Always On: How the iPhone Unlocked the Anything-Anytime-Anywhere Future–and Locked Us In
Release date: 2011 / 206 pages
Synopsis (from the back cover): Even Steve Jobs didn’t know what he had on his hands when he announced the original iPhone as a combination of a mere ‘three revolutionary products’ — an iPo, a cell phone, and a keyboard-less handheld computer. Once Apple introduced the App Store and opened it up to outside developers, however, the iPhone becamse capable of serving a rapidly growing number of functions — now more than 200,000 and counting. But the iPhone has implications far beyond the phone or gadget market…
First Sentence: It’s Friday evening, and as usual I’m meeting some friends, John and Rana, for dinner at 6.
Review: Thanks to my new relationship with Shelf Awareness, I am becoming better informed about technology – how we came to be where we are and where we may be headed! Each month, SA sends me a stack of books and I then choose up to three to review. Recently, my stack was filled with books about technology and I actually enjoyed stepping outside my usual genres.
Brian Chen’s Always On: How the iPhone Unlocked the Anything-Anytime-Anywhere Future – and Locked Us In was sparked by a cab driver (a future assistant professor in social science) who stated “the Amish are the smartest people on the planet” because technology was “dumbing us down.” This brief conversation prompted Chen, who has worked for Macworld and Wired, to explore what we have lost – and gained – as a result of having the world in the palm in our hand: “The iPhone unlocked a reality in which we can potentially have anything we want, anytime and anywhere. And as a result, everything has changed…” (12).
Chen provides a brief history of the iPhone, including vignettes about how Apps have saved lives, assisted law enforcement, and shaped politicsHe then explores the difference between vertical (closed) business structures like Apple vs. open source philosophies and ends with a discussion of privacy issues.
Always On is accessible to both techies and Luddites. Chen’s focus is firmly on Apple throughout – but this should be expected from the title and he does explore critics’ accusations of Apple “imposing censorship, holding developers hostage, stifling innovation, and fostering conformity” (92). However, Chen clearly believes the benefits outweigh the costs of this new technology.
Chen ultimately reframes the question “Is the Internet making us dumber” to “perhaps the definition of intelligence is changing” (203). And while Chen’s bias is evident, this does not interfere with his ability to examine many facets of this fascinating subject.
Interesting in winning a free copy? Leave me a comment below! Thank you for Shelf Awareness for asking me to read and review Always On.
This book sounds really interesting for my son to read. I think he’d love it so I’d love to win it for him!
This books sounds intriguing. I used to work with teaching technology to teachers and students as part of my teaching job. It was always exciting to see the new developments and then teach everyone else how to use them. The iphone has come about since I left teaching and now looking back I have had my doubts about the benefits of this newest technology. I would love to read this book for some new points of view to help me shape my criticisms as favorable or unfavorable.
Sounds like an interesting read ~ please enter me
hawkes(at)citlink.net
Does sound interesing – and perhaps a bit scary? I’d love to read this! Please consider me for the giveaway. Thank you.
…sounds like a great book for my high school home schooled senior
The book sounds really good. It seems like something my whole family would enjoy.