Turning Smartphones into a Supercomputer
Personal computers, smartphones, and tablets have certainly revolutionized our lives over the past two decades. Of particular interest is how globally far-reaching mobile devices have become since the introduction of the iPhone seven years ago. Mobile connectivity statistics are mind-boggling, and all predictions are in strong favor of these numbers continuing to rise.
There are always theories about the damaging impact the increased use of smartphones can have on physical and mental health, but we have also seen cases of mobile applications championing good causes. In the latest string of spreading positivity, psychologists and research scientists strongly believe in using smartphone apps to help people beat addictions, such as smoking.
Although most of the good that comes from smart devices is based solely on their use as smart devices, smart devices can now become super devices—specifically supercomputers. What is a supercomputer? In simple terms, it is a computer with extraordinary computing and processing powers used to tackle some of the most complex challenges in areas such as industrial and scientific engineering.
Supercomputers have been attempting to change the world for the better—from tsunami predictions to simulating a human brain—and have been receiving global support and funding from various organizations. Supercomputers are geographically positioned in various parts of the world, but there are just a handful of them globally.
The Power to Give initiative from HTC aims to empower smartphones to become a collective supercomputer and to harness their unused power to solve complex problems—such as finding cures for Alzheimer’s disease and AIDS. The initiative requires that users download the app on an Android-powered HTC phone, connect it to Wi-Fi, and power it up when not in regular use (when the user is asleep) to harness the unused processing power and collectively make smartphones a giant supercomputer.
Any initiative as large as this will have people concerned about privacy and security—especially since the app has access to their devices in an unattended mode—and the Power to Give is no exception. In the interest of full transparency, the application's source code is available for anyone to download and review. The application is still very new in the market, so we'll see how successful it turns out to be in the coming months.
