<nettime> cell/mobile

[molly hankwitz <mollybh@pop.netspace.net.au>]

i think in all this discussion of cellular/mobile telephones we have been
thinking predominantly of handsets and handy hand held mobiles which can
be "seen" as phones and which can be lost or unfortunately, having to
traffick for the sake of "reality" in the likes of Microsoft, a company
which would have us denigrate our imaginations with there gd networked
guns... blah, blah, blah...

Sony makes a tiny ear and mouth piece which is a mobile. These wearable
mobiles are quite a bit different in physical character to the little
purse type or one you place in your pocket or belt clip. And thse
technology's are developing rapidly. Andrew Scott, lecturer in Industrial
Design at Queensland Uni of Technology held a first year studio recently
in which students created jewellry for "life-enhancing functions" (Project
2: Style Transfer; Active Jewellery) Items such as video wristwatches, a
nose-pierce camera and tiny lip mic were some of the items designed with
WAP and cellular technology in mind. Students designed based on art
movements such as futurism and the work of Jean Arp and explored aesthetic
aspects of these artists and/or historical themes in their designsto
create pleasingly wearable mobiles with tiny screens, audio components
(like the Sony Walkman) network access, memory, etc.

"The students were encouraged to focus on several discrete functions,
along the line of ubiquitous computing rather than a consciously "wearable
computing" approach. In other words to humanise the technology to definite
social/spiritual/physical ends rather than an open ended computing
approach."
					--Andrew Scott



for more on the studio:
 http://www.aiid.bee.qut.edu.au/~ascott



Just so we don't get trapped in thinking about one type of image and
limited of "the mobile telephone" or clog potentials for inviting and,
even, imaginative uses...

molly

mh:>)





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