Cotton Candy Computer: Paradigm Shift for Mobiles?

FXI Technologies released details of a USB computer recently that started my brain going overtime. With what is essentially a Galaxy S II in a USB (look at the device specifications for a complete picture), I  began to wonder what this might mean for mobiles phones in the future.

http://www.fxitech.com/products/

Cotton Candy is rumored to be available next year for about $200. Pair this up with a pico-projector , like this, a Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse, and you arguably have a use-anywhere PC. The fact hasn't escaped me that there are these things called Laptop Computers that do more than what Cotton Candy does out of the box. That's not the point. The fact that you can plug this into any TV with HDMI and USB and start using it as a computer blows my mind.

So why is this a potential paradigm shift for mobile phone design?

I believe the next evolution in mobile phone design will be when manufacturers can separate the Human Interface Device (HID) elements from the phone hardware.  Cotton Candy already proves you can fit most of the hardware and software of a mobile phone into a USB stick. The limitation at the moment is the battery, and the ever increasing demand for bigger and better screens and resolution.

Separate out screen, battery, and phone hardware into discrete elements, and you have something that could change the game.

In my grand design, our mobiles of the future would work as follows.

HID Component

• Glasses with projector like technology to display the interface.
• Glasses would have "Transitions" style photo-sensitive coating so they could be used day or night.
• Image overlay would activate when call received or activated by the user.
• Overlay would darken when in bright light.
• Interface overlay, consisting of:
• Augmented Reality (AR) to overlay the interface on any flat surface .
• Make a gesture with your hand to activate dialler, or interface.
• Could use a ring with an AR symbol to automatically activate the interface. Hold your hand up in front of the screen, and the AR symbol tells the interface that you need access to the User Interface (UI).
• Advanced voice commands could replace many UI elements with voice commands.

Phone Component

• Something like the Cotton Candy, but with added mobile bits like antenna and GSM incorporated.
• Cloud connected, with offline storage provided by removable media.

Power Source Component

• Induction Power for all related devices. 
• Store the battery in your bag.
• Huge capacity.

I can keep dreaming, but I have a feeling that it might not be for as long as I think.  I think we will be seeing this type of interface or device offered in about 15 years. We would not have envisaged a USB PC as powerful as Cotton Candy was possible two years ago.

Mobile Phone Designers and Developers: you have heaps of time to work out the rest. ;)

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