Technology Today

Only a few years ago many of us watched episodes of Star Trek, agog with the very concept of having a personal communicator device that allowed for instant voice communication with anyone, anywhere. As later episodes took this further, offering hands-free alternatives in the form of badges, it seemed to stretch credibility to the extreme.

Little did we all think then that within a few years the humble mobile phone would not simply become a reality, including supporting hands free solutions, but that we would almost entirely take the technology for granted. With children in playgrounds sporting their own models, busy executives having phones which incorporate a fair proportion of office capability, including video recording, digital cameras, internet connectivity, maps and routing solutions, we carry a miracle of technology as though it was little more than a pen.

Mobile phones have faced a number of challenges, not least of which is managing to compress the technology into ever smaller packages whilst at the same time pushing the processing power and storage capabilities as far as possible. Mobile phones also represent a real challenge in terms of ergonomics, combining the need for small, lightweight designs to be easy to use, navigate and control.