The Hand-Held Tsunami:What does it mean for library services, content…and VIVA?

John UlmschneiderChair, VIVA Outreach Committee

University LibrarianVirginia Commonwealth University

Handheld tsunami? What tsunami? 21 million households are wireless only

U.S. mobile user send/receives 357 text messages per month

Average # of text messages > average # of phone calls

26 million mobile subscribers use a smartphone device

Apple sold 6.9 million iPhones and 11 million iPods in July – Sept. 2008 alone

Biggest selling computers are lightweight laptops

Emerging market: netbooks and ultraportables – smaller screens, full keyboards, feather weight, full connectivity

Sources: Nielsen Mobile; MarketWatch; Gizmodo

So what’s the problem? Content delivery today is built on paradigm of desktop computer

Service delivery rests on tradition of personal contact, desktop computer, telephone

The future will not rest on this foundation

The future is a 5” x 3” screen

The future is gesture manipulation of content, voice interaction, ubiquitous access to any content

The future is content designed for mobile platform

Sources: Nielsen Mobile; MarketWatch; Gizmodo

Handheld devices: examplesPalm Treo 750

LG Oz

Sony Bookreader

Amazon Kindle

Handheld devices: examples

Nokia N810

Blackberry Curve

Samsung i907

HP iPAQ

Handheld devices: examples

Apple iPhone

Samsung Instinct

LG KP500

Netbooks and ultraportables

T-Mobile G1 Google Android

Asus Eee S101

Pepper Pad 3

Handheld devices: uses

e-knowledge: portable, virtual environments

mobile search, update, communicate

e-books mobile data resources: PDA reference etc.

Four key developments E-ink

Stingy with power, rugged Book-like reading experience

Gesture, touch, voice interface Flexible, intuitive, natural Haptic tactile feedback Enriches content as well as navigates content

Fidelity to the legacy experience Pages generally resemble desktop experience Video, audio, text capabilities like desktop

Mobilized content, compelling content business model Content designed for mobile environment Revenue sharing through channeled store experience: catalyzes access to

content generated by business

E-ink technologies

Gesture and touch

Spoken word/voice

Fidelity to what we know

Fidelity to the desktop web experience Pages in general look, act the same Display optimizes to user’s specifications

No compromise on presentation of content Video, audio, text capabilities like a laptop Native format not an obstacle: Word files, PDF, Excel spreadsheets, JPG,

MPEG4, MP3

BUT: creating content not a core feature Access, display is the focus Limitations of input devices, display, and power prohibit anything beyond

rudimentary text and photographs

Mobilized content: moving beyond what we know

Now fading: content packaged for specific handheld devices PDA reference works, books, etc. Keyboards

The future: content tuned for next generation smartphones High resolution screens Touch and gesture control Tactile feedback Fidelity to the “normal” web experience

AND

Content provided through integrated, channeled storefront Amazon, iTunes E-books Virtually every form of publishing and entertainment, without impediment

of copy protection

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

http://google.com/gwt/n/

http://skweezer.net

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

Encyclopedia Britannica mobileStanza for iPhone

Mobilized content: examples

Mobilized content: examples

iPhone AppStore

Mobile platform becoming the standard platform

Search and discover tools designed for mobile platforms

Interaction designed for non-keyboard modalities: gesture, manipulate, feel

Voice interaction whenever practicable

Specialized devices for books

One device for everything else…until technology catches up

Key for VIVA and libraries: are we attending to these enormous changes?