Handheld Devices

Amongst the group this week there has been a lot of discussion about handheld devices and how these are used to communicate and perceive space. I thought it would be interesting to share a few lines from the [Re_Map]ICU Reader that I felt were particularly pertinent to this and what was being discussed amongst the group.

"With the increasing prevalence of handheld devices, such as highly advanced or 'smart' mobile phones and PDAs, the nature in which we engage with urban space is perhaps witnessing the most significant transformation since the development of the automobile. This is the experiential shift in the shape of the city and like the motorcar before it will only incrementally and subtly migrate us from familiar physical conditions."

The extract is taken from the Outro (page 232) of Richard Brook and Nick Dunn's new book "Urban Maps: Instruments of Narrative and Interpretation in the City" (Farnham: Ashgate, 2011). These new pieces of technology are already challenging the way in which people interact with the city, you only need to think about how many people walk down the street, typing away or browsing the web (the author of this post included).

The 'Tricorder' in Star Trek was a multifunctional handheld device
primarily used for sensor scanning, data collection and data analysis.

In the near-future smart phones will be even more complex, being able to undertake a variety of functions that will further challenge the way in which people interact with their physical environment. Like the fictional 'Tricorders' in Star Trek individuals will be able to collect, interpret, interact with and feedback into masses of 'data' not only about their physical environment but digital environments, that traverse traditional notions of scale and proximity between objects.