The greatest takeover bid of the 21st Century

There was a time when a mobile phone set was just a mobile phone—bulky and expensive enough to burn a hole in your pocket.  The mobile phone has undoubtedly triggered one of the greatest gadget revolutions of the 20th century which has carried on well into the 21st century. Today, the mobile phone has taken over almost all the gadgets of common use.

Starting with the 1990s when the first mobile handsets started arriving in the market, to the smart phone of today with a touch screen, it has come a long way.
Mobile phones used to be heavy as stone and looked like bulky wireless sets of yesteryears with an antenna that stuck out from the top like a sore thumb.  They came with a slot for a single SIM card.  Now, we have slim and sleek mobile phones with options for multiple SIMs.

One of the first things that mobile phones replaced was the cordless phone, which was considered a great facilitator as it gave you the liberty to move around _ up to a range of 10-15 feet _ away from the landline instrument without strings attached.
The mobile phone revolution brought with it complete freedom of movement inside your home and out in the open world with the facility to stay connected wherever you go.  In the beginning, it took over what land phones, including cordless handsets, used to do. In those days, you bought a mobile phone when you needed a mobile phone.

Soon, they added the clock function to the mobile handset.  So, when people wanted a clock or a watch, they had the option of investing in a mobile phone, because the clock came for free as part of the deal.  The new version of mobile phone could work as a watch as well as an alarm clock.
Then they introduced the calculator facility.  So, if you wanted to buy a calculator and you hadn’t bought a mobile phone yet, you would consider getting one. There was no need to invest in a separate calculator.  Whether you knew it or not, you had a calculator in your pocket if you were carrying your mobile set.
And then, they added the calendar. After that, they added a torch, so you would never be in the dark.  The torch in your phone also doubles up as an emergency light during power outages!
It did not end there.  They added the radio facility.  Radios and transistors have all but vanished from the market since the FM radio was incorporated into the mobile set.

And then, they included the facility to play games. That literally grabbed the video games slot in the lives of kids and dented the market for game consoles decisively.

When you have all these facilities, how could MP3 be left behind?  Now, you can download all your favourite songs into your phone wherever you are.  Not only that, you can also download movies and YouTube clips and view them at your leisure.
Then came the recording facility. Now you can use your mobile phone as a digital recorder to record conversations, press conferences, and even music.

Gradually, they added the camera facility. Now, most mobile phones come with dual cameras with video recording facilities. The digital camera market, which was headed for an enormous boom, was cut down by at least 75 per cent. So has video-making. Most of the day-to-day photography and videography needs are being taken care of by mobile phones.  Every Tom, Dick and Harry (that includes me) has become a photographer and a videographer without even owning a camera!

With SMS facility, the mobile phone replaced its predecessor—the pager! With a full-fledged keyboard, it replaced the typewriter.
Mobile phone has also done away with the habit of letter writing and correspondence.  Now, it comes with several goodies like the internet, e-mail and voicemail facilities. Everyday, new applications like Skype, WhatsApp and other useful applications are being added. You name it and it is there!

It has also taken over the function of transmitters. It can transmit text, images and video clips through SMS, MMS and WhatsApp facilities.

Now, you can even use your mobile phone as a computer with the help of Windows, Office and other software and hundreds of applications that can be loaded on to it. It can maintain your appointment diary and store your notes.  

Today, you can book a railway ticket, transfer money, indulge in mobile banking or pay your utility bills from wherever you are. Now, you don’t need to go to a bank or use your credit/debit card to do such chores.
And if you lose your key to the Autocop electronic central locking system installed in the car, no need to call a locksmith. You can simply ask somebody at home to send the signal from the duplicate key through the mobile phone. And, voila! Your car door is open.

New vistas that are opening up are almost endless. The mobile phone has already taken over your life. You can use all kinds of facilities whenever you like.

But it is also becoming a great nuisance compromising on your peace of mind.  People can reach you anytime and anywhere, no matter where you are holed up. And, if you lie about your location, it can always be verified by the service provider. Also, Google and government agencies can trace your movements in a jiffy through the GPS facility on your phone

By and by, the mobile phone is invading every sphere of our lives and taking over everything.  It has incorporated dozens of products into the handset and thrown those industries out of business.  Mobile phone revolution is the greatest takeover bid of the 21st century. It does not end here.  Going by past experience, it will take over many more products and introduce many more innovative ones!

The mobile phone records not only the numbers called but also the duration of each call. The long duration calls are always viewed with suspicion. So, you must always remember to put it away in a safe place when you are not using it or carrying it on your person.  You don’t want your near and dear ones to know what you have been up to—do you?
As I said, there was a time when we used to buy what we wanted.  You bought a mobile phone when you wanted one. Today, when you want to buy something, you check to see which model or handset has that facility. The mobile phone is no longer just a mobile phone.  It has become an all-in-one mobile magic. It is taking over one thing after another. Believe it or not, the mobile phone is going to be the greatest takeover bid of this century as it was in the last century.

