The Golden Age of Wireless

The April 12-18 issue of The Economist has an intriguing special section on wireless telecomm that you can read here. The series’ premise—reduced to ridiculous simplicity—is that the technology has had an enormous impact on the way we live, work, write, and… do other things. While that’s not exactly a revelation, there’s something to be said for how it’s reported; you’ll find neither hand-wringing jeremiads or breathless praise. While the report finds much that’s praiseworthy in the world o’ wireless, there’s also some clear-sighted criticism and questioning of the technology, as well as the uses to which it’s being put. Especially worth reading (at least for people concerned with reading and writing) is the last segment, “Homo Mobilis.” There’s likely a longer blog post buried in there somewhere, but you’d do better to just read the original.