Chapter 8: Mobile Computing

Chapter 8: Mobile Computing

• What are the advantages and limitations of mobile computing?
• What are the various mobile computing devices?
• How do cell phone components resemble a traditional computer, and how do they work?
• What can I carry in a portable media player, and how does it store data?
• What can I use a PDA for, and what internal components and features does it have?
• How can I synchronize my PDA with my desktop computer?
• What is a tablet PC, and why would I want to use one?
• How powerful are notebooks, and how do they compare to desktop computers?

Discussion Questions

1. Do you think we will ever become a completely wireless society? Will there always be a need for some land lines (physical wired connections)? How will broadband wireless communication infrastructure impact a city's social and economic development? Will there be more social interaction? Less? Will mobile computing promote increased understanding between people? More isolation?
2. As devices become lighter and smaller, we are seeing a convergence of multiple functions into one device.
   1. What would the ultimate convergent mobile device be for you? Is there a limit in weight, size, or complexity?
   2. America Online Instant Messenger (AIM) service is now available on many cellular phone systems. Would the ability to be alerted to IM buddies on your cell phone be useful to you? What would you be willing to pay for this feature? What other alerts might be useful to you (eBay auctions, for instance)? Does your college offer a texting service to alert students to important events or safety alerts?
3. The recording industry, recording artists, the motion picture industry, and consumers find themselves in a complex discussion when the topic of peer-to-peer sharing systems is brought up.
   1. What solution would you propose to safeguard the business interests of industry, the intellectual property rights of artists, and the freedoms of consumers?
   2. Have you ever downloaded music or video off the Web? If so, did you download from a legal site? Do you think illegal download sites should be allowed to exist?
4. You drive a delivery vehicle for your employer. How would you feel if your employer installed a GPS device in all of its delivery vehicles to monitor employee work habits? How would you feel if your employer disciplined you for speeding based on data obtained from the GPS device installed in your delivery vehicle? Should employers have the right to monitor employees in this way? Why or why not?
5. Consider the following questions related to GPS security risks:
   1. Your spouse carries a GPS-enabled cell phone. The GPS chip inside allows a private service (www.ulocate.com) to gather information on your spouse's last location, the path he or she took to get there, and their average speed from point to point. Would you use the service to check on your spouse's activities? What if it was your spouse monitoring you?
   2. Would you agree to insert a GPS-enabled tracking device into your pet? Your child? What legislation would be required if tracking data were available on you? Would you be willing to sell that information to marketing agencies? Should that data be available to the government if you were suspected of a crime?
6. Explore the specifications of the Sony Portable Reader and the Amazon Kindle. How would your study habits change if your textbooks were delivered to you in electronic format only, on one of these eReader machines? What unique advantages would there be? What disadvantages would there be? How would using an eReader compare with just receiving the book as an electronic file, like a PDF document?