Smartphone Software Gets Smarter, More Interactive

New software gathers vast amounts of information -- not just a person's whereabouts, but also such data as interests, buying habits, even social circles. Known as context-aware software, the technology then harnesses that information to provide useful tools to a smartphone user. For years, technology has been able to pick up a person's location through Global Positioning System satellites that deliver up-to-the-minute traffic and mapping data. But only recently have electronics been able to put a person's location into a larger context. By 2012, the market for information about a person's context will rise to $12 billion, according to research firm Gartner.