Activity 2 - Accelerometers in iPhones and iPads

The iPhone has a device called an accelerometer inside, which is able to tell the main processor(s) which direction the phone is orientated. Like the cochlear, it measures movement, and senses if the phone has moved in any of the x-y-z axes. (Wikipedia, 2011; STMicroelectronics 2011)

This allows app designers to detect the phone’s orientation, adjusting the display accordingly. It also opens the way for movement gestures (such as shaking, tilting, L-R movement) that can operate a function of the phone, which would be very helpful for language-independent use. Imagine in five years, everyone could simply shake the phone to end a call.

References:
STMicroelectronics, 2011. 'LIS302DL - MEMS Motion Sensor'. Retrieved from http://www.st.com/stonline/products/literature/ds/12726.pdf on 14 August 2011.
Wikipedia, 2011. 'Accelerometer'. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerometer on 14 August 2011.