Mobile Computing

From Acorn

You could call this “Anywhere-Anytime Connectivity” or "Just in Time Computing". Portable communication devices such as the iPhone, and other smart phones offer advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, with computer-like functionality and can include small keyboards, video and still cameras and voice recorders. They also offer both Wi-Fi and cell phone web connectivity.

With upcoming major developments in the iPhone SDK, iPhone 2, and Google's Android, a critical mass in usability will soon be reached. Students' content viewing and listening opportunities have already been greatly expanded with the use of portable devices as the iPod. In a parallel manner, their opportunities for content creation (text, images and video) and immediate sharing, via the web, will soon be expanded with the introduction of these new portable communication devices.

Two recent cases of student-created content, a SATA and a TRIP, would have benefited greatly from “anywhere-anytime” connectivity: The SATA Peru Wiki and the more recent TRIP to Russia 2008 blog

In foreign countries, these students had extremely limited and infrequent access to networked computers. Considerable more content would have been created with better connectivity. Uploading of images was very difficult. With a smart phone, taking images, uploading to a collaborative web site, and writing would be easy, anytime day or night. We need to evaluate potential benefits for SATA and TRIP experiences. Other student-generated work can benefit from “anywhere-anytime” connectivity, these pedagogical situations need to be researched and identified. Finally, pilot projects need to be implemented.

Cost estimates: One-time: Start-up $2,000 (4 smart phones, 2 for staff and faculty testing and familiarization, 2 for distribution) Service, TBD, but approx. $1,200-2,000/year per phone. This should come down in time.

Mobile Links

2008 Horizon Report on Mobile Broadband

International Cell Phone Service from Travel Insider

Camera phones used in videojournalism (has applications in education)

Reuters Mobile Journalism Toolkit

Shareideas, wiki on mobile applications for social change

Mobile Jam Fest

Satellite Phone Links

Video Reporting from Iraq

Subcompact Computers

Some info

ASUS Eee PC