Smartphones Break Physical Boundaries

The smartphone – arguably the hottest piece of technological real estate in existence right now. Every major tech firm is jumping onto the smartphone development bandwagon, whether it be hardware or software. The advent of such a device is quickly changing the public’s perception of what it means to be able to easily access information. Prior to the smartphone, the accessibility of information was confined to desktop PC’s; if people needed information, they had to go somewhere with an Internet-connected computer - an internet café, a library, an office perhaps. Then with the invention of Wi-Fi networks, laptop computers stole much of the desktops’ limelight. People were no longer confined to the few specialized physical locations with Internet access. The spectrum of Internet accessibility now expanded to coffee shops, restaurants, shopping malls – places that people actually wanted to go. The access of information seemed finally free. In retrospect however, people weren’t really freed from their network shackles; all Wi-Fi did was simply make the chain a little longer. It was not until wireless data networks reached its third generation (3G) that the physical restrictions were finally and ultimately eliminated, and it is with this wave of technology that gave rise to the smartphone and its various derivatives.