JRN 440 Adv. Online Journalism Internet Growth

1. JRN 440Adv. Online JournalismInternet Growth Wednesday, 4/4/12

2. Class Objectives • Lecture • Internet Growth • Homework • Project 3 due by 2:05pm on Wednesday, April 25th

3. 2011 Global Use of the Internet • What country has the most daily Internet users? • China (population of 1.3 billion) • Internet users = 485 million (36% of their pop) • U.S. (population of ~313 million) • Internet users = 245 million (78% of our pop) • World population is ~ 6.9 billion Side note: China’s land mass is slightly smaller than U.S. Of the Internet users… notice the difference in ages

4. Global Internet Usage (based on March 2011)

5. % of Americans who were on-line (2009)

6. Break it down…who was on-line? • By rural and urban • By high-speed (mainly broadband) & dial-up • 2009, U.S. broadband usage = 64% • 66% in urban locations • 54% in rural • Not everyone wants it. • And ~40% of all Americans do not have access to high-speed Internet • Remember, we are a LARGE country!

7. 2010 global internet users • Per 100 inhabitants • U.S. is 79 out of 100 • 23 other countries are higher • Broadband subscription per 100 inhabitant • U.S. is 26 out of 100 • 26 other countries are higher • http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Reporting/ShowReportFrame.aspx?ReportName=/WTI/CellularSubscribersPublic&RP_intYear=2008&RP_intLanguageID=1

8. Mobile Phones in the U.S. • Using mobile technology in the U.S. is not the same as other parts of the world • We are a large country and coverage is not 100% • In 2010, there were 113 other countries that rank higher than the USA in terms of percentage of cellular subscribers* • http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/icteye/Reporting/ShowReportFrame.aspx?ReportName=/WTI/CellularSubscribersPublic&ReportFormat=HTML4.0&RP_intYear=2010&RP_intLanguageID=1&RP_bitLiveData=False (look at per 100 inhabitants column) • In 97 of these countries, people owned more than 1 mobile phone

9. Mobile and Wireless Devices include • Cell and smart phones • Blackberries • Laptop computer • Netbooks • Tablets (iPad) • e-Reader (Kindle) • Can also include On-Star/in-car technologies, medical devices, in-home theaters, kitchen appliances, radar detectors…

10. Future of the Internet • According to a Pew 2008 study, experts expect the mobile phone will become the primary device for online access • There are more mobile phone owners in the world than there are pc or laptop owners: • In U.S. 85% have cell phones versus 65% have computers

11. Why the explosion of owning a mobile phone? • Cell phone ownership in countries w/o landline infrastructure leapfrogs those with infrastructure • ~ 80% of Japanese land is mountainous • Calls are cheaper; phones more expensive • Pay as you go plans are more popular (more about this later)

12. Why the explosion of owning a mobile phone? • In other countries (China), mobile phone is seen more as a status symbol • Instead of buying a car, or home

13. The Internet Goes Mobile • By 2013, the number of Internet-ready mobile phones will surpass the number of computers in the world for the first time • Impact and Issues • Web pages should be designed for mobile viewing first • Should Skype and Google Voice be concerned? • Differences in minutes used on your cellular phone (voice vs data)

14. Mobile Phones in the U.S. • In the U.S., there a larger number of companies needed to bring this technology to the masses • Our government doesn’t allow for monopolies • We also have competing mobile standards • CDMA = Verizon, Sprint • GSM = used by most carriers in the world, T-Mobile, AT&T

15. Mobile Phones in the U.S. • Using mobile technology in the U.S. is not the same as other parts of the world • Some features are more popular in U.S. • We exported push-to-talk • Some features are not available • In Japan, they use cell phones as credit cards • We now expect to not pay retail prices for phones • Because we are predominantly on contracts • Where the carrier discounts the phones (but makes up the difference over the long term)

16. Mobile Phones in the U.S. • Cultural differences • We’re the melting pot of cultures compared to other more homogeneous countries • Where everyone uses the phone in the same way • Texting instead of talking • Ex. of differences within U.S., Hispanics use the data features of smart phones more than Caucasians

17. Why is using a mobile phone unique? • Your environment is constantly changing • Lighting • Natural (bright day – overcast day – night time), artificial (fluorescent makes colors greenish) • Affects how you see the screen, features on the phone • Sound • Loud – none • Affects how well you hear others, or sounds coming from the phone

18. Why is using a mobile phone unique? • Your environment is constantly changing • Precipitation • Is it raining? Most U.S. mobile phones are not water-proof • Other water damage = high humidity, body sweat can damage screens. • Connections • YOU may be roaming around • Dropped calls • Switches between network and Wi-Fi • Changes in terrain

19. Why is using a mobile phone unique? • Using a phone involves thumbs and fingers • Keyboard/buttons can be touch, flipped out (with varying sizes) • Wheels (in Blackberries) • What if you have large fingers, long fingernails, or slight tremors?

20. Why is using a mobile phone unique? • Can also involve speech recognition (“Call Bob”) • Can also involve biometric technologies • Fingerprint scan, voice verification (“Bob Jones”), face recognition, iris scan • All for purposes of security • Deter theft of cell phones • This is a big deal in Japan where credit card information is stored on your phone • Enable higher protection when making purchases on mobile phones

21. Why is using a mobile phone unique? • Screen sizes are not standard • Clam shell phones have small screens • Orientation (vertical versus horizontal) changes • Some phones can flip between • Distance between your arm and your eyes • All things to keep in mind when designing/creating content for these devices

22. Standards in the cell phone market • Most mobile software works on only one type of device or the phones of one carrier. • iPhone app will not work on a Nokia phone, • Neither would work on Google’s Android system or MS’s new Windows Phone. • Incompatible software threatens to slow the growth of the mobile Internet. • Competition is similar to what happened in the earliest days of the PC industry • A program bought for a Commodore 64 would not work on a TI PC.

23. What does using a mobile phone mean? • “Use” varies • Talking vs. Data (texting, photos, connecting to Internet) • Having the phone turned on (always, sometimes, never) • Social etiquette issues • Notice differences between generations • When we’re driving, on a plane, etc. • Where we carry the phone (on us, someone carries, we leave in the car)

24. What is using mobile technology doing to us? • Expectations of being accessible 24/7 • What if someone does NOT answer their phone or IM? • Because of availability, should we be allowed to contact people? • Is it appropriate to text your boss at 2am and expect an immediate answer? • Related to above… are we “on the job” 24/7 now?

25. What is using mobile technology doing to us? • Changes to our physical bodies? • Thumb generation (oya yubi sedai) • Young Japanese people, accustomed to using their thumbs to send messages, are now using them to do other tasks (pointing, ringing door bells) • Text thumb in younger generation, Blackberry neck in older • Carpal tunnel of the fingers? • Neck pain from use of laptops held too low. • Use of cell phones and video game consoles has developed skills in both hands • Now are ambidextrous.

26. What is using mobile technology doing to us? • Changes to the raising of children / parenting • Past involved a way for children to NOT be within reach of parents • Was this a way to get them to think on their own? • Do children know they can be tracked by GPS? • Within past 10 years, “helicopter parenting” • Parents who hover, like helicopters, above their children. • Opinion is that these parents are over-involved and cater too much to their children.