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The above article (by Cyrus Favriar) details various interesting facts about the concentration of cellphone subscriptions on the planet - over 6 billion. At first the idea of 85% of the global population having access to a mobile phone seems outrageous, but 6 billion subscriptions does not necessarily mean 6 billion individual mobile phone owners. Many people living in third world countries will have multiple phones in order to take advantage of cheap calls within the carrier to and from a specific other party. Another interesting fact detailed in the article is that over 1/3 of the world's cellphone subscriptions is attributed to China and India, with over 2 billion subscriptions combined. A study from Gartner predicts that 1 billion smartphones will ship worldwide in 2014, and data from Canalys showed that more smartphones were sold in 2011 than personal computers. Between July 2011 and June 2012, Americans used 1.1 billion GB (> 10 000 TB) of mobile data, and over the last year Americans collectively spent 2.321 trillion minutes on the phone and have sent 2.273 trillion text messages. So, why should we be interested in all of these arbitrary facts? We understand that as smartphone prices become exponentially less expensive and other parts of the world gain access to data services, mobile broadband continues to grow at a rapid pace. There is a global trend from fixed-broadband to mobile-broadband subscriptions, simply because it is more cost-effective. As global bandwidth increases we can supposedly pump an infinite amount of data to billions of customers around the world. This relates to eLifestyle because it shows that although we talk about poverty and oppression around the world, one thing unites us: technology. This relates to Economics because of the decreasing cost of smartphones and the accessibility of cheap subscriptions becoming more prominent. This relates to the ICS20 class because as most of us own mobile phones and have mobile plans with various car

This article is a timeline of cell phones through the ages.  Although it is intended to be a humorous post, it is worth noting how far we've come in the design of cell phones. There are various types of phones depicted here ... [here is my connection goes ... about how the design of devices evolve to improve our usage and relationship to technology ...] [here is where you put your opinion - I've only been around since the mid-90s so I am more familiar with the smaller devices, much smaller than the one here.  Still, the trend continues, as the form of portable devices continue to change ... i.e the iphone 5 which is thinner than any other phone ever.]

What if there a was a way to charge your smartphone and get a workout at the same time?  This project is currently being implemented in New York City. Bikes open to the public that are able to charge phones have been scattered all over New York City.  The Charge Cycle hopes to bring a network of outdoor neon-green stationary bikes that allows anyone to charge their phone for free by simply peddling.  It takes the same amount of time to charge as if you were to directly plug it into the wall. Although there are some concerns of theft, developers have chained the bikes and also put locks on the bikes, which makes it harder to move. Nowadays, we all rely on our smartphones, they are technically our everything.  Many people would be devastated if it were to die, and they will not be able to use it until they have their charger and an outlet.  The Charge Cycle offers a charging system for smartphone users while they get a workout as well, so it is a "win win" situation for these users.  This affects our lifestyle because instead of sitting around doing nothing while waiting for our phones to charge, we can get a workout out of it, and stay fit and healthy. I do think this a good idea because obesity rates today are increasing, which is dangerous.  In order to maintain a healthy diet, exercise is important.  This bike allows us to maintain said healthy diet, while charging our phones at the same time, which truly is a win win.

This is article tells us how engineers have been able to create Wifi chips for phones to get Wifi easier. I think that this would be helpful because, as the article says, "Ultimately it would reduce the chip count on the cell phone, which would reduce the cost and the complexity of manufacturing of the phone and improve battery life." This is particularly good because since many of us use our phones regularly, improved battery life will be so much more helpful without having to worry about our phones dying.

When your friends get into your phone and know your password it can get quite annoying. Now Samsung has an app that allows you to open your phone with facial expressions. You can blink a certain amount of times and smile and then it will open. This amazing because there has never been something like this before. It relates to the course because you need the software and app to get this on your phone. I personally like this because it would be fun to unlock your phone with facial expressions. It makes a social impact because then it will be harder to hack your friends phone. Overall, I think this was a great idea Samsung brought up. 

apple adding a 64-bit chip in their new iphone 5s and 5c instead of a 32-bit chip that was added to the old iphones in my opinion is better and makes apps and the phone run faster. everything in the phone now runs smoother then ever, apps won't just shut off on you when it cant handle it and you can run 64-bit games now to like blade 3, which won't work on the old iphones or ipods that have 32-bit chips. This will also make the camera on the phone run faster and the new futures added to the camera app will run smoother now. My opinion on adding the 64-bit chip is that is a great improvement to the phone and the phone will work way more better.

