10 broken engineering ideas -- and how to gear up them

Here are 10 high-tech ideas that sound good but don't work out and then well in practice

Computerworld |

Sometimes a technology idea is besides good to exist true. A flexible keyboard, Net voting and watching characteristic films on your smart phone are examples. Today, these concepts are still evolving, but they're broken right now. I'll tell yous why and what could exist done to fix them in one case and for all.

1. Ultracompact PCs

Call them whatever you lot want: ultramobile PCs (UMPC), mobile information devices (MID) or subnotebooks. I call them small PCs, and they are almost duplicate from a skilful smart phone.

For example, the BlackBerry 8820, with its built-in GPS capability and splendid e-mail client, is a better device than the Samsung Q1 Ultra, described by the company as an "ultramobile personal calculator." The only real difference is that you squint less with the Q1. But about people don't use a Q1 for gaming or writing long business concern documents.

Every bit Jon Stewart pointed out at the Oscars, pocket-size-screen video is not fun on a device such as the iPhone.

The Apple tree iPhone is a smarter, sexier, more useable computer than just about any MID, such equally the new Toshiba prototype. Meanwhile, in that location's more than power in the OQO, than a regular UMPC, but the screen is just equally tiny.

I figure that in less than iii years, Apple will release a successor to the iPhone that works more like a Mac and volition get the first company to make a true pocket computer -- 1 that runs any Mac OS X awarding natively, with a mini-DVI port.

2. Satellite Internet

My main problem with satellite Cyberspace providers is their fair use policies, which penalize users who download too much by throttling their speed dorsum to almost nothing, and and so slowly calculation more speed over a 24 hr period. Both WildBlue and HughesNet exercise this, and they claim it helps all users.

However, the Net is not just for east-mail and simple browsing anymore, information technology's a pipeline for television, network back-ups, remote access and a myriad of other activities -- not to mention Web apps and streaming media.

Other ISPs -- such as Charter Communications and Qwest-- don't throttle your speed at all. Others, such as Comcast, may use "network management" techniques such as throttling BitTorrent traffic, only they aren't as ambitious as the satellite providers.

Another upshot is that the stationary modem that you demand for satellite Internet is a beefy device and uses coaxial cablevision that virtually people need a technician to install. Also, the required antenna is bigger than a wheel rim, but there's no reason it couldn't be reduced to a size that works with your laptop.

Notwithstanding I like the satellite concept because it could brand the Internet much more than ubiquitous across big swathes of the U.South. Satellite Internet has slowly increased in speed, starting out at only 512Kbit/sec. and currently at about 1.5Mbit/sec. If the technology and speed ameliorate, it could be a solid selection.

3. Contact managers

I'd similar to think the lost hours spent edifice up a contacts database. Not long ago, I stopped meticulously entering names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mails and now rely on other methods.

For example, I search Gmail.com for names and addresses. When I want to ship a new e-mail, I just type a portion of a proper name to get the full accost, type the message, and transport.

For names not in my Gmail archive, I utilise an online accost book such every bit YellowPages.com or LinkedIn.com.

Still, a expert contact managing director could work like the iPhone: Information technology would see telephone number in an due east-mail and let me to correct-click and add the name and telephone number to a database automatically inside Gmail. The database would be smart enough to know if a telephone number already matches an existing proper name, and it would weed out duplicates automatically. I'd never have to type in contacts, because this "auto-database" would work as easily equally a mobile phone, support any e-postal service customer and work in the background. Some contact managers come shut -- such as At present Upwardly-to-Date & Contact -- simply it all the same involves a manual procedure.

4. Digital streaming adapters

They have names like Apple Telly, Netgear Digital Entertainer and Sonos, but they all do the same thing: move music, video and photos from your PC in the part to the HDTV in your family room.

They are supposed to solve a persistent dilemma: a PC just doesn't work with a television. A keyboard and mouse are meant for a desk, not a sofa. These adapters add together some other appliance to an overcrowded entertainment center bulging with DVRs and game consoles.

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Putting the digital media adapter in the Tv set, similar this MediaSmart TV, makes sense -- less clutter in your amusement room.

The fix? Put them right into the tv set itself. Hewlett-Packard Co. started this with the MediaSmart TV, but I'd like to see information technology equally a standard feature that is more than open -- not just based on Windows Media Extender, merely supporting any media format over Wi-Fi.

5. Video on a telephone

A phone screen is too minor for video, and fifty-fifty the iPod Touch tin can crusade centre strain when you sentry a ii-60 minutes feature film. I'grand convinced that annihilation y'all but do once or twice in dealing with new applied science and discover it hard to do -- like load a smart telephone with video clips or swap contacts with your laptop over Bluetooth -- is just a novelty and often not worth the endeavour. I volition probable never do it once again; it's not worth the time.