History of Cell Phone Technology - Essay Example

Cell Phone Technology INTRODUCTION: Cell phone is the most necessary apparatus in these civilized days. This modern technology has changed our dailylife and has accelerated the pace of communication. Cell phone, in this modern world is not only used for the purpose of communication but also for education and entertainment purposes. Development and miniaturization of technology has put everything in the cell phone. Today we are using phone as television, music player, recorders, computers, electronic agenda and much more. The cell phone technology is still being developed and its necessity will advance with the advancement of human needs. Considering the importance of the cell phone technology in our daily lives I have chosen Cell Phone Technology as subject of my research. Cell Phone Technology, by making people communicate widely and conveniently, has changed the life style of the modern world and has brought the world closer than before. In this paper I am going to explain the history of cell phone and how the cell phone technology has developed. I will then compare and contrast the age of telephone and cell phone and arrange examples of them. Then I will try to prove the different advantages of cell phone and how our daily life has been influenced by this tremendous technology. Finally I will address the direction of cell phone technology and how we can make use of it. HISTORY OF THE CELL PHONES: Cell phone is a wireless cell technology that is most widely used by the people in the modern world. Michael Faraday was the first person who studied cell phone technology in 1843. His research made him understand the fact that space could carry electricity. This understanding led him to the development of the cell phone. In 1865 Mahlon Loomis was the first person to use wireless technology. He used the atmosphere as a conductor for communicating messages to different places. The first cell phone, however, was made in 1977 in Chicago. Initially the cell phones were bigger in size since the manufacturers did not know how to make it compact. Since 1988 different companies have been set up for manufacturing the cell phones. With every passing year there has been advancement in the technology that has greatly benefited the users (History of Cell Phones, n.d. http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00047/historycell.htm). DEVELOPMENT OF THE CELL PHONE TECHNOLOGY: Ever since the cell phones have been manufactured there has been advancement in the technology with every passing year. Initially the mobile phones were huge in size and were called “car phones” because their basic use was in the cars. Later on the mobile phones became a bit compact that could be carried in a briefcase. Automatic roaming in the cell phone technology began in Saudi Arabia in 1981. A month later the Nordic countries also adopted the same technology for roaming between different countries. Systems such as NMT, AMPS, TACS, RTMI, C-Netz, and Radiocom 2000 were later called the first generation mobiles. The 90s decade saw further development in the mobile technology. The second generation mobiles included systems such as GSM, IS-136 ("TDMA"), iDEN and IS-95 ("CDMA"). At the same time the phones became more compact. Recently the third generation mobile system included UMTS and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO has been launched and their success is yet to be determined (Wikipedia, 2007 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones). Latest inventions include the PDAs, Nokia N series and Ultra edition by Samsung (Markley, 2007). ADVANTAGES OF CELL PHONE TECHNOLOGY: Cell phones have made life much easier as compared to the age of telephone. Cell phone technology has its own advantages. Its use is very effective in emergency situations such as accidents or need of medical aid etc. Businesses have been made easy due to the cell phone technology. Law and order situation is also improved due to the cell phone technology (D’ Aiello, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page4.htm). Analysis: Cell phones are a remarkable invention in the modern world. They have been transformed to more portable styles. Mobile technology has transformed tremendously with internet, cameras, MP3 players and FM radios. They satisfy the entertainment purposes of their users as well. Undoubtedly they have become an essential part of our lives. A critical look at the use of the cell phone shows us many benefits of the cell phone technology. Cell phones are very useful in emergency situations. Accidents or emergencies of any kind can be reported immediately and help can be obtained at the right time. In the field of Mass Communications the technology has brought the world together and any information or news can be obtained from any source at any time and place. Live reports can also be delivered from any place to the people. On comparison with the telephone age life has become a lot easier with the cell phone technology (D’ Aielo, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page4.htm). Law and order situation has been greatly improved by the use of the cell phone technology. Drunken and hit and run drivers have been reported by people on the cell phones. Thefts and burglary cases have been timely followed due to the cell phone technology. This was not that easy in the age of telephones (D’ Aielo, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page4.htm). In the fast moving world it is very important to keep up with the pace of the world. For this reason cell phone technology has been very useful. Any person can keep in touch with the work through his cell phone. Any call or mail can be made or sent at any time without rushing back to the office to hook the laptop. This would have been not possible in the telephone age when the cell phones were not functional (D’ Aielo, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page4.htm). The advantages of cell phone technology are great and one cannot survive without them. On the other hand there are disadvantages as well. To think that cell phones are totally harmless is a big mistake. Many cases and law suits have been reported where the cause of death is presumed to be due to brain cancer through continuous use of the mobile phones. However no convincing link has yet been established between brain cancer and cell phone use. An independent group has been set up by cell phone companies to investigate if cells phones are really responsible for the deaths of the people due to cell phones. Huge amount is spent for this purpose (D’ Aielo, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page4.htm). Antenna towers spoil the beauty of the environment and are a threat to the health as well. At different places on the mountains different towers are installed for smooth cell phone services which do not aesthetically appeal to a person. They are of different shapes and sizes and have to be installed at a specific distance. The towers thus spoil the natural beauty of the mountains. The radiation emitted from them is a serious health hazard. One of the trails in Mt. Mansfield in Vermont was closed down due to radiation hazards (D’ Aielo, 1998) (http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page2.htm). The number of road accidents has also increased due to the use of mobile phones while driving. Using a cell phone while driving reduces the concentration of the driver and delays his responses that force him to apply the breaks on time. Most of the time accidents occur due to conversation on the cell phone, writing a message and using a computer. Most of the people were using the phone at the time of the accident were driving the striking vehicle (D’ Aielo, 1998 http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page2.htm). Mobile phone technology is increasing with the increasing public demand. Through SMS the users are able to get many new services. Breaking news is sent to the users on their mobiles for their information. Weather reports and horoscopes are also available to the people through the cell phone technology (Wikipedia, 2007, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone). It is up to the users to make good use of the mobile phones and not to make the lives of other people miserable through this wonderful technology that is taking man a step forward with every passing year. RESOURCES D’ Aiello. A. (Spring 1998). “Advantages and Disadvantages of Cell Phone Technology”, Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from http://web.bryant.edu/~ehu/h364proj/sprg_98/daiello/page2.htm) “History of Cell Phones”, (n.d.). Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from http://library.thinkquest.org/04oct/00047/historycell.htm “History of Mobile Phones”, (Updated April 19, 2007). Wikipedia, Retrieved on April 20, 2007 From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mobile_phones Markley A. (2007). “Advantages of Mobile Phones: They are simply increasing day by day”, Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from http://www.articleonramp.com/Article.cfm?ID=1464 “Mobile Phone”, (2007). Wikipedia, Retrieved on April 20, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_phone Read More