Digital Communication - A Useful Way for Communication

Today we can say that smartphones are necessity. As the price lower the more people can afford it. From big phones to small then from small phones to big. From thick phones to thin….and now a phone that can be bend in any size you desire.
A mobile phone (also known as a wireless phone, cell phone, or cellular telephone is a small portable radio telephone.

Motorola was the first company to produce a handheld mobile phone. On April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper, a Motorola researcher and executive, made the first mobile telephone call from handheld subscriber equipment, placing a call to Dr. Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs, his rival.

The mobile phone can be used to communicate over long distances without wires. It works by communicating with a nearby base station (also called a "cell site") which connects it to the main phone network. When moving, if the mobile phone gets too far away from the cell it is connected to, that cell sends a message to another cell to tell the new cell to take over the call. This is called a "hand off," and the call continues with the new cell the phone is connected to. The hand-off is done so well and carefully that the user will usually never even know that the call was transferred to another cell.
As mobile phones became more popular, they began to cost less money, and more people could afford them. Monthly plans became available. Cell phones have become so cheap to own that they have mostly replaced pay phones and phone booths except for urban areas with many people.
The modern form of mobile phone is called "Smart Phone". It has become very popular. The majority of mobile phones made after 2010 are "smartphones". They can be used as computers as well as making voice calls.
Mobile phones in the 1950s through 1970s were large and heavy, and most were built into cars. In the late 20th century technology improved so people could carry their phones easily.
The first mobile phone networks were created in the late 1970s in Japan. Now almost all urban areas, and many country areas, are covered by mobile phone networks.
A cell phone combines technologies, mainly telephone, radio, and computer. Most also have a digital camera inside.
Cell phones work as two-way radios. They send electromagnetic microwaves from base station to base station. The waves are sent through antennas. This is called wireless communication.
Today there are mobile phones that work on two, three or four frequencies. The most advanced phones work on all frequencies. They are called 'world' phones and can be used everywhere.

There are different kinds of phones:

• Flip phone - flips open, and is best for calling.
• Bar phone - a shaped like a candy bar, and the keys and screen are on one face.
• Slate phone - a phone that has almost no buttons, and uses a touchscreen. Most smartphones are slates.
• Slider phone - slides on rails. It can slide out number keys or a mini keyboard, but some do both. A swivel spins on an axle.

The network is the company that provides the phone service. In most areas there will be more than one mobile network. Customers choose networks based on how well the different networks work in their area, or by price.

2 main ways to pay for mobile phone calls:

1. Contract (Postpaid plan)
   If you pay by contract you will pay the network money every month so that you can make calls. Usually you can talk for a lot of time for the monthly fee, but if you do not use the phone a lot you still pay the same money.

2. Pay as you use (Prepaid)
   If you pay as you use, you will pay for a fixed amount of call time credit which you then use up when phoning people. Once the credit is used up you must buy some more to use the phone. This can be cheaper if you do not use the phone a lot.

Mobile phone’s importance:

• Continuously contact with friends and families – Mobile phones has been improved by information technology to a great level. With the help of internet, we are able to access various social media sites and apps that help us stay connected with our friends, family and the entire world. Mobile phones have made communication easier with quick placing of calls and SMS.

• Help for Emergencies - Mobile phones are of great help at the time of emergencies when we need to call the police, ambulance or other emergency services.

• Entertain us– Who needs a television or a music system when there are mobile phones around! Mobile phones come with FM radio, inbuilt games and various other apps that entertain us.

• Keep us informed - You can download apps of your choice like news apps, health apps, and music apps that will entertain and inform you. You can also watch videos and movies in your mobile phones (Youtube).

• Can make daily routine easier - Mobile phones help us a lot in our daily life. You can book a cab with the help of various relevant apps. You can also pay your bills with the help of your phone. Also, you can click pictures and use your phone like a camera. Your mobile phone also acts like a compass and navigates you. Such uses of mobile phones are extremely helpful as they help us save our time and money.

• It helps us become more organized – Today, mobile phones are equipped with important features like documents, alarm, calendars, memo, stop-watch, etc. which help us become more organized.

• Ensures safety– This is one of the most important benefits of using a mobile phone. Mobile phones ensure safety. Also, you can talk to your children and confirm that they have reached safely at their friend’s place or other destination. At the time of emergencies or difficult situations, the mobile phone can be used quickly to get help.

Bendable phones

A transparent flexible screen is the latest invention that will help create bendable phones.
A flexible screen allows a mobile phone to bend and stretch, making it more durable. Flexibility also allows for new input methods.
For example, you could flex the phone backwards or forwards to zoom in or out, to enlarge or reduce text size, and so forth.
But perhaps the biggest advantage with this technology is it gives you a greater screen to phone size ratio.
A limitation with current mobile phones is that if you want a bigger screen display, you need to have a bigger phone. The bigger the phone - the less convenient it is to carry.
But with flexible screen technology, mobile phones with large screen displays can be bent, folded or rolled-up into a compact size to fit any pocket.
The idea of bendable phones has been around for a while but the touch screens in use couldn't tell the difference between the touch of a finger, a stretch, or a bend.
However, a recent breakthrough by scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada may have solved this problem.
John Madden, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before joining UBC, has developed with his team of engineers a new transparent touch-sensitive flexible screen.
The screen is made from a type of hydrogel - a material similar to that used to make soft contact lenses.
What is unique about this latest invention is that electrically charged molecules flowing through the hydrogel projects an electric field beyond the flexible screen. When finger(s) approach the display, it can detect and distinguish them from a stretch or bend in the screen.
The hydrogel flexible screen is then connected to an electronic operating system and embedded into thin silicone rubber to create a bendable phone or tablet.
According to Madden, their hydrogel flexible screen is not soft or weak like how most people think of gels, but very tough (it's been used to replace cartilage), can stretch 20 times its size and is inexpensive to manufacture.

A simple reminder:

Mobile phone is a very useful and important device. It helps us in many ways. It entertains and gives us more information. We just need to use this device smartly and wisely. We should remember that it is mainly a device with purpose of communication, but that does not mean that we keep on wasting hours on chatting or through messaging. We should also remember that spending too much time on mobile phones is dangerous as mobile phones emit harmful radiations leading to various diseases.

Thanks everyone!!!