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  1. #1
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    Question An offshoot of the mobile device thread: what would you like your device to do???

    My girl has been on my back because I have a very old cellphone (10 years old). She and her sister get new iPhones about every 2 years. From the data I've read, most people tend to get new cellphones or mobile devices about every 18-24 months. But I don't text, FaceBook or tweet. I use my phone to talk and that's it. So I've found no reason to get a smartphone and double my carrier bill. I do carry an iPod Touch, which I use to get real time information when I'm near WiFi. But even it's over 2 years old now. To me, there's just nothing earth shattering about what any of these devices can do right now.

    What would change my mind?

    For me, let's assume it's an Apple device, so I'll use Siri. But whatever Google/Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone is using for voice commands would work too.

    Siri, start my Jaguar at 6:15AM M-F if I'm at home and if the temperature is below 32 degrees.

    Siri, instead of the Jaguar, start my WRX (AWD car) at 6:15AM M-F if I'm at home and there is more than 3 inches of snow in the 24 hour forecast for a 100 mile radius of my home.

    Siri, start the coffee maker at 6AM M-F if I'm at home and at 10AM on Saturday and Sunday if I'm at home.

    Siri, send me one alert each, on the day before, for all of the birthdays that are in my contacts list - for my mother and my girlfriend, send me daily alerts beginning a week in advance of their birthdays.

    Siri, when I am departing my home location, five minutes after I have left, adjust the thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer and 60 degrees in the winter. When I am within 10 miles of my home, traveling in the direction of my home, adjust the temperature to 72 degrees in the summer and winter.

    Siri, always record any TV show with "F1", "Formula One", "GP2", "Le Mans", or "sports car" in the title/keyword section. And add 1 hour to any live broadcast. Never record a show with the word "Kardashian", "Jersey Shore", "Snooki", "Lohan", "Real Housewives" or "Palin" in the title or keyword. And if anyone other than me attempts to watch such a show, say the word "stupid" 8 times and then change the channel to the History Channel after 30 seconds.

    Siri, send me alerts, until I respond to the alerts, whenever the stock ABC reaches a low of $29 or a high of $39 or when XYZ reaches a low of $44.49 or a high of $68.76.

    Last task, Siri: on the morning of my birthday every year, tell me that Salma Hayek and Sofia Vergara called to wish me a happy birthday, while they were frolicking together in a hot tub on the French Riviera - and they wished I could be there. Note: if you detect my girlfriend's iPhone within 50 yards of me, do not deliver this message until she's left the state.
    Thanks, Siri. You're a doll.


    Those are (in my mind) just "simple" if/then conditionals that many of us worked with in basic programming classes in the 1980's. Some of that is just for S&G's (or because I have mental issues). But some are things that I really think would take mobile OS's out of the infant/toy state that I think they're in now. Within 10 years, I really don't see why all of of that functionality can't be delivered to phones and devices that are in our homes and cars - some of it already is... but it's hardly widespread, secure or reliable. As long as the delivery is reliable and secure, what would be the problem?


    So what are some mobile OS tasks that you'd like to see, which would make you think that mobile technology is more where it needs to be??? Don't get hung up on a brand. Could be iOS, Android, BlackBerry, WP or the new FireFox. Heck, call it something that isn't even around yet.
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

  2. #2
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    Work.

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    All these things already exist?? At least here in Europe...

  4. #4
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lousada
    All these things already exist?? At least here in Europe...
    Which mobile OS does all of that with voice commands in Europe or anywhere else? Or are you asking the question if there is one which can do that in Europe?
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

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    This is a difficult question for me as it delves into future innovation that I haven't thought of. I do basic tasks on my phone like:
    Talking, texting, email, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Tapatalk, Google search, navigation etc.

    They are mostly things I couldn't do on my phone 5 years ago, but now they are tasks we have adopted as a 'must have' on our mobile devices. If a phone suddenly doesn't allow the user to have one feature another one does, its crap apparently via internet opinion. There are many features phones come with that not every body uses too. I very rarely use Siri as its hit and miss and I often feel a bit of a div talking a command into a phone. Some phones have air gestures that I see no need for. If it has a touch screen then touch the screen.

    I suppose the only feature I feel I would find useful that I don't have now is a notification light. It saves turning the screen on to check all the time. Then again I get so many notifications these days I probably would be turning the phone on every 10 minutes anyway. I'm happy my phone does everything I wish it to do, but am also happy to enjoy any innovative features that are brought in future that I haven't thought of yet. At the end of the day they are tools we carry around that we didn't have a need for 10 years ago. There are so many good devices out there, its just finding the one that suits your needs the best.
    .

