Electronic Media: Then, Now, and Later Norman J. Medoff and Barbara K. Kaye Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Digital Devices: Up Close, Personal, and Customizable Chapter 6 Digital Devices: Up Close, Personal, and Customizable Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Then: One-to-One Communication Landline telephone (1835, Bell) Voice transmission Picture transmission (facsimile, telefax, fax) Telephone answering machine Cell phones (1947, automobiles) Commercially available 1984 By 1990, 5.3 million subscribers Personal digital assistants (PDA, 1993) Newton, Palm Pilot Gave way to multifunctional, Internet-connected devices The Internet Desktop computers connected by modem News and entertainment Producing content remained in the hands of professionals Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Now: One-to-One Communication (1 of 2) Cell phones (mobile phones) Two-way-radio; cell is geographic area served by transmitter 90% of U.S. residents have mobile phone 2/3 of these are smartphones 41% of U.S. households are wireless only From cell phones & PDAs to smartphones & tablets Combining functionality of phones and PDAs Smartphone and tablet attributes and comparison Apps: function-specific applications (weather forecast, stock market, flight status, dining, and more) Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Now: One-to-One Communication (2 of 2) Mobile phones: Beneficial or irksome? They appear in almost all social settings Strong social and cultural impact Constant connection with others Can meet many purposes or needs Have advantages and disadvantages VoIP: Phone calls over the Internet From plain old telephone service (POTS) to voice-over- Internet protocol (VoIP) or IP telephony Packet-switching system, similar to Internet Voice is digitized and flows from one computer or mobile device to another, or from a computer or mobile device to a telephone Skype Additional innovations include wireless VoIP (VoWi-Fi; VoIP Wi-Fi) Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Now: A Wireless World of News and Entertainment (1 of 2) Audio/satellite radio Supported by fast connections and signal compression Advantages over traditional radio Lessen geographic limitations Select preferred music and playlists XM and Sirius (now SiriusXM) Facing challenges from Internet radio Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Now: A Wireless World of News & Entertainment (2 of 2) Television Broadcast networks push audiences to their websites Over-the-top (OTT) content Delivering audio/video content over the Internet, bypassing satellite/cable providers Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, HBO Now, Apple TV, etc. Original programming and reruns Will FCC force cable companies to release some control of their set-top boxes? Broadcast TV premieres remain important Content may debut online prior to broadcast premiere Webisodes (mini programs) Place shifting/OTT Dish Network, Sling TV Time shifting/DVR (Digital video recorders & streaming services) Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

Now: Other Personal Digital Devices Google Translate E-Books Cell phone/wristwatch Google Glass Webcams A world of digital devices Keep us connected and involved May lead to information overload Privacy and surveillance issues Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

See It Later (1 of 3) Corporate changes Telephone, cable, wireless communication, computer data systems are converging Increasing demands for bandwidth Consolidation Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

See It Later (2 of 3) Lifestyle changes Smartphones are communication hub and security blanket Photographs and videos as recordings of events Legal and ethical problems Hypersonic sound system (HSS) Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6

See It Later (3 of 3) The Grid and the Internet of Things (IoT) IoT: machine-to-machine (M2M) communication; cloud computing and networked sensors Products with M2M are referred to as “smart” Convenience factor Security concerns The grid: linkage of servers into single system dividing complex computer tasks among machines A super-supercomputer CERN World Community Grid (WCG) Artificial intelligence (AI) Medoff & Kaye Electronic Media 3/e Chapter 6