I haven't taught Intro to IT since fall of '07, but the last few years I did teach it I had a mobile technologies module. In mobile technologies students learned about PDAs, wireless techs, cell phones slash smart phones, etc. I loved to talk about "convergence." But the last year I could see that we had really reached it. I may not have anything but the minimalist cell phone that came with my Spring contract, but certainly would like an iPhone or Crackberry or Nokia smartphone. Touch screen, internet access, mp3 and mp4 players, video camera capabilites, ... the stuff I dream about.
So with that whiny preface, here's an article in today's Wired "Five Gadgets That Were Killed by the Cellphone" that gives a little obit on The PDA, The Camera, The UMPC, The Phone, The MP3 Player. I love the comment someone made that points out how when we are not limited by the technology, we can be limited by other factors. "Personally, I keep my landline around because I can't get DSL without it. I'd be perfectly happy to get rid of it, yet I pay an extra $30 a month (including fees and taxes) for services I don't want and can't get rid of from the local monopolist."
