Mobile cultures

August 21st, 2004

Widely reported on the net and picked up by wired magazine.
Keitai Deka is "the cell phone detective". It is a weekly show on Japan's BS-i channel. Each week she solves crimes with the help of her high-powered DoCoMo smartphone. (nice piece of product placement).
Smartmobs comments

Westerners might find the premise implausible, in Japan, where multitasking teens can thumbtext faster than you can type, it's practically a documentary.

And just for a few extra bits of mobile info, that have generated some serious money and success…
Following the lead of Hong Kong pop music duo Twins, who released their own line of branded mobile phones, subcriptions, phone covers, ring tones, logos, etc in 2002, a range of music artists from rap artist Nelly to Heavy Metal rockers Kiss have now embraced this powerful way to connect with their fans. By providing pre-installed music, custom games, a fan letter, chat, and special offers on upcoming music releases and concerts, musicians are laying their stake on the most communication powerful tool in the pockets of their fans.
The mobile phone is becoming an important social medium, apparently reconnecting us to our natural state of 150 social contacts, which we all had prior to the industrial revolution.
There is a school of thought that mobility is changing "reality" in subtle and profound ways. Robbie Blinkoff an expert on how cultures adapt to new technology believes that we are still romancing the mobile phone

On a very big level, it's important to understand that the phenonomen of people using their mobiles to take pictures and send them to their friends is just a blip in the process of behavourial change… they're just romancing the new technology. That's not what they'll ultimately do with it.

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