Naturally it'd be portable enough to use as a phone, but it would also be able to adjust to different usage scenarios like using it as a laptop, gaming console or digital camera, without sacrificing on form or functionality.

We're still a way off from this sort of device becoming available, but in the mean time, there's a new online service called Dashwire that lets you extend all the data on your mobile to a desktop Web browser by automatically uploading them , providing an easier way to manage your contacts, text messages, photos and other personal information.

Excited yet? Sorry, I should've first pointed out that it only works for Windows Mobile smartphones at present, but the developer has promised Symbian support is coming soon, and hopefully other mobiles (like the iPhone!) will follow soon after.

What I like about the service is that you could theoretically leave your mobile at home but still be able to send and receive text messages by logging into Dashwire - provided your phone is currently connected to the service, that is, over a USB ActiveSync connection, Wi-Fi or GPRS/3G/HSDPA. The other cool thing is the 'single-click' uploads of your photos to social networking sites like Facebook and Flickr, saving all your cool camphone pics from suffering a lonely digital death on your mobile.

The only thing is that you'll have to be comfortable with having all of your personal information (including call logs and address book) uploaded to the Internet. Technically you have to be logged in to your account to be able to see all of your mobile's data, but there's really only a flimsy password preventing those saucy photos of your significant other entering the public domain, as Paris Hilton learnt the hard way when her Hiptop was hacked through the Web interface.

I like the idea of Dashwire, but the stuff on my mobile is way too personal for me to feel comfortable about uploading it to an online service. Your mileage may vary.