ABSTRACT
THE METAMORPHOSIS OF THE TELEPHONE Just a few short years ago, we used our telephones for just one purpose: to talk with other people. It was a convenient method of verbal communication. But thanks to the development of wireless phones and other mobile devices, the possibilities for the once strictly utilitarian telephone have expanded exponentially. Consider some of the things we can do with these devices that we could never dream of doing with our old phones:
● Send and receive SMS text messages, email and IM ● Take and send digital photos ● Scan barcodes ● Get updates on news, sports, and weather ● Connect to the Internet ● Use embedded GPS (Global Positioning System) technology ● Listen to music ● Watch comedy shows, cartoons, and dramas ● Play games
Clearly, the old rotary-dial telephone with its cumbersome cord has evolved into something far more sophisticated. We now have not only cell phones but also PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), portable game consoles that double as phones, and many other kinds of portable communications devices that are capable of a variety of functions.
