Week 4 Discussion - The use of smart phones is growing rapidly

Week 4 Discussion Question:

1. The use of smart phones is growing rapidly. What could be the possible limitations of using a smart phone instead of a traditional laptop? Identify at least two limitations. Are these limitations surmountable?
2. There is currently no standardization in the operating system (OS) used in a cell phone. What problems does this pose to the use of cell phones for serious m-commerce such as banking? Provide a possible solution along with a sound rationale to overcome the problems without the requirement of imposing a standard.
3. Consider the case of mobile computing used to automate checkout at a retail store, where a mobile device identifies its owner and a device such as RFID on each of the products being purchased identifies the products and automatically bills the customer for the products in his/her cart. What issues can you foresee with technological limitations when two customers leave at the same time? What ethical issues must be addressed to prevent charging another customer for goods purchased by someone malicious? Justify whether these issues can be addressed, and if so, how?