably good for the humanpeople, and this also concerns parents who have
biosystem, as it is putting less microwaveteenagers, who use social networks on a daily
frequency radiation into your brain, there will bebasis, and some that use them on an hourly basis,
fewer brain tumors, brain cancer, and otherand a good many who seem to be texting every
issues. There have been many studies includingfew minutes.
several with the Swiss researchers which seemedOne recent study of cell phone users was able to
to indicate that the 3 W phones were quitehave a 93% predictability of where a person
unacceptable for human health, and they wouldmight be based on the patterns determined by
slowly cook your brain as one researcher said.their cell phone, and when it was connected to
Luckily, for the cell phone industry they were ableany given local cell tower. The study found that
to bury most of these problems and objections,most people stay within 6 miles of their homes.
as well as the studies that the Swiss did. Although,These patterns of predictability are a reality in our
there were studies here in the United States, yousociety and how we operate as individuals -
would be hard-pressed to find those researchnevertheless this brings up all types of issues that
studies and data on brain tumors, brain cancer,have attracted the attention of the Electronic
and their relation to the cell phones that peopleFreedom Foundation, and it also touches on the
used. In fact, if you go to Google Scholar todayissue of privacy and paranoia, it catches people
you will be hard-pressed to find anything thatoff guard.
would suggest that the cell phones could causeThen there is the new trend with smart mobs
such horrible conditions. This of course is all still upusing their smart phones, and having fun with and
for debate, but we try not to talk about it.meeting up in various places all at the same time.
Perhaps, by going to 3G wireless, and lowerAlthough these schemes are used for fun,
wattage the mobile cell phone industry dodged aentertainment, and socializing, these same types
bullet of huge class-action lawsuits, and we mayof smart mobs have the power to destabilize a
never know the damage we had caused.society or civilization. Consider if you will the use
Nevertheless, as we talk about Six Sigmaof technology in Tiananmen Square - should
efficiency in corporations, or using moderngovernments be worried about your smart phone
management techniques in small businesses, notechnology, or the future of 4G wireless cell
one can deny that increasing communicationphones? They probably should be concerned with
speed and reliability is by far a factor in theit, especially if it is used by a foreign government
increase productivity in the 80s and 90s due toto provide mass protests against what would be
cell phones.a normal stabile government.
At the time I was literally running 1000 to 1200In other words it has uses in warfare, the CIA, in
minutes per month and although that service wasbringing down corrupt regimes which are enemies
much cheaper than the other choices such as theto United States. But rest assured - the same
Iridium Satellite Phones, non-cell phone mobile units,thing could happen in the United States where
as they did not use cell towers, rather satellites -perhaps a communist rogue nation state decided
you can imagine the costs of the original cells.to have protests in the United States in our
They did not have an unlimited plan and oncemajor cities on Mayday. It could easily happen
over your minutes, you paid the premium forespecially with our own technology being used
each minute on that cell phone, my bill was usuallyagainst us, due to all the interconnectivity that it
$500 to 800 or more.offers.
The other mobile phones at the time were not
cell tower-based phones, they were push-to-talk1. Does this mean that our government has to
and came in a brief case - it was considered quitefind a way to turn off all the cell phones in case
James Bond at the time. And this was back in theof something like this happening?
1970s, and I remember this, because I started2. Do they need a device to turn off certain cell
my business when I was 12 years old washingphones from the system, while leaving first
airplanes at the local airport. Many of theresponders cell phones activated for
businessmen who owned corporate jets hadcommunication?
these types of phones. They were basically for3. And what about hackers, which might be able
the rich and famous, and business person. Theyto send out tens of thousands of bogus text
didn't work everywhere and you had to havemessages, or call masses of people into a trap, or
pretty much line of sight to the nearest tallstage a riot?
mountain, and that mountain had to have aThese are all questions we need to answer and
repeater on top of it, which was hardwired intowe need to understand that the same technology
telephone lines, and the rest of the systemwe create to improve our productivity, our
worked with ground lines.society, and help us in our daily lives with our
All this is very interesting, and we must considerfamilies and friends can also be used against us.
