Presenting the history of the cellular phone from its beginnings in the 1940s to the present, this book explains the fundamental concepts involved in wireless communication along with the ramifications of cellular technology on the economy, U.S. and international law, human health, and society. The first two chapters deal with bandwidth and radio. Subsequent chapters look at precursors to the contemporary cellphone, including the surprisingly popular car phone of the 1970s, the analog cellphones of the 1980s and early 1990s, and the basic digital phones which preceded the feature-laden, multipurpose devices of today.
One of Time Magazine’s Top 100 Inventors in History shares an insider’s story of the cellphone, how it changed the world—and a view of where it’s headed. While at Motorola in the 1970s, wireless communications pioneer Martin Cooper invented the first handheld mobile phone. But the cellphone as we know it today almost didn’t happen. Now, in Cutting the Cord, Cooper takes readers inside the stunning breakthroughs, devastating failures, and political battles in the quest to revolutionize—and control—how people communicate. It’s a dramatic tale involving brilliant engineers, government regulators, lobbyists, police, quartz crystals, and a horse. Industry skirmishes sparked a political war in Washington to prevent a monopolistic company from dominating telecommunications. The drama culminated in the first-ever public call made on a handheld, portable telephone—by Cooper himself. The story of the cell phone has much to teach about innovation, strategy, and management. But the story of wireless communications is far from finished. This book also relates Cooper’s vision of the future. From the way we work and the way children learn to the ways we approach medicine and healthcare, advances in the cellphone will continue to reshape our world for the better.
After much anticipation, Joanie Maloney finally gets her very own cell phone! Knowing that owning a cell phone requires responsibility and sound judgment, Joanie's mom requires her to complete a Cell Phone Safety Course. "Mom, it's a phone... it's not a weapon!" Joanie exclaims. Along with Joanie, children will learn the six rules of cell phone usage which are designed not only to keep them safe, but also to keep them from being tempted to hurt others. By knowing the rules, children can become masters of their cell phones and avoid becoming a "Cell Phoney!"
Essential reading for the 100 million Americans currently using wireless phones, this thoroughly researched and documented cautionary work stands alongside of such classics as Silent Spring and The Coming Plague. With news reports proliferating of the possible connection between brain tumors and cell phone use, Dr. George Carlo was hired by the cell phone industry in 1993 to study the safety of its product. In 1999 funds for Dr. Carlo's research were not renewed, and the industry sought to discredit him. Undeterred, Carlo now brings his case to the public with a powerful assessment of the dangers posed by the microwave radiation from cell phone antennas—disruption of the functioning of pacemakers, penetration of the developing skulls of children, compromise to the blood-brain barrier, and, most startlingly, genetic damage that is a known diagnostic marker for cancer—as well as a presentation of safeguards that consumers can implement right now to protect their health. ".…the authors raise serious questions about the integrity of the cell phone industry and the FDA."—San Francisco Chronicle "Extraordinarily informative...[a] captivating story…."—Publishers Weekly
In 2001, India had 4 million cell phone subscribers. Ten years later, that number had exploded to more than 750 million. Over just a decade, the mobile phone was transformed from a rare and unwieldy instrument to a palm-sized, affordable staple, taken for granted by poor fishermen in Kerala and affluent entrepreneurs in Mumbai alike. The Great Indian Phone Book investigates the social revolution ignited by what may be the most significant communications device in history, one which has disrupted more people and relationships than the printing press, wristwatch, automobile, or railways, though it has qualities of all four. In this fast-paced study, Assa Doron and Robin Jeffrey explore the whole ecosystem of the cheap mobile phone. Blending journalistic immediacy with years of field-research experience in India, they portray the capitalists and bureaucrats who control the cellular infrastructure and wrestle over bandwidth rights, the marketers and technicians who bring mobile phones to the masses, and the often poor, village-bound users who adapt these addictive and sometimes troublesome devices to their daily lives. Examining the challenges cell phones pose to a hierarchy-bound country, the authors argue that in India, where caste and gender restrictions have defined power for generations, the disruptive potential of mobile phones is even greater than elsewhere. The Great Indian Phone Book is a rigorously researched, multidimensional tale of what can happen when a powerful and readily available technology is placed in the hands of a large, still predominantly poor population.
This book explains sounds waves, radio waves, and other key science ideas behind the technology of cell phones. The title discusses the parts of a cell phone as well as the path a call travels, and the social significance and future of cell phones.
"Cell phones allowed people to connect on the go, and smartphones have transformed the way we share information. Discover the landmark shifts in phone technology-and the people-that have shaped modern communication"--
This evidence-based, user-friendly guide presents a 30-day digital detox plan that will help you set boundaries with your phone and live a more joyful and fulfilling life. “I wrote The Anxious Generation to help adults improve the lives of children. Many readers have asked me for a version of the book aimed at helping adults and teens help themselves. Catherine Price has written the best such book.”—Jonathan Haidt Do you feel addicted to your phone? Do you frequently pick it up “just to check,” only to look up forty-five minutes later wondering where the time has gone? Does social media make you anxious? Have you tried to spend less time mindlessly scrolling—and failed? If so, this book is your solution. Award-winning health and science journalist and TED speaker Catherine Price presents a practical, evidence-based 30-day digital detox plan that will help you break up—and then make up—with your phone. The goal: better mental health, improved screen-life balance, and a long-term relationship with technology that feels good. This engaging, user-friendly guide explains how our smartphones and apps are designed to be addictive and how the time we spend on them is increasing our anxiety and damaging our abilities to focus, think deeply, form new memories, generate ideas, and be present in our most important relationships. Next, it walks you through an effective and easy-to-follow 30-day plan that has already helped thousands of people worldwide break their phone addictions and feel more fully alive. Whether you need help for yourself or for your family, friends, students, colleagues, clients, or community, How to Break Up with Your Phone is the ultimate guide to digital detoxing. It’s guaranteed to help you put down your phone—and come back to life.
