Will modular work for you on a mobile device?
Modular works great for our desktop PC but so far nobody had dared market a similar approach for a hand-held device. We have surely seen GPS modules bolted on cellphones, but apart from that, not much. BUGlabs is a company that approaches things a little bit differently. Its Lego-like concept is based on a base module -the BUGbase- that is a Linux computer with 128 MB RAM, rechargeable battery, USB, Ethernet -do you hear Apple?- small side LCD display, buttons and tripod mount -obviously photography is one of the main applications.
Each BUGbase can take up to four BUGmodules via a standard bolt-on interface. Each BUGmodule has a very specific function and can be freely exchanged in the future. This quarter BUGlabs is shipping the BUGlocate GPS module, the BUGcam 2 megapixel camera, the BUGview display and the BUGmotion motion sensor.According to the company’s site, Q2 will see the arrival of a touch-sensitive LCD, a qwerty keyboard, an audio module with speaker and i/o, and a teleporter which is hard to guess what it means. Software is open source and the SDK is available for application developers.
So what do you think? Would you like to own a mobile device that has longer term value than a cellphone’s couple of years? BUGlabs wants to release a new batch of modules every quarter. Depending on how many modules you add, overall cost varies wildly. With the four add-ons available this quarter the total is $595, money that can get you a bargain laptop or a Nokia N810 plus cellphone. Although I like the novel modular idea, here is some drawbacks that I feel will limit market acceptance:
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I seriously doubt that BUGlabs can come up with interesting module ideas every quarter. There is a given number of applications and sensors to implement.
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When the four module maximum is exceeded, any addition means that you either get a new base or keep modules unused.
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Being good in many things simultaneously is a difficult bet for a small company. For example, even the cheapest camera in the market today is hugely superior to the BUGcam module.
But the largest thing missing is wireless connectivity. Unless BUGlabs cracks this one, its product will remain an old style gadget, no matter how well software is implemented. Wireless connectivity is not a feature any more but a necessity, and this applies to any mobile design.
The trend of stuffing in cellphones the maximum possible number of features and applications is so far unstoppable. I like the BUGlab concept and its modular approach could well be applied to some degree in cellphones. However, in my opinion, it only stands a chance if it manages to integrate phone functionality plus wireless Internet at an affordable price. BUGbye!
Link: Buglabs
