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Technology > Mobile/Wearable Computing
Organizations are constantly looking for ways to make their workforce more efficient. Mobile computing extends the computer revolution to the blue collar worker, allowing them to work smarter and faster. Mobile computing though is not limited to laptops with wireless cards. There are many more applications. Wireless barcode scanners are used in warehouses and shipping companies to provide real time information of inventory and location. PDAs have become common. Mobile computers are used in many other industries to communicate to and from trucks in the field. Mobile computers are used in a host of industrial plants.
"Emerging" technology, like RFID ("smart tags") and wearable computing are now garnering a great deal of interest. RFID appears poised to replace bar code systems, since it is highly accurate and does not require a human to scan it. Wearable computers may some day replace the laptop. Wearables promise a more ergonomic computer that interacts with the human body with speech recognition and "eyeglass" displays.
Mobile computers should be secured, to prevent information from being stolen. Also, mobile devices may be used to launch malicious software. Durability, ergonomics, performance, and of course, cost, are all important factors when considering the value of mobile computing. Their are also privacy issues to consider, especially with RFID. Innovative Thinking can help with this new and exciting technology, and the applications like speech recognition, that make it so attractive.
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