Mobile Computing

Time Horizon: One Year or Less

From the Horizon Report 2010:

• The mobile market today has nearly 4 billion subscribers, more than 2/3 of whom live in developing countries.
• Over a billion new phones are produced each year.
• The fastest-growing sales segment belongs to smart phones.
• A massive and increasing number of people all over the word now own and use a computer that fits in their hand and is able to connect to the network wirelessly from virtually anywhere.
• Users increasingly expect anytime, anywhere access to data and services.
• More people look to mobile computing platforms as their device of choice, as they are often far cheaper than desktop or laptop computers.
• More flexiblity and power on the mobile platfrom comes from netbooks, smartbooks and other specialized devices.
• At Abilene Christian University, all 2009 incoming freshman were issued an iPhone or iPod Touch.
• At ACU (above), one section of chemistry course received lab prep and safety lectures via podcast for mobile devices rather than in the classroom.
• Performance scores for these students indicated that the mobile lectures were equally effective.
• Students in a history course at University of Texas-Dallas used Twitter to discuss course topics during class; the tweets were displayed on a large screen to encourage cross-group communication.

A Sampling of Mobile Computing in Use  

Chemistry - At Bluegrass Community & Technical College, outdoor field work has replaced many "cookbook" chemistry labs. Students use tablet PCs to record and analyze field research, present their findings, and compare results in real time.

History - The Edinburgh College of Art, the University of Edinburgh, and the EDINA Date Centre collaboratively developed a mobile app called Walking Through Time. The app overlays historical maps onto current maps of the viewers location, showing street views and areas of interest from prior times.

YouTube: Walking Through Time (3:55)

Information Technology- Students at the University of Michigan developed an application for Google's Android platform that measures power consumpton on mobiles. The app, called PowerTutor, is designed to help software developers create more efficient applications.

Medicine- Harvard Medical School has released an iPhone app about the H1N1 virus, including maps of outbreaks, a symptom checker, and tips for avoiding infection or dealing with illness. The app is the first in a planned series of mobile applications developed at HMS in collaboration with medical school scientists and doctors.

Mobile Computing in Practice

Mobile Libraries

http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/m/about.html

The North Carolina State University library now offers a mobile application that provides a catalog search, information about computer availability in labs, and access to a reference librarian.

Smartphones Fill Med School Prescription

http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care/health-care-professionals-physicians-surgeons/13161277-1.html

At the University of Louisville School of Medicine, residents use smartphones instead of prescription pads and multiple reference books. Patients and residents alike approve of the new system.