that many folks today have never been aliveAnd what happens when our smart phones
when there were no cell phones. They have nobecome smarter than us? Some believe, as I do,
clue how hard it was to run a business back inthat they already have. Most of the smart
the days when there really was no mobilephones today have artificial intelligence systems
communication. The same repeater systems onwithin them, for instance a text messaging
top of the mountains that Motorola owned orprogram which guesstimates which keys you are
which used Motorola hardware, also controlled thegoing to press next or what you are trying to
pagers. These pager systems were quite popularsay and it offers you suggest is so you can fill in
with people on call, such as doctors, and servicethe blank. Making your texting very quick. This is
personnel. Two-way radios, which work basicallyvery similar technology that Google uses when
the same as the two-way push to talk briefcasedoing a search and offer suggestions as you are
phones, were used through a dispatcher fortyping to save you time. This is just one form of
companies very often.artificial intelligence in our smart phones and cell
Later, just as cell phones came into play,phones today.
someone came up with the idea of 1.5 way andThere are many cell phones that allow you to use
two-way pagers. Instead of a one-way pager,speech recognition to dial phone numbers, search
someone who had what they call an "alpha mate"your databases, or navigate the screens on your
device could page someone and ask them acell phone. The newest smart phones will be able
question (using a text message) on that page andto tell you when you are in proximity to a
the recipient could press a button for yes or no,Starbucks and then give you GPS directions to
Y. or N. and that information would be relayed tofind that location. This has big implications for
the dispatcher. People actually got pretty good atretailers, advertisers, and consumers alike. They
communicating this way. And you could send textwill begin to know your patterns and habits. All
type messages for the user of the pager to read.these technologies are available now and we will
In reality these were the first text typesee them in the near future. Your cell phone will
messages, so the concept of having a mobileeven become a payment device, hooked to your
device and using text messaging is not all thatcredit card information. All this technology exists
new.today.
Two-way text messaging via cell phones isBut what about the technologies which are just
merely a re-introduction of that similar technology.over the horizon?
Once people had cell phones they didn't need toWe've recently seen at Comdex and CES shows
use the text pagers anymore, and thatthe first generations of projection cell phones,
technology was leapfrogged as the price of thethat is to say video conference enabled cell
cell phone services was lower, as competitionphones which allow you to project to the other
increased between companies like Sprint andparty onto the nearest wall or onto a table so
AT&T. There were many other regional smalleryou can watch. This will obviously be followed by
players, but they eventually got bought up by thethe Holographic cell phones, which were similar to
big boys.those that we saw in the Star Wars trilogy.
The cell phone industry grew so fast in the lateAll these things will be available in the next five
80s and early 90s, that eventually there wasyears, and you will most likely have them if you
coverage everywhere. Then something reallybuy one of the high-tech cell phones in the near
weird happened, the promise of 3G wireless camefuture. At first these technologies will cost a lot
into play, and folks started switching to that newextra, but those prices will come down as the
system. I can tell you this - my first cell phonesnumber of units built goes up and as more
were much more powerful and worked muchChinese also purchase their first cell phone, adding
better than the cell phones of today.another billion people who own such devices,
Occasionally, I had a call dropped and there weretherefore bringing the cost down for everyone -
not as many service areas, yes there were moresignificantly!
dead zones, but the signal was much moreBy the year 2025 your cell phone will be a brain
powerful because it was 3 W, and since it ran offchip inside of your head, and you can think that
my car battery or a large battery pack in a smallyou'd like to contact someone and it will dial the
carry case, it had ample power to maintain thatnumber and contact them. By 2050 you will be
strong signal.able to do thought transfer via the small devices,
Today, when I use my AT&T cell phone, I ambrain implant - perhaps smaller than a dime. And
often cursing because the service is so bad, Ipeople born after that will never know what time
wonder why I am even paying for it. In fact, thewere "thought transfer" did not exist, just like
loss of productivity from dead zones, and the cellright now there are many people who have never
phone calls dropping, I feel as if AT&T should beknown a time when mobile phones didn't exist.
paying me. Apparently, I am not alone manyAnd since Moore's law also seems to apply to the
people feel the same way. Nevertheless, the 4Gcell phone and smart phone industries we can
wireless is on the way and everyone will beexpect a size reduction as well as a power
switching to that so that they will have Internetreduction to run this technology.
