Emerging Technologies Mobile-Computing Trends: Lighter, Faster, Smarter‪.‬

We are moving into a new era of mobile computing, one that promises greater variety in applications, highly improved usability, and speedier networking. The 3G iPhone from Apple is the poster child for this trend, but there are plenty of other developments that point in this direction. The Google-led Android phone will make its appearance this year, offering a compelling open-source alternative to Apple's device. New, faster networking, particularly WiMax, is rolling out, allowing these devices connection speeds that approach wired broadband. This will also benefit the new crop of ultra-light laptops. The significant innovation in this area is the famous $100 XO computer (now $188; all prices are USD). Previous surveys, in LLT, and by researchers (PDF) at the UK's Open University, have highlighted recent projects in mobile assisted language learning. In this column I will be focusing primarily on the changing computing and networking environment and what it might portend for future language learning applications. ULTRA-MOBILE PCs