Assignment 2 Reading Response: August 26

Reading 1: Short History of Mobile Communication 

This article is about the history of cell phones and the start of this new technology. What stuck out to me with this article was the way the initial radio cell was used and how it processed calls. Essentially if someone was traveling between two cell towers the phone receiving the message would have to wait to receive it until there was a strong enough connection. Now this is something we wouldn’t even think twice about. The article also talked about the development of the radio and how that helped form the evolution of cellphones. Radio usage and development started when it was needed for shipping purposes which I found interesting. Wireless communication for ships became apparent during the Titanic sinking because it sent out radio signals which didn’t go off because at the time the ships didn’t have 24-hour signals. This in turn led to 24-hour radio communication. Radio communication plays a large part in the history of cellphones because that’s what it is; one phone using phone towers to send a signal to connect to another cellphone. This example in the article really helped my understanding of the basic functions of early phones. Overall, I liked how the article broke down the history through the different technologies that led to the phone, because it gave me a better understanding of how the process works and how a phone truly functions. 

Reading 2: Making Voice Portable: the early history of the cell phone 

This article is all about the start of phones and cell phones. It touches on the history and how telegraphs were what started and emerged into the now phone system. The invention of the telephone had many involving factors but two of the largest contributors that stuck out were Alexander Graham Bell and AT&T. It was very cool to see that AT&T had such a large contribution to the industry with their basis of telegraphs because this is still one of the largest phone companies. At the end of the 19^thcentury telegraphy had already become a form of global communication and helped give lead way to globalization such as colonialism and imperialism. The mobility of the phone arose in the late 19^thcentury leading to the cellphone and by 1914 one percent of the telephone population was in the United States. I found it very interesting how fast the phone market truly expanded globally. I also found it notable that the article talked a bit about how the phones were first used for social aspects rather than business. I feel like with how elaborate phones are now and how large the user demographic is that it has converted back to that and a large portion of users use it for sociability once again. 

Technology Application:

Both of the articles are directly related to cell phones. As I have experienced as well as learned through this week’s readings the evolution of cellphones has changed significantly over the years. They have evolved into a lot more than the physical cellphone. Now you can have your phone connected to multiple different devices if you have an iPhone, such as an Apple Watch, iPad and your laptop. The evolution of this marketing rapidly growing and changing is very connected to how quickly the telegraph evolved into a phone. Your phone can be connected to many other things like your car and your home so even when you don’t have your phone with you, you have the ability to socialize and connect with others through so many other devices. It all relates back to the basis of why the telegraph was created and how early phones were used to be social with one another. 

Technology Example: 

I think that the technology example I chose greatly applies to the class. Cellphones are a large factor of mobile media and I think with out cellphones mobile media wouldn’t be what it is today. I think some of the other factors I mentioned such as Apple Watches and iPads have also become a source of mobile media for some when their phone is out of reach. I think being able to look at all of the accessible mobile media factors will help grow a larger understanding of how large mobile media truly is. I think that looking back on the history of cellphones and being able to expand into what they have become really give a better perspective on how to target audiences through mobile media.

Discussion Questions: 

• Has the evolution of phones strengthened or hindered social communication? 
• Has cell phone technology and smartphones evolved into a societal preference?  
• Do you think that the younger generations are becoming largely impacted by the use of cellphones?