Admit it, if you have a smartphone, you're probably glued to it. It goes everywhere with you, and you use it all the time, even in school, where it's a big distraction. In South Korea, the most wired country in the world, some schools are remotely disabling students smartphones in school via an app called iSmartKeeper. With the app, teachers can lock all the phones in the school, only allow emergency calls, only allow texts and calls, disable specific apps, and unlock the phone during breaks. The app also uses geofencing that puts the restrictions on the phones when the students enter the school premises. Parents are also provided with a management app that allows these restrictions to be put in place when their teens are doing their homework. In Seoul, the app has been trialed in 11 schools, and the results were mixed. Many students rooted their phones to avoid the restrictions, and the geofencing sometimes didn't leaving the phones to be locked after the students left school. This app is for Android only due to the popularity of local brands like Samsung, however, iOS users should beware, as an iOS version is coming next month.. I think some advantages are it minimizes distractions and encourages students to be more focused on their studies. However, it may anger many students initially. No word yet if the app will be available outside South Korea.

In response to Google Now and Apple's Siri, Microsoft has announced its own voice-control companion for Windows Phone. Cortana will be available in the release of the next update. I found this interesting being a Windows Phone user and a fan of the Halo series. Cortana appears as Master Chief's A.I. companion in the series and will now be a companion to any windows Phone user as well. I think this is really helpful to what the Phone can do because right now voice control can only do a limited amount of tasks, such as open an app, make a note, or text someone. With this next update I will be able to perform tasks similar to what Siri can do, as well as feel a heightened sense of joy every time i talk to Cortana. It's like having Super Mario or Thomas the Tank as a personal companion.

Apple is starting to test their "budget" phone. Whether it will reach stores or not, the "budget" phone will make it a lot easier for many froogle customers to be able to afford an Apple iphone without trying to take out a loan. This phone is believed to have a 0.4-0.6 mm thick plastic shell, with a 5MP camera, and 3.5- inch retina display. The phone will also contain an A5 chip and have the colour options varying from black, white, blue, yellow, and blue variety.

This article is about how Nokia is losing sales because of lack of demand.In an effort ot save the company, Nokia collaborated with Microsoft to create Nokia's Lumia Windows smartphone, the market for it's phones is still declining. There has been a 20 percent decline in quarterly sales resulting in a loss of 272 million euros. Although sales of the LUmia Windows smartphone has increased by 27% it is not enough to offset Nokia's losses. This article shows that Apple has created a niche market in which it dominates. Apple seems to be the only company that customers continually purchase phones from, without decline. With each new phone release Apple develops stronger customer loyalty, that keeps it as one of the top phone companies in the market.

This article is about a new phone that has not officially been allowed on the market yet but is already well known. This device is called the Samsung Galaxy Beam. This phone has a projector on the top of the phone which can project a 50-inch wide image. The phone is 800x400, has a 6GB of memory, and has a 5-megapixel camera.

Over the years, Samsung has been working hard to improve their phones. We are expecting to have a very good phone. Compared to the last Samsung Galaxy note we are expecting to have better grip and a longer battery life. Also it has a better camera and has something called an S pen which you can use to control the phone. I personally am looking forward to see this phone and if it is what they really say it is.

