Remarkably, these resource networks are only getting \u2018smarter\u2019 and more affordable. \u201cThe cheapest of them now sell for less than $40, and prices are likely to fall even further<\/em>.\u201d Even the smartphone\u2019s data rate is following this financial trend,\u201d Since 2005 the cost of delivering one megabyte wirelessly has dropped from $8 to a few cents. It is still falling.<\/em>\u201d While phones and data transmission costs continue to drop, capabilities continue to rise. What does this mean for our future? How are smartphones shaping the world today?<\/p>\n My point<\/strong>: the battle of whether or not the technology is changing our society for the better or for the worse is completely futile. The same human need for connectivity, personal interaction, and access to news or education persists. Smartphones do not make us, as humans, more needy or dependent\u2026 they simply change the way our needs manifest.<\/p>\n \n -AeroCom Intern<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our best friend, our biggest support and our greatest source of knowledge\u2026 Our beloved, smartphone. As much as I hate to admit, I rely HEAVILY on my smartphone\u2026 It guides me to friends\u2019 houses, reminds me of appointments, quizzes me…<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[13],"tags":[883],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Life-was-much-easier-when-Apple-and-Blackberry-were-just-fruits.\"](\"http:\/\/www.aerocominc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Life-was-much-easier-when-Apple-and-Blackberry-were-just-fruits..jpg\")
<\/a>Living in the midst of this big data revolution has not only changed the way we conduct business, but it has also \u201cpenetrated
\nevery aspect of daily life.\u201d<\/em> Most of us can agree that our day-to-day activities are now influenced, and oftentimes dominated, by a little handheld device. Stop to think about it. Is there anyone you know who doesn\u2019t<\/em> own a smartphone..? An article from The Economist<\/a> explains, \u201cToday about half the adult population owns a smartphone; by 2020, 80% will\u2026 The average American is buried in one for over two hours every day.<\/em> Nearly 80% of smartphone-owners check messages, news or other services within 15 minutes of getting up.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Guilty as charged\u2026 I am one of those owners who checks my phone within the first fifteen minutes of each new day. Some of you may scoff, but of course<\/em> I\u2019m going to check my smartphone first thing in the morning! Why look anywhere else when all of the information I need is at my fingertips in a compact, portable, personalized device? I don\u2019t have to pick up a newspaper, go outside to check the weather, or even turn on the television to receive public announcements. Call me lazy or call me efficient, that\u2019s up to you. My phone\u2019s capabilities literally connect me to the world! Those of us who are fortunate enough to have access to such a high-powered device, are going to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge it offers. \u201cThe phone takes the processing power of yesterday\u2019s supercomputers\u2014even the most basic model has access to more number-crunching capacity than NASA had when it put men on the Moon in 1969.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>Amidst today\u2019s rising concern with \u201ctechnology addiction<\/span><\/a>,\u201d we must be sensitive to the signs and symptoms of this debilitating emotional and social condition. However, I personally agree that the benefits of modern day technological advancements far outweigh the pitfalls. Some argue smartphones impede our ability to communicate, while in reality, they only increase our ability to do so. Their connectivity gives us a voice and a means to communicate with the WORLD<\/strong>. Some negatively suggest smartphones are an escape<\/em> from life, but aren\u2019t alcohol and substance use the same? Personally, I would much rather have my kid stuck inside a phone reading articles or a console playing games than have him stuck in jail for underage drinking or illicit drug use. Some even go as far to say that owners cannot live without their smartphones. What if those individuals were told to live without the news, access to current events, encyclopedias, reference libraries, radios or weather reports?<\/p>\n<\/a>The big data revolution and modern-day technological advancements make our possibilities LIMITLESS<\/strong>.\u00a0 Inspiring and innovative developments are in effect, \u201cin developing countries every ten extra mobile phones per 100 people increase the rate of growth of GDP-per-person by more than one percentage point\u2014by, say, drawing people into the banking system. Smartphones will remake entire industries.\u201d<\/em> While other inspiring and innovative developments are yet to come, \u201cIn future, your phone might recommend a career change or book a doctor\u2019s appointment to treat your heart murmur before you know anything is amiss.\u201d <\/em>When you stop to look at all the infinite opportunities that lie ahead, the smartphone doesn\u2019t seem so bad after all\u2026 does it?<\/p>\n