Mobile phones have become ‘The Next Big Thing’.  Everyone wants a smartphone and everyone wants to be connected all the time.  At Acoustic Dimensions, with Twitter, Texting, and Buzz we feel out of touch if we aren’t connected 24/7.  And as “The IT Guy” at Acoustic Dimensions, the percentage of my work week related to handhelds is evidence enough that we have truly entered the Mobile digital age.  The impending explosion of tablet devices such as Apple’s iPad and the coming torrent of Android Tabs will only exacerbate this trend as mobile access is moved to a platform with a better user interface experience (read Larger Screen).  The Hardware, Data infrastructure and software industries will be hard pressed to keep up with demand. 

There are limitations though.  Currently, phones and tablets are really data consumption devices.  They are great at allowing users to access data quickly from anywhere.  But try creating a sophisticated document or spreadsheet on one of these and you soon reach maximum frustration.  Users who need to create data are still chained to a laptop at minimum, and high end users who require raw processing power (engineers, designers, et al) are chained to a desktop.

I predict that this will change.  And sooner than you think.  Raw processor power and data storage is getting smaller, less power hungry, and affordable.  Moore’s law is still in effect.  And data networks are evolving to be more robust, higher bandwidth, and accessible.  Granted there are still holes and reliability issues, but those will be resolved with time and money.

What is really needed is a new interface paradigm.  The QWERTY keyboard has finally outlived its usefulness.  As ubiquitous as it is, it really is too limiting for the Mobile age.  Just look at the coming Acer Iconia dual screen tablet.  No keyboard.  Instead you have a touchscreen that can serve up a keyboard, navigation ring, or any other interface you can desire. 

Have you ever tried to touch type on a touchscreen keyboard?  Oh, you can’t touch type?  You thumb type or do advanced hunt and peck? Then why would you want a qwerty keyboard?  They aren’t designed for that.

And just look at Kinect.  Wave your hands and interface with your device ala Minority Report or Iron Man.  Why have to touch a device at all.

The time has come for a new interface for using our devices.  Only then will we be able to achieve a truly Mobile digital age and use them as creation tools instead of just consumption tools. 

So come on all of you Geniuses.  With all of our millennia of knowledge about human thought, language, and psychology surely someone can design the ‘killer app’ for this one.