Mobile World
Past, Present and Future

There is a growing body of interesting research exploring the social shaping of mobile phones. This book evaluates the launch and adoption of mobile phones, drawing out lessons for the future. In particular, it explores how social scientists can collaborate with designers and engineers in the development of new devices and uses.

There is a growing body of interesting research exploring the social shaping of mobile phones, covering a wide range of topics, from new forms of communication, to the changes in time organization, the uses of public places, the display of emotions and the formation and sustaining of communities. This book evaluates the launch and adoption of mobile phones, drawing out lessons for the future. In particular, it explores how social scientists can collaborate with designers and engineers in the development of new devices and uses. It will interest people from both industry and academia. Those working in the mobile communications industry in strategy, design and marketing will find this book of particular interest. In academia, undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers in a wide range of social science fields will find it a useful reference: sociologists, economists, psychologists in areas such as Science and Technology studies; Cultural studies and New Media studies.

Introduction
Part 1: Lessons from the past
Mobile Telephony
History Repeating?
Corporate Governance and Innovation in Mobile Telecommunications
Youthful Futures?
Part 2: Present uses
Emotional Attachment to Mobile Phones an Extraordinary Relationship
Textmates and text circles: Insights into the social ecology of SMS text messaging
An Evaluation of PDA as Workplace Tools
Part 3: How to study the future
Contextualizing the mobile Internet
Using scenarios to access social science research in the development of future mobile technology
Unified Messaging Services in Development, CSCW &
Ethnography
Conclusion