The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the first cell phones is the large Zach Morris phone used in the 1990’s television series Saved by the Bell. Around this same time I remember my dad purchasing a “car phone” and thinking how cool it was that we could call someone while driving. Little did I know that there was much history prior to the 1990’s with the use of wireless telephony. It is amazing what significant changes can happen to the cell phone market in a span of only a few years.
The first use of wireless telephony was in 1895 when Gugliemlo Marconi sent the first wireless message. In 1906 Reginald Fessenden's invented the shore-to-ship radiotelephony, which was used through the Second World War. Just two years later, Nathan Stubblefield was issued the patent number for the wireless telephone; however, he applied this to “cave radio” phones only and not to cell phones as we know them today. During the 1920’s radiotelephony was used for communication between Detroit police cars as well as trains that ran between Hamburg and Berlin (Famento).
Motorola is considered the first inventor of the cell phone not used in a vehicle. Motorola manager Martin Cooper made the first call from a handheld device on April 3, 1973. It was not until 1979 that the first mobile network was launched in Japan. In 1984 Bell Labs made it possible for cell phone users to travel through several cells during a conversation without dropping the call, this is known as “call handoff.” In 1990 the United States produced their first mobile phone. Text messaging was used in the 1980’s by Europeans for the Global Systems for Communication; yet it was not until 1993 that it was used by a civilian by accident and soon took off from there (Jung).
So far the cell phone industry has been through three generations while a fourth is in the making. The first generation known as 1G started in the 1980’s by using analog telecommunications. The second generation 2G soon replaced 1G. The main difference between 1G and 2G was that 2G used digital instead of analog communications. Both systems use digital to connect to radio towers to the rest of the telephone system, the voice itself during a call is encoded to digital signals in 2G whereas 1G is only modulated to higher frequency, typically 150MHz and up (Wikipedia).
As we learned in lecture, today’s 3G is Global standard developed by the International Telecommunication Union. 3G uses packet switching and can perform many more functions on a phone than even just a few years ago. The 3G phones feature anything and everything from a camera to text messaging to Internet to games. It is unbelievable the many uses of today’s cell phone. It is hard to believe that there is something bigger and better than a 3G; however, the 4G could offer something as great as HD cable or satellite television(Lecture).
Thinking back to how fascinated I was with our first car phone it is amazing to think of how quickly the cell phone market has advanced and what it has become. The many uses of cell phones today such as Blackberry and the iPhone make life for businessmen and women much easier and essential to their careers. Today most people cannot leave home in the morning with out their cell phone, let a lone survive an entire day. Is it healthy for our society to rely so much on cell phones as much as we do? Because of our addiction to our cell phones communication has become less of a personal experience. Instead we use text messaging, black berry messaging, email right from our phone or even Facebook right on our phone instead of actually dialing and calling someone (Jung).
Famento. 2008. History of Mobile Phones.
http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-Mobile-Phones--Cell-Phones-
Jung, Joo –Yung. Volume 59. Issue 3. Information and communication technologies in action: Linking theory and narratives of practice. Journal of Communication, 13-15.
Lecture. Mobile Communications. November 3, 2009.
Wikipedia. The History of Mobile Phones. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones
I believe that using our cell phones so much could be healthy and also unhealthy for our society. I agree with your blog that our cell phones are everything in our life. There is no way I would leave my house without my cell phone and I think that most people are the same way as me on that subject. But as our society keeps moving to the next generation, more and more people are using cell phones and using more techonlogical advanced phones, like mentioned in the blog, the Iphone and the Blackeberry devices. One positive thing that I think comes from being so advanced with cell phones and using them all the time, is that now the younger generation, like prep-teens are using cell phones and I think that that could help their safety. If they are lost, stolen, or injured and they have their cell phone, then they can call 911, the police, or their parents instead of being stranded somewhere. On the other hand, I believe that using the cell phone too much with texting or email instead of calling and talking voice to voice, that we can lose closeness in relationships and kinship since its read instead of heard.
