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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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