Summary
The development of the cell phone has impacted many industries, besides enabling us to place a phone call and improving our ways of communicating with each other. Today, we use the cell phone for the simplest task of trying to reach someone, to reading the news and taking pictures or even making short films, as well as for many other purposes.
As Stephanie D. Smith notes in her article “Going Mobile”, many teen magazines like Cosmo Girl, Teen Vogue, Teen People’s, Seventeen, and Elle Girl are in the process or are now using the cell phone to meet the needs of their customers by offering different options of receiving celebrity news, the horoscope or other type of information.
The use of the cell phone has made its way in the field of architecture also. The opinions about its efficacy are not unified, as Eileen McMorrow reports in her article “Instant Gratification”, but nonetheless the cell phone is still used at least by some architects for transmitting pictures from the construction site. Some say because of the resolution, a camera phone is not the best tool for the job. Other architects say the camera phone is essential for instant communication from the construction site to anywhere.
Cell phone uses are also incorporated in telematics, a system that combines communication and informatics within a vehicle, as Ralph Kisiel’s article “TBox: Microsoft’s plan to take over Telematics” shows.
Serving a more entertainment type purpose, the cell phone is also being put to use in the podcasting arena, as Kinley Levack reports in his article “Peas in a Podcast”. When podcasters offer new files, “with LiveMessage alerts, users can pick and choose among various delivery options including cell phones[. . .]” (Levack).
Barbara Lippert’s article “Cell-Phone Cinema” shows how some companies like Sprint choose to run ads made by people just having fun with their camera phone in order to add more creativity and spontaneity.
AT&T allows its customers to “identify, preview and purchase individual songs from their cell phones” (Kevin Fitchard, AT&T Wireless gets into music), but the music cannot be downloaded directly onto the cell phone just yet. It has to be downloaded from online to a PC (Fitchard).
As the technology will improve, we will find more and diverse fields for using our cell phones.
Response
The cell phone has truly revolutionized many ways in which we do things. It certainly made our lives easier in many respects. Having a cell phone makes it so easy to communicate and keep in touch with loved ones and friends.
The cell phone technology is certainly expanding as it can be seen in the different and evolving features that are added to the new phones. Some of these features and uses contain capabilities like: text messaging, personal organizer, alarm clock, voice dialing, video camera, web access and others.
Many auxiliary uses have been attributed to the cell phone also, like the fact that architects are using their camera phone to communicate with the office or may be other architects(Eileen McMorrow, “Instant gratification”). Media outlets are also taking advantage of the cell phone technology to meets their customers’ needs, and to add more convenience to the services they offer. Such examples are different magazines, especially teen magazines (Stephanie D. Smith, “Going Mobile”), and podcasting (Kinley Levack, “Peas in a Podcast”).
Additionally, the cell phone is being put to good use, as it is incorporated in the new telematics technology, which is “an in-car computer, code-named TBox, that connects the electronic devices consumers want to use in a car”, as Ralph Kisiel writes about Microsoft’s intentions to make this TBox affordable for “practically every car buyer” (Ralph Kisiel, “TBox: Microsoft’s Plan to Take Over Telematics”).
Having a cell phone also helps us when we are in trouble and need help, like in an automobile accident. I know of people that did not own a cell phone, and when involved in car accidents they were helped by other drivers that called for help using their cell phones. On the other hand another problem arises when the cell phone is not used in proper ways. Talking on the cell phone and driving at the same time is not a good combination as many of us that drive, see on the highways. If an accident is not caused, it is probable that the person talking on the phone will disrupt the flow of traffic at least to some degree.
Considering all the great things cell phones are used for in the technology spectrum, I can say there are certain disadvantages too, that are in the personal arena. This new cell phone technology, as it makes things more convenient for us, takes away from the personal touch we put into our relationships. Some teenagers would rather just use the cell phone to call their grandparents, instead of going to their house to visit them and assist them with whatever help they would need, or just to share life experiences together.
Our lives are enriched by the experiences we share with those around us and cell phones sometimes take the place of those experiences in which we should participate fully physically, mentally and emotionally.
However, with careful management I think we can take advantage of the new technology as well as preserving some of the old ways of socializing.
Reviewing all the benefits and conveniences we have today because of the cell phone, I think we should invest more into the research and development of new features, and we will benefit from their efficiency.
Works Cited
Fitchard, Kevin. “AT&T Wireless Gets Into music”. Telephony 11 Oct. 2004. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
Kisiel, Ralph. “TBox: Microsoft’s Plan to Take Over Telematics”. Automotive News 21 Mar. 2005. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
Levack, Kinley. “Peas in a Podcast: Live Message Supports Podcasting Alerts”. EContent May 2005. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
Lippert, Barbara. “Cell-Phone Cinema:Sprint’s Smart Strategy:You Too Can Be an Auteur”. Adweek 14 June 2004. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
McMorrow, Eileen. “Instant Gratification: Visual Documentation Devices Can Help Identify Problems During Building Construction”. Architecture Mar. 2005. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
Smith, Stephanie D. “Going Mobile: Teen Titles are Delving Deep Into the Digital Realm in Order to Effectively Reach Their Readers”. Mediaweek 2 May 2005. 10 Feb. 2006. Library Resources and Connections. Magazine, Journal & newspaper Articles. WilsonSelectPlus. Macomb Community College., Warren., Mi.