The writer is a cultural commentator and editor based in New Delhi.

The greatest takeover bid of the 21st Century

There was a time when a mobile phone set was just a mobile phonebulky and expensive enough to burn a hole in your pocket. The mobile phone has undoubtedly triggered one of the greatest gadget revolutions of the 20th century which has carried on well into the 21st century. Today, the mobile phone has taken over almost all the gadgets of common use. Starting with the 1990s when the first mobile handsets started arriving in the market, to the smart phone of today with a touch screen, it has come a long way. Mobile phones used to be heavy as stone and looked like bulky wireless sets of yesteryears with an antenna that stuck out from the top like a sore thumb. They came with a slot for a single SIM card. Now, we have slim and sleek mobile phones with options for multiple SIMs. One of the first things that mobile phones replaced was the cordless phone, which was considered a great facilitator as it gave you the liberty to move around _ up to a range of 10-15 feet _ away from the landline instrument without strings attached. The mobile phone revolution brought with it complete freedom of movement inside your home and out in the open world with the facility to stay connected wherever you go. In the beginning, it took over what land phones, including cordless handsets, used to do. In those days, you bought a mobile phone when you needed a mobile phone. Soon, they added the clock function to the mobile handset. So, when people wanted a clock or a watch, they had the option of investing in a mobile phone, because the clock came for free as part of the deal. The new version of mobile phone could work as a watch as well as an alarm clock. Then they introduced the calculator facility. So, if you wanted to buy a calculator and you hadnt bought a mobile phone yet, you would consider getting one. There was no need to invest in a separate calculator. Whether you knew it or not, you had a calculator in your pocket if you were carrying your mobile set. And then, they added the calendar. After that, they added a torch, so you would never be in the dark. The torch in your phone also doubles up as an emergency light during power outages! It did not end there. They added the radio facility. Radios and transistors have all but vanished from the market since the FM radio was incorporated into the mobile set. And then, they included the facility to play games. That literally grabbed the video games slot in the lives of kids and dented the market for game consoles decisively. When you have all these facilities, how could MP3 be left behind? Now, you can download all your favourite songs into your phone wherever you are. Not only that, you can also download movies and YouTube clips and view them at your leisure. Then came the recording facility. Now you can use your mobile phone as a digital recorder to record conversations, press conferences, and even music. Gradually, they added the camera facility. Now, most mobile phones come with dual cameras with video recording facilities. The digital camera market, which was headed for an enormous boom, was cut down by at least 75 per cent. So has video-making. Most of the day-to-day photography and videography needs are being taken care of by mobile phones. Every Tom, Dick and Harry (that includes me) has become a photographer and a videographer without even owning a camera! With SMS facility, the mobile phone replaced its predecessorthe pager! With a full-fledged keyboard, it replaced the typewriter. Mobile phone has also done away with the habit of letter writing and correspondence. Now, it comes with several goodies like the internet, e-mail and voicemail facilities. Everyday, new applications like Skype, WhatsApp and other useful applications are being added. You name it and it is there! It has also taken over the function of transmitters. It can transmit text, images and video clips through SMS, MMS and WhatsApp facilities. Now, you can even use your mobile phone as a computer with the help of Windows, Office and other software and hundreds of applications that can be loaded on to it. It can maintain your appointment diary and store your notes. Today, you can book a railway ticket, transfer money, indulge in mobile banking or pay your utility bills from wherever you are. Now, you dont need to go to a bank or use your credit/debit card to do such chores. And if you lose your key to the Autocop electronic central locking system installed in the car, no need to call a locksmith. You can simply ask somebody at home to send the signal from the duplicate key through the mobile phone. And, voila! Your car door is open. New vistas that are opening up are almost endless. The mobile phone has already taken over your life. You can use all kinds of facilities whenever you like. But it is also becoming a great nuisance compromising on your peace of mind. People can reach you anytime and anywhere, no matter where you are holed up. And, if you lie about your location, it can always be verified by the service provider. Also, Google and government agencies can trace your movements in a jiffy through the GPS facility on your phone By and by, the mobile phone is invading every sphere of our lives and taking over everything. It has incorporated dozens of products into the handset and thrown those industries out of business. Mobile phone revolution is the greatest takeover bid of the 21st century. It does not end here. Going by past experience, it will take over many more products and introduce many more innovative ones! The mobile phone records not only the numbers called but also the duration of each call. The long duration calls are always viewed with suspicion. So, you must always remember to put it away in a safe place when you are not using it or carrying it on your person. You dont want your near and dear ones to know what you have been up todo you? As I said, there was a time when we used to buy what we wanted. You bought a mobile phone when you wanted one. Today, when you want to buy something, you check to see which model or handset has that facility. The mobile phone is no longer just a mobile phone. It has become an all-in-one mobile magic. It is taking over one thing after another. Believe it or not, the mobile phone is going to be the greatest takeover bid of this century as it was in the last century. The writer is a cultural commentator and editor based in New Delhi.