This article is about the difference between the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 4S. Both Phone are in the major types of Phones that are hitting the markets for the past year. There is a major difference between the two Phones, the software is built differently. Until recently, Apple, the company that produced the iPhone, has been using Samsung parts into their new Phone, the iPhone 5. There is a bigger difference between the iPhone 4S and the Samsung Galaxy S3, the size, the screen the bigger, it is much lighter and also the Phone is built curved because it would be easier to talk on the Phone with. Even though the iPhone has a longer battery life, a Samsung android, will be still able to last you the day without any lag or difficulty. Personally, I like the Samsung S3 better because with the iPhone, Apple comes up with a new product each year over $500. To be honest I wouldn't really spend the much money on a Phone that has another series coming out. Another reason why I would rather choose a Samsung Galaxy is because it would be nice to have a challenge with dealing with a Phone than having ios which is fairly simple.

We all knew this was coming -  Disney had to reach out to people over the age of eight. Just yesterday, Disney announced the release of two Android Phones - in Japan, that is. The DM010SH will be released in October, followed by the DM011SH in December. The first appears to be based on Sharp's AQUOS 009SH, and the next on the AQUOS 007SH. Special features included on these Phones will be disney-themed applications (e.g. calculator, calendar, alarm clock, etc.), and home screens featuring Disney characters. An interesting idea, and one should wonder what would happen if they were to come here.

Disney has just came up with two new Android phones. The DM010SH will be released in Japan in October, and the DM011SH in December. Some of specs of the DM011SH is that it's waterproof, has a LCD touchscreen, wi-fi, and a digital TV tuner. These phones offer Disney themes, Disney calculator, calender, alarm clock, and other Disney based apps. 

You may think cellphones are harmless, but think again. Cellphones do emit radio frequency energy. The National Cancer Institute explains points on how to avoid this. You could use a hands-free kit and don't spend a long period of time on your phone near your head. This is especially for the people who spend a long time talking to someone on the phone. This has no link between having a cellphone and tumours in the brain or nervous system. Therefore, people who own phones should not take a long time when talking to somebody and when driving, use a bluetooth or put your phone on speaker. 

Many people have a smartphone, and we all know how dangerous carrying one can be. It's kind of like carrying glass - it can break at any time. Original equipment warranties DO NOT usually cover phone repairs if it is broken, or has water damage. So, some look to third-party device warranty companies. SquareTrade is a company like such, and it gives insurance for what Apple and other OEMs don't cover. Thought it might feel like a scam to you, it's probably worth the money, to protect your phone. phone companies are great for giving you phones, just not for fixing them. So, what other option do we have?

New York City has decided on replacing most of their pay phones with 32 inch touchscreen phones. These phones would be used for anything like Skype and other video services, email, wi-fi access, and *11 numbers. Most people don't know how to react to this change. Tourists would find it very helpful, but regular pay phone users would be very confused. Something that they had been used to using for so many years would now be replaced by something more high-tech. Also, many people in nyc have smartphones, so they wouldn't have any use for them. If anything, one could say that this new installation would be more for the tourists than the residents of the city.

this article is about having a case that looks like a 90's flip phone! I think this is kinda funny case you buy an morden phone, but you want a case to make it look like a 90's phone. Now imagine having the first brick cellphone as a case?

As many of you know smart phones are all the rage today. But I really don't think that anyone really stops to think.... how are these devices produced? Well in September of this year one app developer tried to get this out to the world. This developer created an app entitled "phone Story." This application shows the negative aspects and the abuse and hard labour many of the workers must go through, which many times ends dramatically. 

Many things are replaced by electronics and machinery for our convenience. However, in 2012, why is the majority of people still using the traditional form of payment-cash. In the past few years, there were a few developers, who were interested in this topic, began to explore and brainstorm a variety of creative ideas of payment for the convenience everyday consumers. These determined developers may not have created new methods, but they have provided us with options that we may consider depending on our positions: people buying or selling products, or exchanging funds. For each category, mobile apps and online websites were recommended. Since we have easy access to our cell phones, it is not difficult to complete our payment tax with ease. As a result, it is not necessary to carry around cash or credit cards too often when going out to.    For example, Google Wallet is relatively efficient since it supports most or all major credit cards and can be used to pay for restaurant or shop purchases. Microsoft Wallet (similar to Google Wallet) is also another option for those who do have Android phones since Google Wallet is available to only a few Android phones.