Focus on Words

In 1969 ARPANET, the original Internet was launched.
In 1971the first microprocessor was developed.
In 1981 the IBM PC (personal computer) was unveiled. The PC revolution had
begun. Since then, computers have become smaller, faster, and smarter.
Mobile telephony. The development of the mobile phone has been rapid and
astonishing.
Perhaps surprisingly, it was the work on radio waves that was to have the biggest
effect on the development of the telephone. The new era of phones worked by using
radio waves which transmitted a radio signal to a transmission centre and then to the
receiver. As they did not need to be attached to electrical wires, phones could be
portable for the first time.
The first mobile phones were those developed in the 1980s. Much larger and
heavier than today’s mobile phones, these had a limited range as the transmission
networks were still being established.
In the 90s the mobile truly entered the digital era. The Short Message Service
(SMS) was added. Texting was born. After that mobile phones get access to certain
websites.
In 2000 a whole new generation of phones was launched. These were based on
completely new protocols which enabled high-speed connections. The phones with the
Internet access of 144b (bits) per second were replaced by those as fast as 2Mb
(megabits) per second.
Multi-functions. It is the fast connection that has allowed mobile phones to become
multi-functional. It allows the phones to be used as mini-computers. Some have M-
Commerce (Mobile Commerce) systems to allow the user to access, organize, and operate
financial transactions such as making payments or selling stocks and shares. Many
modern phones have the Global Positioning System (GPS), which enables users to know
their exact position and to get directions to places they want to go.
However, for many people it is the entertainment that mobiles provide that makes
them so attractive. Users can play games, take pictures or make short films, listen to
MP3 recordings, watch films, and tune into TV programmes in real time. The phones
can also act as a modem, allowing owners to access their emails at any time.
In 2010 new generation of mobiles was launched. It is believed that the connection
speed will rise to 100Mb per second. Other developments include the production of
tiny wrist phones, holophones 1 , and remote-control of a car via your phone.
There is a great variety of mobiles today. You can go and pick up the one you want.
Voice-controlled technology. Already some people have installed voice-controlled
technology They use mobile-phones technology in their homes. They use m.ph. “to
tell” their lights to switch on or to order their television to turn off.
However, in the future more and more of us will be using this technology to
control our heating, our lighting and security in our homes. Perhaps one day we will be
able to “tell” our ovens to cook our dinners!
1. Holophones give three-dimensional moving images of the owners
84