Topic 154

Mobile phone and associated services and uses by Sam

Since the introduction of mobile phones in the United States in the late 1980s, this technology has come a long way. When mobile phones were first introduced, they were outrageously big, expensive, and the battery ran out quickly. The functions available were very limited; all it could do was call and receive calls. No, it did not have email or internet; actually it didn’t even have a phone book function. From then to now, mobile phones have changed so much that sometimes I wonder if they should be classified as the same type of product.

Text-Messaging/E-mails

Probably the biggest use of mobile phones after the calling function (in some parts of the world bigger than calling) is the messaging services. With text messaging you can easily send and receive short messages among mobile phones. So instead of wasting time calling people to tell little things, you can text message them and save time and often, money. Another function similar to text messaging is emails on mobile phones. Unlike text messaging that is done using phone numbers as the address, emails on mobile phones are just like the ones on the computers. You can send long messages to either computers or other mobile phones. What gives advantage to emails over text messages is that it can attach attachments. This means that you can take pictures with the built in camera of the mobile phone, attach it, and send it to your friends. This is especially useful when there is something you want someone to see as soon as possible. Also, using emails, it is possible for mobile phone users to subscribe to mail magazines which will automatically deliver them any news or information they desire.

Internet

Internet has become a big part of modern mobile phones. By being able to connect to the internet from your phone, our lives have been heavily affected. For example, if you need to know the weather, you can check it using the internet. If you need to know what time the next movie starts at the theater, you can use the internet to find out. Even if you need to make a quick payment, you can access the bank website from your mobile phone and make the payment. You can download pictures, ring tones, etc… of various tastes. Internet on the mobile phones is so useful that once you get used to it, it seems as if you cannot live without it.

Multimedia (video, music, games, etc…)

Probably what makes mobile phones so interesting these days is the fact that it supports various forms of media. Probably most common are the ring tones. On mobile phones these days, you can download or personally make ring tones of your favorite songs. Not only that, you can assign each song to each and every one of your callers. So you will know who is calling you by just the ring tone. Not only can you get ring tones on your phones these days, but you can put full song audio files and use your phone as a portable music player. This allows you to have one less gadget to carry around with. Another big media form is videos. Not only can you record video using the built in camera, you can download videos on your phones from your computer and enjoy them on the go. Yet another major media on mobile phones is games. Games have advanced so much on mobile phones, that the graphics and game play is already better than that of a normal game boy by Nintendo. You can download these 3D games online with big selection of games. Basically you can find any game you want and play it on the go.

Payment (Felica, Suica, etc…)

Recently, mobile phones have become a great method of payment. Not only can you pay your bills on the internet of your mobile phone, you can use your phone as a sort of credit card in Japan. When you go to a store, there is a machine that you can put your phone on. The act of putting the mobile phone on the machine acts as if you are swiping your credit card on the machine. Then these costs will be charged to your monthly phone bill. Same systems are found in coke machines, train stations, etc… in Japan.

Where Do We Go?

With the introduction of the iPhone by Apple, the mobile phones are sure to keep on getting more high tech everyday.