With the ongoing move of smart phones towards near-ubiquity, much of society has come to take these do-all devices for granted. In overcoming the novelty of smart phones, many of us have lost our one-time sense of awe at this technology, and have ceased marveling at the effect it has had on the world around us. However, it is undeniable that smart phones have exerted a huge and multi-faceted impact on society, and continue to do so to this day.

The Advent of Access: How Smart Phones Have Changed the World

With the ongoing move of smart phones towards near-ubiquity, much of society has come to take these do-all devices for granted. In overcoming the novelty of smart phones, many of us have lost our one-time sense of awe at this technology, and have ceased marveling at the effect it has had on the world around us. However, it is undeniable that smart phones have exerted a huge and multi-faceted impact on society, and continue to do so to this day.

How Smart Phones Have Changed the World

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the influence of Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) on the use of smart phones for mobile learning by postgraduate students in University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Background: Due to the low level of mobile learning adoption by students in Nigeria, three base constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model were used as factors to determine smart phone use for mobile learning by the postgraduate students in the University of Ibadan. Methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design of the correlational type, the two-stage random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 217 respondents, and a questionnaire was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, mean, and standard deviation), test of norm, and inferential statistics (correlation and regression analysis) were used to analyze the data collected. Contribution: The study empirically validated the UTAUT model as a model useful in predicting smart phone use for mobile learning by postgraduate students in developing countries. Findings: The study revealed that a significant number of postgraduate students used their smart phones for mobile learning on a weekly basis. Findings also revealed a moderate level of Performance Expectancy (???? =16.97), Effort Expectancy (???? =12.57) and Facilitating Conditions (???? =15.39) towards the use of smart phones for mobile learning. Results showed a significant positive relationship between all the independent variables and use of smart phones for mobile learning (PE, r=.527*; EE, r=.724*; and FCs, r=.514*). Out of the independent variables, PE was the strongest predictor of smart phone use for mobile learning (β =.189). Recommendations for Practitioners: Librarians in the university library should organize periodic workshops for postgraduate students in order to expose them to the various ways of using their smart phones to access electronic databases. Recommendation for Researchers: There is a need for extensive studies on the factors influencing mobile technologies adoption and use in learning in developing countries. Impact on Society: Nowadays, mobile learning is increasingly being adopted over conventional learning systems due to its numerous benefits. Thus, this study provides an insight into the issues influencing the use of smart phones for mobile learning by postgraduate students from developing countries. Future Research: This study utilized the base constructs of the UTAUT model to determine smart phone use for mobile learning by postgraduate students in a Nigerian university. Subsequent research should focus on other theories to ascertain factors influencing Information Technology adoption and usage by students in developing countries.

With more smart phones in use than PCs today, they are especially vulnerable to hackers, especially through QR codes.

ETSI releases first comprehensive global standard for securing smart phones

Sophia Antipolis, 24 November 2021

Today our smartphones and tablets are fundamental for citizens and hold a wide range of user data and apps. At the same time, security attacks have increased with malicious applications and network eavesdropping. To define security and assurance requirements for smart phones and tablets, mitigate potential risks and protect users, ETSI has released a world class standard called Consumer Mobile Device Protection Profile, ETSI TS 103 732. The specification identifies key security and privacy risks for user data and provides appropriate protection.

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Title: Smart Phones, Watches Can Mess With Implanted Pacemakers
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM

Unrequested nude photos are reaching the inboxes of high school students as young as 13 years old via social media apps like Snapchat and Instagram.

How would design for obsolescence change if materials that conduct electricity or emit light could be grown and repair themselves, like bone?

Phonebloks was a great idea - mix-and-match pieces means upgrading from a basic platform is forever. Now it has a first competitor - the Eco-Mobius.

It may well be all most people need as a computer, and it may well be what we have been waiting for.

It's what we have called dematerialization, as all that is solid melts into apps

A recent study by market research firm Nielsen claimed that the average person uses 27 apps a month, which sounds like very few considering that Apple and Google’s app stores both have more than 1m apps available. The key, of course, is that the 27 apps can be almost entirely different, depending who you ask.

Some apps do have mass audiences: Facebook and Twitter in the social networking category; WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Snapchat for messaging; Google Maps for getting around; Spotify for music; YouTube for video; Kindle for reading ebooks; Instagram for photo-sharing; and so on.

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Temperature, carbon output, water usage—that's all data that a farmer could use to get better crops. And it's also available, via satellite, to the average smart phone. In this World Economic Forum discussion, Wim Bastiaanssen, a water resource engineer at Delft University, argues that this tech could someday feed the world.