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Journalism of Courage
When it comes to new designs for mobile phones, the model announced last week by a start-up based in Scottsdale, Arizona, really takes the biscuit. Shaped like a bone, it operates only as a speakerphone, picks up automatically when called, is mounted on a red strap for wearing around the neck, and is labelled with a large paw 8212; because the PetsCell, as it is called, is a mobile phone for dogs. PetsMobility, the firm behind this astounding device, boasts of 8220;connecting every member of your family 8212; even your pet8221;.
This is not quite as ridiculous as it sounds. Indeed, you can expect more examples of this kind of thing in the coming years. The reason is that the mobile-telecoms industry has become a victim of its own success. With sales of 600m units a year, mobile phones are simultaneously the world8217;s most widespread communications devices, computing devices and consumer-electronics products. Almost everybody in the developed world now has one, and growth is booming in the developing world too. China is the world8217;s largest market for mobile phones, and Africa is the fastest-growing. In the least developed parts of the world, entrepreneurs such as Bangladesh8217;s 8220;telephone ladies8221; rent out mobiles by the minute, putting phones into the hands of even the poorest. The oft-quoted statistic that two-thirds of the world8217;s population has never made a phone call is no longer true8230;
Excerpted from a leader in September 23 issue of 8216;The Economist8217;