access allowing them to do e-mails, twitter, video,In other words, your biosystem will be able to
and real-time text messaging without the use ofpower up your brain cell phone chip, just as it
ground linesdoes your current human brain which works on
A good many folks do not know of a time whenabout a maximum of 20 W. of energy, and you
there was no email or internet. And most peoplewill be able to have an eyelid screen, so you can
who are in business today, who are under 50close one eye, and surf the Internet. It's hard to
years old do not remember a time when wesay what the Comdex and CES Show in Las
didn't have fax machines, the reality is that faxVegas in the year 2025 will look like, it is probably
machines came into play about the time of theimpossible to pinpoint what these shows will look
first cell phones. Mind you, there was still nolike in the year 2050. In fact, there may not be
Internet, no e-mail, and although ARPANET wasshows at all, you may be able to experience
being used by the military, and by think tanks,these trade shows in your holographic living room,
research centers, and top universities, it wasn'tvideo gaming center.
really available to the public in the way we have itWalking the virtual halls of the trade show using
now.your avatar and talking to other avatars explaining
Fast forward to today and now no one goesall the new technologies that are available for you
anywhere without a cell phone. Social researchersmight be the new reality albeit an Augmented or
have noted fewer people wearing wrist watches.fully Virtual Reality. That appears to be where we
They don't need a wristwatch because that is aare going, although it's hard to imagine considering
standard feature on all cell phones now. Ofwhere we are today. Nevertheless, I can assure
course, this doesn't help companies like Rolex whoyou people in the 1950s could not really have
are catering to the young up-and-coming BMWimagined the way in which our smart cell phones
crowd, if you look around you will see that mosthave evolved in the present period.
young executives don't even wear a watch andCurrently, there seems to be a very big push in
most of our younger generation doesn't wear athe larger cities like Atlanta and Dallas, Los
watch either.Angeles and Seattle, Boston and New York, Miami
It seems that the wrist-watch replaced theand Houston towards the 4G wireless, obviously
pocket watch, and the cell phones seem to bethis will continue. That is the full broadband
replacing just about everything. These daysInternet surfing on your smart phone, the ability
people use their cell phone or smart phones to doto watch TV while driving in a car on your cell
their e-mails, and these same phones act like aphone. And next comes the ability to project that
PDA, no one carries day planners anymore,TV onto any screen or flat surface that is nearby
although a few people do, myself included perhapsor available. The technology is getting more
out of habit from using a day planner from therobust, it's getting smaller, it's getting smarter, and
time I was 12 years old in my business until I wasyou have to decide how far you want to go with
in my mid-40s. Perhaps, I am giving away myit.
age, but sometimes old habits die hard.Perhaps, I should write a quick eBook on this topic
Today with many laptop notebooks, PDAs, andand explain chapter by chapter, the evolution of
smart phones, it seems none of that other stuffthis ominous communication technology, and the
is needed. Including your human memory sayfuture of smart phone personal tech devices. Let
many psychologists, who argue that thisme know if you know any interested potential
technology is causing the human brain to rewireco-authors.
itself differently because there are differentAt the current pace we are moving, and at the
needs to get along in the world. After all, all yourspeed in which we are interfacing with the
best friends are on the speed dial and you don'tInternet, social networks, e-mail, and television, it's
have to remember phone numbers anymore. Andhard to say exactly what you will be carrying
all your contacts and information is on your smartaround in the future in your purse or pocket, but
phone, in your e-mail program, or on your laptop.I daresay it will be something that is truly
Cyber security analysts worry that if the systemincredible, and in the next 10 years it will be hardly
crashes or God forbid an electro-magnetic pulse,imaginable from this point in time to know exactly
neutron bomb, or nuclear device is set off high inwhat it will be, or what it might be able to do. I
the atmosphere it could destroy all the electronichope you will please consider all this. And contact
equipment, including all the cell towers, your laptop,me if you'd like to discuss this further at the
your television, your refrigerator, and your smartOnline Think Tank.
phone. Where will you be then, and can you rely