The ubiquity of mobile phones is a defining feature of the 21st century, but it’s been possible to place a phone call on the go since shortly after World War II.
Cellphone data can show who coronavirus patients interacted with, which can help isolate infected people before they feel ill. But how digital contact tracing is implemented matters.
Service outages, network congestion and infrastructure at risk of being destroyed by fire are some of the issues worsening an already devastating situation.
Nobel Prizes in science are usually given for revolutionary ideas that change our perception of the universe. But this year’s chemistry prize was awarded to inventors of a revolutionary device.
A century ago, a three-minute call from New York City to San Francisco on a landline cost $500. Today, you can make the same call on a cellphone for a few cents.
Phones’ functions go far beyond making calls these days. Here’s the basics on why you can use some features and not others – and why planes may someday soon be filled with passengers yakking on phones.