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Title details for Stephen Fry On the Phone the Complete Radio 4 Series by Stephen Fry - Available

Stephen Fry On the Phone the Complete Radio 4 Series

by Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Audiobook
3 of 3 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
3 of 3 copies available
Stephen Fry traces the evolution of the mobile phone, from hefty executive bricks that required a separate briefcase to carry the battery, to the smartphones available today. There are more mobile phones in the world than there are people on the planet: Stephen Fry talks to the backroom boys who made it all possible and hears how the technology succeeded in ways that the geeks had not necessarily intended. For example, the engineers who designed the early texting facilities didn't imagine that anyone might want to reply. (Just in case, they added a short list of possible pre-set answers: yes, no and maybe). They also thought taxifones and fax machines for your car would be winners. In the early nineties, Nokia, then famous for toilet paper and rubber boots, was on the brink of collapse; until the new CEO made a bold decision to focus solely on mobile phonesThanks to Margaret Thatcher opening up the airwaves, Britain became a world leader in mobile phone technology. And today, 85% of the silicon chips inside all mobiles are designed by just one Cambridge-based company.Series produced by Anna Buckley.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 1, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781445816319
      • File size: 31801 KB
      • Duration: 01:06:15

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Stephen Fry delves into the history of the mobile phone--with all the appropriate sounds effects of phones interspersed throughout. (Be warned: The various ringing tones cause you to keep reaching for your phone.) A self-proclaimed early adopter of technology, Fry traces five major advancements in cell-phone technology in this audio version of his five-episode miniseries for the BBC. Each segment intertwines Fry's own musings, a dash of history, and interviews with key players who jettisoned society into the age of cellular connection. His jovial tone and wry humor provide an enjoyable hour of enlightenment that will inspire listeners to reflect on the devices they depend upon so much. L.E. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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