Mobile Life

The concept of mobility – the idea that one is reachable and ‘connected’ around the clock and regardless of location – may be based on technological possibilities, but truly has profound impacts on the way we will conduct business and our personal lives. This simple value proposition has allowed the wireless communication industry to grow spectacularly in the last several years. [2] "That a technology could reach this level of penetration in just a decade is unique, and it can only be explained by its consistently fulfilling basic needs of people: social

connectedness, a sense of belonging, convenience in daily life and work, timely information gathering, peace-of-mind" said by Bruno Giussani in his book, “Making Sense of the Wireless Internet.”

The characteristics of the mobile life can be understood from three different perspectives:

people, internet use, and mobile product. First, from the people’s perspective, it is no longer unusual to see people using cell phones in a variety of contexts. Now communications technologies like mobile telephony, email, and online and mobile text messaging allow people to blur the boundaries once imposed by time and place. Not only are people technologically connected through mobile telephony, multiple aspects of their lives can be connected or bridged through social connections. [3]

In mobile life, people can be away from the office, even away on holidays but still be in touch with everything that is happening. Mobile technologies have revolutionized how people deal within their social networks with family, friends, and colleagues. Through mobile technologies, people can extend their feelers in social networks to support relationships outside the physical places and times they are usually fostered, as well as increased accessibility and relevance of membership in a network of social relationships and the expansion of these social networks.

Second, from the internet use perspective, the internet population in Taiwan grows steadily and reveals diversity in internet industry. In Taiwan, 64.14% of population (age 12 and above) are internet users according to the 2005 January survey of report of Internet Use and Broadband Adoption in Taiwan. The Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC) believes there are three trends in the future internet use in Taiwan: Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop (ADSL), wireless internet, and mobile internet [4]. The mobile Internet, defined as wireless access to the digitized contents of the Internet via mobile devices, has advanced significantly, both in terms of its user population and its technology. The mobile Internet system differs from the stationary Internet system. The mobile Internet system usually offers a lower level of available system resources. It provides personal instant connectivity, which makes it possible to use the mobile Internet at the moment of need, anywhere and anytime [5].

search costs. In the communication domain, mobile Internet users prefer to use SMS services, because of the instant connectivity and privacy provided by those systems that offer a convenient real-time communication method. In the content domain, people prefer low-intensity content.

Due to low-resource availability, mobile Internet systems cannot provide a high level of information processing. At the same time, users prefer more individually customized content on the mobile Internet because its personalization level is higher than that of the stationary Internet.

[5]

Taiwan has enjoyed especially rapid deployment and high penetration of mobile telephony.

Functions and services provided by mobile technology have proliferated rapidly, and this pervasive technology has become an inevitable part of our daily life. Indeed, use is so frequent and common in some places that people are regularly and formally reminded to turn off cell phones in cinemas, at public performances and in restaurants to avoid negative social repercussions. Presently, the development of specs, services and contents for cell phones are amazing. Services are also enriched at present. By 2004, Nokia predicted that cell phones will outpace PCs in Internet connections. As mobile Internet access becomes more widespread and technical limitations are improved, amongst other things the convenience of use may result in the growth of mobile life.

Third, from the product’s perspective, mobile devices are usually more personal and individual than stationary Internet devices [6] Most mobile devices, especially cell phones, are very portable, handy and always available. For example, wireless mobile products usually provide instant connection to the Internet, which enables users to access the Internet anywhere and anytime [7]. People make contacts, and share text message, photos and video clips with their families and friends through different types of mobile device, such as cell phone, PDAs (personal digital assistants), or notebook. In addition, mobile products can be seen as a new way of accomplishing everyday activities on the move.

In terms of mobile phones as a communication media, the direct communication method using the present cell phones can be classified into voice, text, still images and video. Therefore, direct communication by voice, communication by mail, communication by sending still images that

has been taken and processed by users or communication by sending motion pictures taken by the users can be raised as these methods. [8]

Although cell phones are perceived as personal devices that directly serve the individuals who own them, they are also social artifacts. As a communications technology, they support coordination with others. Communicative practice is also influenced by attributes of the owners’

lifestyle, including their social networks. Furthermore, because they are devices that are now present in a variety of contexts, and can be remotely and unpredictably activated, cell phones are subject to social scrutiny and play a role in the social world. [9]

The emergence of mobile technology and internet service has profoundly changed people’s lifestyle. Finnish phone giant Nokia has developed software that would turn cell phones into life loggers. This software automatically arranges all the messages, images, videos and sound clips people capture with their phones. The cell phone is not only a telephone, but "a life recorder," as Christian Lindholm described [10].

Even though Taiwan has entered the era of mobile communications, there is still a huge gap between what users need and what internet services provide. Mobile services just extend form basic telephone function and make it mobile based on past communication needs. For new mobile life, it is necessary to survey the people’s expectation of communication anew. We think that studying a new communication activity can excite our mind and reveal latent needs. New application of relevant 3G service design will affect the development of Internet industry in Taiwan.