dessalles

[Ghettoblaster for the Commodore 64]

Attended the SXSW session Mobile Phones: International Devices of Mystery today, where Matt Jones (filling in for some absent panelists) discussed his idea of “jealous” devices and expressed frustration with how these jealous, attention-craving mobile phones insist on pulling their owners into the screens - instead of pushing information out for shared, heads-up, social consumption. He also talked briefly about the “annoying” phenomenon of London, bus-riding teens playing hip-hop through the totally unsuitable speakers of their phones. This practice, not unknown to NYC subways, recalls the fabled, 80s past-time of walking down streets with a shoulder mounted boombox. And when I think about it, the boombox may be the only personal, portable device specifically designed for shared, public consumption - and specifically for sharing with strangers. So I imagine Matt’s onto something. Today, there does seem to be an unfulfilled need to more easily pull media out of personal devices for real-time sharing.

But I’m not entirely sure mobile phones are the solution. I think one reason these devices have proven such a successful counterpoint to other computing platforms is the assumption that there’s a one-to-one correspondence between people and phones. It’s this assumption that enables very private, identity based activities. Panelist Nathan Eagle discussed one such activity: owners of mobile phones in developing nations frequently exchange airtime minutes as a secondary currency. So I’m wondering if enabling more social consumption on mobile phones, pushing them closer to the fuzzy line between personal and shared devices, would discourage such private practices from emerging? How does a personal device placed in a social situation know who to direct it’s private jealousy at? What happens when a personal, incoming message interrupts shared consumption?

Additionally, mobile phones that can facilitate this synchronous social consumption sounds great on paper, but what’s an effective implementation in practice? Would screen sharing work? Allowing other nearby devices to display exactly what’s on my device’s screen allows for shared consumption, but keeps people’s eyes on their own screens. What about projection? If a single device controls a shared experience, does it invite strangers to inappropriately interact with the personal device? Ideas?