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6 Innovative Uses for Tablets by Guest Posts | Monday, 01st Aug 2011 |
Back in 2nd grade, they told us that by now we’d all be flying around in jetpacks and have computers in our pockets. Well, the jetpack thing didn’t happen (sadly), but everyone having a computer in their pocket is pretty darn close to being a reality with the rise of smart phones and tablets. (Well, a tablet can’t really fit in your pocket, but they’re pretty darn cool anyway.)
The iPad and other Android-powered tablets are beginning to take over the laptop market and will soon be the standard in mobile computing. But you can do more than play Angry Birds on them, and lots of really creative people are coming up with cool new uses all the time.
If you are on the fence about getting a tablet in the near future, check out some of these innovative uses for the new technology.
1) Education Computers and classrooms seem to go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise that one of the first areas of tablet innovation comes in the field of education. There are already a host of education apps to help kids learn to read, explore the solar system, and get help with their math homework. But a recent Notre Dame experiment showed that the tablets may be most useful in higher education, where students can collaborate without technical issues and explore alternative learning methods.
2) Air Travel Did you know that the FAA requires each commercial flight to carry over 25 pounds of paper (in the form of flight manuals, pre-flight paperwork, etc.) on each flight? Well, some pilots are now using a 1.5-pound tablet instead, which stores all the same information in a much lighter and easier-to-use interface. Check out the full story here.
Also, Delta recently opened up a tablet test at JFK where waiting passengers can use tablets to order food or watch TV shows and movies while they wait for their flight.
3) Business Since the business world is filled with early adopters and technology geeks, it’s no wonder that the business world has latched onto the tablet because of its ease of use, portability, and fantastic productivity tools. There are apps for collaborating on projects (without having to send revision back and forth through email), printing on the go, spreadsheets, making credit card payments, and more. Tablets are like little business machines—and being able to play Words with Friends doesn’t hurt either.
4) Magic Sure, tablets can be workhorses, but they can also be a lot of fun. Check out what magician Simon Pierro is doing with his iPad in the video below.
5) Music Performance Innovative musicians have always been some of the first people to jump on new technology and use it to break musical barriers, but the tablet, with its bigger touch-screen interface and multitude of apps, offers even more expansion in the world of music. For example, check out the iPad orchestra:
6) Restaurants Don’t want a waitress to bother you ever 2 minutes asking you if you are ready to order (or wait 20 minutes for a waitress to acknowledge your presence)? Check out New York’s 4Food restaurant, where each table comes equipped with an iPad that you can use to order and customize your meal whenever you are ready.
==== About the Author ====
Lisa is an avid yoga enthusiast who enjoys writing in her spare time for Usdirect.com – home of US Direct.
Back in 2nd grade, they told us that by now we’d all be flying around in jetpacks and have computers in our pockets. Well, the jetpack thing didn’t happen (sadly), but everyone having a computer in their pocket is pretty darn close to being a reality with the rise of smart phones and tablets. (Well, a tablet can’t really fit in your pocket, but they’re pretty darn cool anyway.)
The iPad and other Android-powered tablets are beginning to take over the laptop market and will soon be the standard in mobile computing. But you can do more than play Angry Birds on them, and lots of really creative people are coming up with cool new uses all the time.
If you are on the fence about getting a tablet in the near future, check out some of these innovative uses for the new technology.
1) Education Computers and classrooms seem to go hand in hand, so it’s no surprise that one of the first areas of tablet innovation comes in the field of education. There are already a host of education apps to help kids learn to read, explore the solar system, and get help with their math homework. But a recent Notre Dame experiment showed that the tablets may be most useful in higher education, where students can collaborate without technical issues and explore alternative learning methods.
2) Air Travel Did you know that the FAA requires each commercial flight to carry over 25 pounds of paper (in the form of flight manuals, pre-flight paperwork, etc.) on each flight? Well, some pilots are now using a 1.5-pound tablet instead, which stores all the same information in a much lighter and easier-to-use interface. Check out the full story here.
Also, Delta recently opened up a tablet test at JFK where waiting passengers can use tablets to order food or watch TV shows and movies while they wait for their flight.
3) Business Since the business world is filled with early adopters and technology geeks, it’s no wonder that the business world has latched onto the tablet because of its ease of use, portability, and fantastic productivity tools. There are apps for collaborating on projects (without having to send revision back and forth through email), printing on the go, spreadsheets, making credit card payments, and more. Tablets are like little business machines—and being able to play Words with Friends doesn’t hurt either.
4) Magic Sure, tablets can be workhorses, but they can also be a lot of fun. Check out what magician Simon Pierro is doing with his iPad in the video below.
5) Music Performance Innovative musicians have always been some of the first people to jump on new technology and use it to break musical barriers, but the tablet, with its bigger touch-screen interface and multitude of apps, offers even more expansion in the world of music. For example, check out the iPad orchestra:
6) Restaurants Don’t want a waitress to bother you ever 2 minutes asking you if you are ready to order (or wait 20 minutes for a waitress to acknowledge your presence)? Check out New York’s 4Food restaurant, where each table comes equipped with an iPad that you can use to order and customize your meal whenever you are ready.
==== About the Author ====
Lisa is an avid yoga enthusiast who enjoys writing in her spare time for Usdirect.com – home of US Direct.
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