XplanaZine

“I want the world. I want the whole world. I want to lock it all up in my pocket,” spoiled brat Veruca Salt crooned in the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. In today’s fast-paced society, demands for one all-encompassing device that serves as a convenient cell phone, personal organizer, gaming system, computer and media player sound eerily similar to Veruca Salt’s gluttonous insistences. However, unlike the greedy girl who got her comeuppance, the public’s demands are being met and exceeded through new technology in handheld devices.

Just as we acclimated ourselves to the omnipresence of cell phones, PDAs and laptops, new-fangled technology emerges that merges all of our hi-tech and convenience needs into one gadget. Though technology equips people with enhanced means of communicating, accessing information and organizing schedules, it also burdens people with several devices that must be juggled in order to perform daily tasks. The ingenious solution of creating all-purpose handheld devices will revolutionize the market and the way we live our lives.

While these new-and-improved handhelds flood the market, the standalone PDA is speeding toward the overpopulated graveyard of ephemeral technological fads. Shipments of PDAs significantly plummeted in the first quarter of 2004, and according to PC World, while Sony Ericsson’s line of PDAs placed third in sales, it plunged 49.6% from first quarter of 2003. Meanwhile, market research reveals that cell phone sales boomed over the past year, and 2004 is sure to witness an even bigger profit margin.

So, why are cell phones replacing PDAs for our personal computing and organizational needs?

As electronics manufacturers realize the demand for an all-inclusive organization and communication tool, they begin to improve upon existing cell phone technology, as it seems as though people can live without PDAs, but losing or forgetting a cell phone is the personal equivalent of a natural disaster. In light of this observation, new cell phones are equipped with hi-tech organizers, internet access and a bevy of impressive functions.

Hybrids and Smartphones are new gadgets that combine cell phone and computer capabilities into one device that is slightly larger than your average standalone PDA. These electronic innovations demonstrate the convergence of communication and personal computing into one handheld apparatus. While the internet gave people the world at their fingertips, these new hybrids allow people to literally wrap their fingertips around the world (wide web), access any information and then call friends and tell them about the information obtained.

As Smartphones and hybrids become more pervasive, these multifaceted devices will inevitably make their way into the classroom. New models of hybrids feature wireless internet connection in addition to the numerous other impressive organizational and communication features. Wireless internet connection in PocketPCs, cell phones and hybrids will prompt a learning revolution as it arms students with the power to access e-books and online courses literally wherever and whenever they want. Whereas laptops gave students increased flexibility in learning through mobility, hybrids have longer battery power and are significantly less bulky in terms of portability. In addition, manufacturers are now releasing hybrid accessories such as detachable, fold-up keyboards for convenience and comfort.

As technology spurs the development of groundbreaking learning tools, many institutions of higher learning are keeping pace with the times. According to a Campus Computing Project 2003 survey, 77.2% of the participating college campuses use wireless LANs, while 14.2% of campuses adopted full-campus wireless networks. As students increasingly rely on PocketPCs and hybrids, wireless networks are essential for schools in order to accommodate student learning.

And while hybrids may be all the rage now, mobile multimedia devices will be the next wave of technology to sweep the nation. Though many cell phones and hybrids have streaming video and mp3 capabilities, the next generation of personal computing and communication devices will likely feature more extensive television and video capability. Last year, Japan witnessed the release of a cell phone with a built-in television. Now, many electronics manufacturers are zeroing in on this portable media center as the next big thing. Sprint established paid video programming in MobiTV while Sony Ericsson’s A54OS mobile is the first phone to incorporate a memory stick that enables AV viewing and may even be equipped to record television programs. Texas Instruments and Microsoft are also jumping on the bandwagon as they strive to develop their own portable media centers with the most advanced technology and innovative ideas.

The release of hybrids onto the market and the development of mobile multimedia devices on the horizon indicate that the future of handheld devices will consist of one compact device that meets all of our communication, organizational, personal computing and media needs. And, with internet access and the world at your fingertips in hybrid form, Veruca Salt’s demands are fast becoming a reality; you can literally have the whole world neatly packaged in a compact design that fits right in your pocket.