EVOLUTION OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

By Danish Isyraq

I have had a passion for mobile technology for a long time. In the beginning, mobile technology wasn’t
as advanced as it is now and mobile devices back then weren’t very mobile. They always had to be next
to a power outlet because there were no such things as batteries.

The technology that drives mobile devices has improved a lot since then, and especially in the last five to
ten years. Mobile gadgets have gotten smaller, more powerful and very ergonomic. They are widely
distributed and play a vital role in our lives. Availability of mobile devices is rapidly spreading throughout
the world and making significant improvements in many lives.

It's worth taking a break from our obsession with how slim, sleek, and adaptable the hardware of mobile
gadgets may be. While wondering what the next great smartphone or tablet may be is fun, it's not
everything. What is important is how profoundly it's improving our lives, and the major roles these
gadgets are assuming.

Mobile technology, in the form of smartphones, tablets, and laptops, is making our lives better than
ever before. It does this in many ways, not the least of which is making communications routine. We can
be in touch with those we need to reach, whether work-related or personal in nature.

We can convey and receive important files from anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds so
business is addressed when it is critical. We can collaborate with other people in real-time no matter
how spread out they may be. We can get confirmation or approval of important business deals on the
spot. Mobile technology has changed the business industry for the better.

Communication is also wonderfully impacting our capability to stay close to friends and family. We can
converse with them anytime to find out how they are doing. We can have video chats to not only stay in
touch, but to also reach out and touch with a nearly physical presence. Loved ones can share in special
occasions from great distances as if they are in the same room. We can make funny faces for our kids
when we can't be there with them, which is far more important than it sounds.

Brave soldiers who are valiantly serving our country in distant lands can see their newborn child from
thousands of miles away.

Without mobile devices and the technology, participation in social networking would never have grown
as much as it has. Sharing seemingly trivial information like where we are, what we are doing, and how
we are feeling significantly impacts our relationships with friends and loved ones.

Mobile technology has paved the way to those otherwise cut off from the world during cataclysmic
events. They can reach out for help when local tragedy strikes, and for the first time these people are
not alone. They can share their plight using mobile communication through text, voice, and, most
importantly, images, and bring about real change.

On a less profound note, we can pay for food, clothes and basically everything including parking fees at
meters with our phones. Electronic payment methods such as Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay
support contactless payment which provides safer transactions as well as simplicity. Instead of spending
time waiting in queues, customers can easily swipe their smartphones and pay. Besides that, we can find
out which bus we need to take and where to find it with the help of live location sharing integration
from Google. We can accurately find places we need to be even when we have no idea where they are.
We can explore new places and find new things that interest us effortlessly.

We have more information in our hands than we have ever had before. It has become second nature to
quickly look up helpful resources for whatever activity we need to do. Our gadgets can even anticipate
what information we need and present it to us when it is most useful.

These daily uses of mobile technology, frivolous though they might seem, have transformed us into a
society more tightly connected with each other. We have true friends through such connections even
though we may have never met them in person. We can converse with like-minded individuals all over
the globe, and debate those with different views just as easily. This stimulates conversations never
before possible, and the resultant friendships are just as strong as those in "real life." They have become
real life, as a matter of fact.

While mobile technology has improved our daily lives on many levels, it has profoundly raised the
quality of life for many. Healthcare is an area that has embraced mobile technology, and while it's still in
its beta stages, it is already making remarkable improvements for many.

Healthcare providers can review home medical tests from anywhere and make crucial changes to the
patient's care. Medical staff members can receive pacemaker tests remotely using a phone and change
the programming of the device to address changes in the patient's condition. Doctors can see intricate
diagnostic images on phones and find conditions that need immediate treatment, all while the patient is
comfortable at home. Electronic companies such as Samsung have even implemented a heart rate
sensor into smartphones which can measure heart rates, blood oxygen saturation levels as well as stress
levels.

This article just scratches the surface describing the benefits that mobile technology provides today.
Technology is rapidly evolving and will help even more as time passes. We are in a fantastic era of
mobile technology, and it is positively exciting to watch it unfold. When I stop and think of all the
amazing features we are getting in this day and age, I get goosebumps.

It's fun to wonder what the next tablet or smartphone might be like and what capabilities it might have,
but that's just the little stuff. The improvements that are appearing in our daily lives, and society in
general, is what really matters.

Mobile technology is enriching our lives. It is giving a voice to those without, either due to circumstance
or medical conditions. It is making communication possible for those who live in a void. It is keeping
distant loved ones close, and building friendships no matter the location of those involved. It is saving
lives, and making healthcare possible for those otherwise without. It is bringing the world closer
together — a truly amazing situation.

It's an exciting time to be watching mobile technology expand. There's no telling how far we will go with
the technology of the not-too-distant future, but it will be a fantastic ride.