How to Recognize the Future When It Lands on You - iPhone

In Monday’s reading, “How to Recognize the Future When It Lands on You,” Rhinegold talks about the shift to mobile devices in the world around us. Specifically, he says that people "cooperate in ways never before possible because they carry devices that possess both communication and computing capabilities.” What he is talking about is that for the first time, wireless devices are becoming “smarter” and can do more things. This technological ability is giving technology consumers a new way to communicate and interact with media on-the-go.

The best example of this in the real world is the iPhone. (See video below…a report on the newest iPhone updated software). Released last June, the iPhone is like a miniature Macintosh computer in your pocket. Its interface is very nice and comes with a variety of features. Among the most popular features, the Internet opens up a new way of mobile communication for iPhone users. They can blog, post on forums, and look up information anywhere. For example, last week in class a professor didn’t know the meaning of a word. A girl in the class instantly read the definition from her iPhone before the professor even thought of looking it up on his personal computer.  Never before have students had the ability to access the internet in their pocket at a moments notice.

Let’s not forget this is also a cell phone. Texting has become more popular than ever on the iPhone, especially after the latest software update. Now, iPhone users can send mass text messages to dozens of people (rather than just one at a time like in the past software). Mass texting provides a new way of communication for mobile users in that information can reach many people directly at the click of a button.  As we learned in class, mass texting can be used to notify people of meetings or last minute announcements.  Just last week I received a mass text that I was invited to a party (just hours before it began.  Never before have been people been able to reach so many people in such a short time with assurance they will get the message instantly.

In conclusion, the iPhone is a real life example of Rheingold's idea that people now have the ability to communicate and spread information in ways that have never been possible.