Today, you can actually consider many of the cell phones on the market as ‘mini personal computers’ and they do an excellent job, especially considering how very small they are! Personal computers infiltrate the very fabric of our society today. Almost anywhere you can find electricity you will find personal computers. (In reality, you don’t even need the electricity, but you better have some serious batteries…)

We have gone from what today would be considered ‘calculators’ to personal computers that can take pictures, do live video feeds and do countless calculations per minute. Almost everyone has one and many couldn’t live without it.

Initially personal computers cost a lot of money, considering what they actually did. But today, they are relatively inexpensive keeping in mind what tasks they can perform. (And we haven’t even talked about email!) As of June of 2008 there were over one billion personal computers in use worldwide and that growth rate is around 12 per year.

There are several reasons for the rise in smartphone popularity:

1. The types of smartphones available has greatly increased due to the plethora of smartphone makers on the market and the variety of smartphone operating systems now available (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Windows, etc.)

2. People are more dependent on the internet now then ever before, and social media apps available on smartphones allow users to quickly connect with their friends. In addition, the robust internet browsers available on today’s smartphones make browsing the web almost as easy as on conventional computers; texting is made very easy due to physical or onscreen keyboards. The sheer amount of free and paid apps and programs available for smartphones give users a wide range of products, games, and services to choose from.

3. The price of smartphones has gone down considerably, given even those with modest incomes the ability to own what is basically a miniature computer.

It’s quite nifty when suddenly your calendar has the info, email reminder and text message reminders will be auto sent to yourself. Even email addresses of contacts that share common interests recognized by keyword optimization can be notified. This certainly sounds a much cooler way to organize a schedule than a post-it note.

One of the fantastic things about technology conventions is the energy and excitement that comes from a gathering of like-minded enthusiasts. This very excitement is something that when children sense and feel, quite often it provides the spark and kindles their interest. Exposure to new ideas and future thinking is a fantastic resource.

Quite often the larger technology conventions have something to offer just about everybody.You may see a mix of the latest computer technology and other software, games and peripherals. It’s easy to please the whole family as mixing fun with education truly equals quality time.

5. ARSoccer Updating the classic game of “kick the can,” this game lets you knock around a soccer ball of your choice. We don’t recommend crossing the street while playing (since you have to stare down at your phone), but it’s good for a bit of mindless fun.

4. Parallel Kingdom This free game combines massively multiplayer role-playing games with location-based social networking. You control your character around an adventure-filled environment layered over the real world, fighting enemies, leveling up, and buying new items.

3. Dimension Invaders It’s a 50s horror movie come to life. Round, vaguely menacing balls of energy advance on you from all directions, and it’s your job to blast them out of the air. The game costs a well-deserved 0.99, which gets you twelve lengthy levels.

2. Augmented Car Finder AR Car Finder isn’t really a game, but you’ll feel like a winner each time you use it. The game uses location-based technology to remember where you parked your car, and then guides you back to it with a steady hand. While it’s subject to hiccups, being able to avoid parking lot frustration even half of the time is a step forward.

1. SpecTrek Our favorite game is also the one that gives us nightmares. Shows like Ghost Hunters capitalize on the thrill of hunting down the unexplained. In SpecTrek, the unexplained hunts you. Ghosts pop up all over the world, and you use the iPhone’s camera to scoop them up and save the day. The people around you will thank you.

Space Hotel: Energia, the lead contractor on the International Space Station, wants to make a private space station that will house up to seven billionaires I mean, people. The hotel isn’t expected before 2016, but the company has already released some ideas. Think: four rooms. Celebrity chefs. Most importantly, actual showers, as opposed to the tourists who’ve already gone up and used no-rinse soap at the ISS.

Las Vegas hotel “death ray”: It’s something straight out of James Bond: a mirrored hotel which roasts its guests. The Vdara Hotel is constructed in such a way that sunlight on the south side is reflected off into an area directly below right where the pool is. Guests have already complained of being cooked (well, more-so than in normal tanning) and the hotel is working to remedy the problem.

Blackberry tablet: RIM will be releasing its first Blackberry tablet, the PlayBook, in early 2011. It features a new operating system (appropriately titled the Blackberry Tablet OS) and will have Flash compatibility. With a 7-inch LCD screen, 1 GB RAM, and HDMI video, the tablet has the makings of an iPad competitor, but we’ll reserve judgment for now.