New Technology of the Week | A Laser in your Mobile Phone

Setting aside the Austin Powers "laser" jokes that come to mind, Measurement Devices, Ltd of England may have some pretty monumental technology on their hands. Even though it only weighs 43 grams (just over 1.5 oz). 

"Powered by a standard USB connector, the tiny Micro Laser Module (MLM), believed to be the smallest in the world, requires less than 70 mA to make hundreds of measurements a second of objects within a 120-metre radius and is now being marketed to original equipment manufacturers some of which MDL hopes will develop the software and interface so the micro technology can be applied to different products."

Such a laser could be incorporated into devices like smartphones to revolutionize smartphone camera imagery and measurement capabilities. 

Click here to read more about smartphone laser technology

New Technology of the Week | Tattoos that connect to your mobile phone

"In a recent filing to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Nokia (NOK) described a concept for using magnetic ink embedded in the skin to interact with a specific electromagnetic field put off by mobile phones."

That's right. No more missing phone calls because you didn't hear your phone ring or didn't feel it vibrate from wherever it may be. Alerts to your phone can be transmitted to the ink in your skin, and can even be varied to differentiate between calls, messages, emails, etc. And for those not ready for a tattoo, Nokia proposes a badge or label that can be applied to skin temporarily. 

Click here to read more about this tattoo and mobile phone integration 

Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | The Desktop/Smartphone

"Using virtualization tools like Citrix and VMWare, Canonical says that IT departments could issue a single device that covers both the desktop and mobile needs of employees."

A new system called Ubuntu for Android will allow devices to run the Android OS for smartphone purposes, and switch to Ubuntu when connected to a keyboard and monitor via a dock - essentially a mobile phone and desktop all--in-one. 

"The system reportedly lets you share your smartphone’s contacts, media, and apps among both Android and Ubuntu. The Ubuntu environment also supports MMS/SMS and phones calls: a pop-up window appears when you receive a call, and you can simply mouse over and click to answer."

The system is expected to eventually come already installed in devices, so no further installation or purchase is necessary. While others, like Motorola, offer similar systems, the Ubuntu/Android partnership is expected to be much more advanced. 

Our only concern for this type of technology is that losing your phone will become all the more terrifying when it is also your desktop...

Click here to learn more about this mobile technology 

Tech of the Week | JBKnowledge | BlackBerry With Wrap Around Screen

Practical or not - the designs inspired by the competition between smartphone developers are pretty fantastic. It's not often you see a BlackBerry design concept, more often the iPhone or Android take the stage. But designer John Anastasiadis took a pretty good stab at a BlackBerry revamp with a wrap around screen you've probably never seen the likes of before. Before you mention it, he even says the phone can tell the difference between a touch command and someone simplying holding the phone. 

"John explains, 'The front and back cameras are positioned underneath the screens. When needed the area around the camera lens becomes transparent. The wrap around screen can allow for separate workspaces and/or a more three-dimensional interaction with the device. Obvious benefits apply to business, entertainment and navigation applications.'”

Click here to check out photos of this incredible BlackBerry design and learn more

Mobile Technology in Construction

The two most well quoted predictions in the mobile device industry are:
1) 50% of American mobile users will own a smartphone by Christmas 2011
2) One in three of Americans will own a tablet PC by 2015

comScore statistics from June 2011 show that with only a few months left until Christmas, the amount of smartphones users is only at about 34%. And we’ll give prediction 2 at least a year or two before cross-examining, but note that as of June 2011 still only 8% of Americans own tablets.

Click to read more ...