Mobile World: Past, Present and Future (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) [Paperback]

Lynne Hamill (Editor), Amparo Lasen (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1852338253 | ISBN-13: 978-1852338251 | Publication Date: July 13, 2005 | Edition: 1st Edition.

There is a growing body of interesting research exploring the social shaping of mobile phones, covering a wide range of topics, from new forms of communication, to the changes in time organization, the uses of public places, the display of emotions and the formation and sustaining of communities. This book evaluates the launch and adoption of mobile phones, drawing out lessons for the future. In particular, it explores how social scientists can collaborate with designers and engineers in the development of new devices and uses. It will interest people from both industry and academia. Those working in the mobile communications industry in strategy, design and marketing will find this book of particular interest. In academia, undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers in a wide range of social science fields will find it a useful reference: sociologists, economists, psychologists in areas such as Science and Technology studies; Cultural studies and New Media studies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Now almost everyone in the developed world has a mobile phone and these have revolutionised how people communicate with each other and how people now live and work. This book seeks to identify and study some of the milestones in attitudes and technology that are leading to new methods of communicating, texting, gaming and messaging. These words even 10 years ago wouldn't have featured in the lexicon of mobile communication. The steep changes brought about by mobile communications have led the authors to contrast the past with today's world and to glimpse into the future. Steve Hearnden, Telecommunications Consultant This book presents a rich insight into how and why the mobile has become so important in today’s society. It explores the strong emotional attachment that people have to these devices, and argues that it is people and not the technology that developers must put at the heart of future mobile offerings. A valuable book for industry and academics alike. Dr Phil Gosset, Vodafone Group R&D

From the Back Cover

Why have mobile phones so quickly become part of our everyday lives? This book brings together the perspectives of key researchers in the area to explore lessons on social shaping, examining what can be learnt from the adoption of mobile devices that can be applied to other, newer, digital technologies. Forecasting the impact of new technology is always difficult. Occasionally demand is underestimated, but more often it is overestimated, and at great cost. Digital technology is unlike anything that has gone before, making it particularly difficult to understand its implications for businesses, public services and society in general. By looking at what has happened in the past and what is happening now, and offering methods of using this knowledge to look forward, this book will contribute to reducing expensive forecasting errors in the future. Key reading for all those involved with the future of mobile communications, this book is a valuable resource, particularly for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students on Mobile Technology courses, practitioners, and researchers working in mobile communications, CSCW and HCI. This volume is a sequel to Brown et al: Wireless World: Social and Interactional Aspects of the Mobile Age, also in the CSCW series.   "This book presents a rich insight into how and why the mobile has become so important in today’s society. It explores the strong emotional attachment that people have to these devices, and argues that it is people and not the technology that developers must put at the heart of future mobile offerings. A valuable book for industry and academics alike." Dr Phil Gosset, Vodafone Group R&D

Product Details

• Paperback: 226 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1st Edition. edition (July 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1852338253
• ISBN-13: 978-1852338251
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,751,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars where are we going?, September 10, 2005

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W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mobile World: Past, Present and Future (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) (Paperback)

The book is a good attempt at peering into the future of mobile computing. In part, it does this by looking at the recent past, and the various projections made then about upcoming mobile trends. These predictions are evaluated against what actually happened. A sobering comparison. A lot of hype happened in the 90s dot com and telecom era. And mobile computing spanned both fields. Resulting in massive overbuilding of telecom networks and overbidding for 3G licenses. Billions of dollars, euros and yen were squandered in those efforts.

So one lesson from the book is that predictions are always fraught with uncertainty. Hopefully, this engenders some caution and humility amongst the authors of the book's papers, and in the reader.

The book studies future mobile technologies and wonders how these might turn out. Useful research ideas. Though nothing I read here really seemed to be a gripping, Eureka-type vision.