Chapter 4 Vocabs
Mobile New Media
Smartphone
Definition: A mobile phone that has the ability to surf the internet and download and install third-party applications. Examples include the BlackBerry, iPhone, and various Android phones.
Example: Use this as an example for mobile new media.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
Definition: The full range of radiant energy, in the form of electromagnetic radiation, typically arranged from the highest to the lowest frequencies for reference—the higher the frequency, the shorter the wavelength and the more energy that is contained.
The spectrum includes everything from gamma rays and X-rays at the high end; ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light in the middle; and radio waves at the low end. Radio waves range from longer frequencies, used in AM radio, to very high frequencies, used in cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and microwave transmission systems.
This part of the electromagnetic spectrum is important for communication and is called the radio spectrum.
Cellular
Definition: A method of mobile radio communication that distributes the transmitting/receiving responsibilities into small hexagonal cells that are responsible for a small area—a few blocks in highly populated areas—with participating devices engaging with many different antennae/towers as you move around.
(cont.)
When the device moves from one cell to another there is a seamless handoff, without interruption in the call, even when you are travelling at highway (or highspeed train) speeds. The small cells require less power on the part of radios, enabling smaller phones, and the reuse of radio spectrum.
Text Messaging (Texting, SMS)
Definition: The process of using mobile telephones to send short messages (140 characters or fewer, typically) using a signalling channel built into the phone system. Messages can come from the system operator, or, more commonly, from other mobile phone users.
Key points from class:
- made an enormous contribution to the bottom line for business and had tremendous social implications
- Initial idea: Services providers can send a message to users.
- Users to users was almost an afterthought.
- SMS allowed thinking about the mobile phone as a platform
Spime
Definition: A neologism invented by science fiction writer Bruce Sterling to describe an object that can be tracked through space and time.
Example: The typical application would be inventory control, but this is being expanded in all directions as low-cost sensors and memory chips (and especially radio-frequency identification chips, or RFID) combined with ubiquitous wireless networks make it feasible to embed these capabilities in more and more objects.
Predictive Text (autocomplete)
Definition: A software service embedded in many mobile phones to allow for faster and more accurate entry of words in text messages from a simple numeric or alphanumeric keyboard. It works by predicting, based on a statistical analysis of the entry language, the most likely next character or characters.
Example: (Explain this phenomenon along with slang, and abbreviations in short messages)
Network Operator
Definition:
The provider of service to mobile telephones.
The provider arranges for the radio spectrum licences, creates the billing and customer service functions, installs the infrastructure for transmitting and receiving calls and—if necessary—transferring them to other networks (wireless or landline).
Network operators also provide additional features, such as text messaging, caller identification, voicemail, and internet service.