  6. #6
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    This question came to my mind when I was doing some online banking and realized that if I'd had this ability 20 years ago, I could have run my side business without needing a secretary and all of the headaches that came with having her around. I'm able to set payment schedules and even set basic conditional payments based on future balances or totals paid to date. Also, my girl's nephew is a computer engineering student and he is at least 50 levels above me with his understanding of technology. He tells me that while simple commands would not be that difficult to reliably execute for a robust system (think automated phone systems - though some are much better than others), once you get into complex or possibly contradictory conditional commands, the ability of the user to logically deliver the command becomes MUCH more important. And since you can't really depend on people to be logical much of the time (fool proofing a system is so hard because fools are so imaginative), the system would have to be able to detect contradictions or redundancies, like accidentally starting both cars on a cold morning when you just meant to start the one that goes best when it snows, but it's still below 32 degrees or whatever. The receivers that would need to be installed in our cars and homes apparently aren't all that complex and some are coming online very shortly. We already have remote car starters, home entry systems and programmable coffee makers and such - but none that I know of can really ("smartly") interact with a mobile OS without a lot of tinkering, errors and security concerns.

    The company I'm with now is pretty heavy into CNC equipment and I've been around basic robotic systems for years. But considering what *seems* to be possible with predictive and semi artificial intelligence systems, no matter what mobile OS one looks at, it seems like we are still in early days.

    Surely we have some Star Trek and scifi fans here who have some system dreams. panner:
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior
    Surely we have some Star Trek and scifi fans here who have some system dreams. panner:
    Well . . . now that you mention it . . . I'de love mine to have the ability of "Beam me up Scottie!"
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    Senior Member janneppi's Avatar
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    I mainly use my device as a mobile pc when i 'm on the move. I read emails, do some web surfing, listen to music, connect with friends in IRC, etc.
    I also use GPS based program, like navigation and sportstracker.
    C'est la vie ja taksi tuo.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    Can you imagine the overwhelming demand there would be for a device or OS that could reliably do even half of what I mentioned in the OP?

    Anybody want to hazard a guess of when it might come to pass? I'll say 5 years. I know Google has been doing a lot of work on artificial/predictive intelligence for at least 5 years. I assume many others are too. I hear that Netflix has a decent predictive system, and I know that TiVo's is pretty good too - just needs to go to the next step up the ladder. Several car companies have rather advanced crash avoidance systems and systems with driver/user memory (adjusts the seats and driving positions based on who is in the driver's seat). So what I mentioned on the car front should be basic and rather easy. But the trick would be tying all of it together into one operating system or another. I looked at a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid recently. And the Ford/Lincoln MyTouch Sync system was enough of a disaster that I would not buy the car. So it has to be done right... or not done at all, IMO.
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

  10. #10
    Senior Member Jag_Warrior's Avatar
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    Smile

    Here's a little something along the lines of what I'm talking about. "Max" by Netflix:

    Netflix Launches “Max,” A Goofy Virtual Assistant To Help With Recommendations, Available Now On PS3, iPad Next

    Netflix this morning announced its own take on virtual assistants like the iPhone’s Siri, with the debut of “Max,” an on-screen guide for the Netflix app on PlayStation 3 devices, which helps you find new movies or TV shows to watch. And yes, the guide does talk to you, but thankfully has yet to manifest itself in some more corporeal format, like Microsoft’s “Bob.”
    Instead, Max — which Netflix says is “rumored to be the child of Siri and HAL 9000″ — will ask you a few questions about your mood or movie and TV show tastes in order to make a recommendation, while also taking into account your interests as already understood by Netflix’s algorithms.

    After gaining a better understanding of your interests, Max may offer personalized suggestions after asking only one question. In an example provided by Netflix on its blog, Max asks if you prefer “monkeys” or “UFOs” to make its — err, his — recommendations. And at other times, Max will simply make a suggestion, no Q&A involved.
    Max, could you help me plan the death and destruction of every member of every reality show on American TV? Let's start with the Kardashians and then begin picking off the Real Housewives of X. Whaddya say, buddy - are ya game?
    "Every generation's memory is exactly as long as its own experience." --John Kenneth Galbraith

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