ReplyDeleteArmfelt.6
Something I rarely do, but enjoy doing is leaving my cell phone at home when I go to class. Going to class for an hour isn’t such a big deal but even less occasionally I’ll leave it when I go run errands and will be gone for 3 or 4 hours. It is uniquely liberating and I probably should do it more often. Recently, I bought a Blackberry, my first 3G phone, and am connected to my email at all times. To be honest, I hate it. The phone is amazing, but why on earth do I want to be alerted every 10 seconds when I get junk mail. I’m sure I’ll feel differently when I have a job and receive “more important” emails all the time… or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteRatliff.90
I think that our society’s dependence on cell phones does hinder people from communicating on a personal level. I also think that it can be dangerous for our health, leaning more toward text messaging while driving. I remember my first cell phone, I was about 13 and it was a Motorola about the size of a graphing calculator. Since my first phone, cellular devices have come a long way. My history with phones has gone from the very first color screen to now a touch screen model. Text Messaging has definitely hindered my personal relationships with other people because I prefer to text message than have an actual conversation on the phone. I also think that text messaging is extremely dangerous while driving, I myself have tried to type and drive and almost ran up on the curb a few times. I think our society will only become more dependent on our mobile devices as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteecton.1
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ReplyDeleteI've always wondered what rate of car accidents linked with cell phone usage was back when cell phones first became popular. Today's cell phones are likely more dangerous in that manner because of the increasing number of uses that cell phones provide--making calls, texting, taking pictures, playing music, etc. But what happens when you take a person who has been driving for ten or twenty years and then have them try to dial and talk on their phone in the car? Although I was too young to consciously think about it as cells phones were gaining popularity, I'm sure this is the scenario when adults began using cell phones while driving. With a new technology in place and many more dropped calls than today, I can only imagine it would have been quite a distraction while driving.
ReplyDeleteludwig.121
I think this blog is very interesting. It made me think back to my first cell phone and remember how cool I thought it was. Looking back I realize that in comparison to what a standard cell phone can do today, it falls very short. This blog describes the progression of the cell phone eras and it is interesting to think what is coming next. I fully believe that communication through emails and text messages which are widely what cell phones are used for now, will never replace face to face interaction but it is quickly becoming the more preferred method of interaction. The blog pointed out the generations and their effects and I think it will be interesting when we find out what will come next. henger.2
ReplyDeleteThe evolution of the cell phone is definatley an amazing thing. My cell phone is what I wake up to every morning and is by my side throughout my entire day. It is hard to believe that these devices used to be the size of a briefcase and only make calls when now they can stream video, txt message, surf the internet and much more. Simply thinking about what is next to come for cell phone technology is highly exciting. Just thinking of what lies in store for us beyond 3G is hard to imageine. I just hope that we don't become entirely too dependent on these incredible devices and lose all contact with the real world around us.
ReplyDeleteCunliffe.1
It is trully amazing how many functions a cell phone can have these days, and I find it a bit ironic that most of those functions don't include actually "talking."
ReplyDeleteI think the future of cellular technology and the 4G network is going to revolve around convenience. Personally I still like maintaining several different devices like a separate mp3 player, using a computer for internet browsing etc. because I don't think one person should be so connected/entrenched in their cell phone that it serves to be destructive as opposed to constructive, just as others have said, about texting while driving, or being disruptive in class. At heart I still believe a cell phone serves first and foremost to be a convenient calling device.
Edwards.530
I have to say every time im in the car and talking on my phone i do notice i am at my worst as far as my sensory awareness. Also, I have never been in a car accident (knock on wood) but any close call ive ever had has been when i am on the phone! Now i have an iPhone, (not bragging but its kind of amazing) and i actually find that because i use it as an ipod and my phone, I finally started using the clever ear buds with the built in microphone so it becomes hands free. Also, because of the ease of use the ipod has, i can do any funtion on the phone with my voice, keeping my hands and eyes totally on driving. And if i have a co pilot, they can even give me turn by turn directions without me having to explain to them how to use it! I found that i use my phone now for all the other functions more so then actually talking on the phone its self.
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