IMob - digital convergence

The iMOB

As WiFi converges with Mobile telephony for urban areas the mobile becomes a terminal to the internet. In fact, mobile phones are no longer called phones but iMob. That is because these gadgets have a miniaturized hard disk, like the iPod. They can hold 500 GB. They can record short videos and stream them out. This has changed the concept of news – as all major events can be captured by everyone and their iMob. Coupled with the high speed internet, movie piracy has shot up the roof. Movies now include advertising and that covers a significant share of the market lost due to movie piracy. Movies out on DVD find their way to kids’ iMobs within days. The downloaded file is then played at home via short-distance wireless (like Blue Tooth) to a player that screens it on the large wide-screen enhanced HDTV screen. Mobile carriers are long merged with internet providers. The iMobs operate as the only link to the outside world. It funnels the internet access at home and that access roams with you as you move around the area covered with long range WiFi. Voice recognition allows surfing with limited keyboard on the iMob, powered mainly by the Chinese industry that could not use the Latin touch-phone. The iMob of course has online access to GSM based navigation system and it hooks up to your car’s navigation system. It uses VoIP and so telephony companies had to diversify due to dwindling income. The iMob allows the user to interface with his/her home and can connect to streaming video from your home (surveillance) and control several features in the home environment. The iMob can stream content to the TV from subscription-based satellite feeds. The iMob is used as the personal wallet and immediately notifies the bank on any purchases. A Smart Card slot allows making purchases on credit and refill the credit through the iMob Identifier slot (as Chip Knip). Could be using bio-metric system instead. Security issues were major obstacle in adopting the iMob as the personal wallet but after years of legal battle the required encryption and use of pin code on the phone allowed a convergence of the credit card into the iMob. For out-of-range the iMob uses the old and simple G2.5. G4 never made it. Land Line providers are merged with internet providers or with utility companies.

Driving forces

Widening broadband

P2P technology, uncensored

Long range WiFi

Mobile over WiFi (Convergence)

Miniaturization of HDs (iPod)

Product Placement as new advertising scheme

iMob as credit card

Voice recognition

Technology convergence

Mobile phones

PDA

iPOD

Internet

Land lines

Multimedia player

Video –stills camera

Remote control

Credit Card/Smart Card

Edo Avraham