Media technology is a broad term that is widely used in business. But what exactly is media technology and what are some examples? Media technology can briefly be explained as an engineering science that is used to communicate. There are many different forms of technology that can be used in media. I have provided you with four examples, and a synopsis of each one.
"Developed in the 1830s and 1840s by Samuel Morse (1791-1872), the telegraph revolutionized long-distance communication. It worked by transmitting electrical signals over a wire laid between stations." (www.history.com). Through these electrical signals one machine could send a series of dots and dashes to another telegraph machine. Hence this form of communication was called Morse code after the founder Samuel Morse. For the receiver of the communication they could decipher the original message from these dots and dashes to actual letters of the English language.
The telegraph machine was truly the start of media technology as we know it. "Although the telegraph had fallen out of widespread use by the start of the 21st century, replaced by the telephone, fax machine and Internet, it laid the groundwork for the communications revolution that led to those later innovations."(www.history.com). This form of technology was greatly used for the military. This way they could communicate from base to base during war times. But it was also quickly adopted by many people to get communication across country in a matter of minutes. In order for this type of technology to be received by as many people as possible, telegraph stations needed to be established. Here is where Western Union comes into play. "Western Union had laid the first transcontinental telegraph line, making it the first nationwide telegraph company." (www.history.com).
2) Radio:
We all know what a radio is. That's the machine we have in our car that plays all of our wonderful music stations. Bud do we know where it originated from, or what is its technology? This form of media technology started many years ago and is still used today. The radio can be defined as, "the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves of radio frequency, especially those carrying sound and messages."(www.dictionary.com). The founders and pioneers of the radio where a mix of scientists and businessmen. They include, Henirich Hertz, Nikola Tesla, Ernst Alexanderson, Reginald Fessenden, Lee DeForest, Guglielmo Marconi, and Edwin Armstrong. The radio would not be where it is today without these brilliant minds.
Radio can be attributed to many other inventions. "Radio waves are used not only in radio broadcasting but in wireless telegraphy, telephone transmission, wireless networking or connection technologies such as wifi and Bluetooth, television, radar, GPS, and other navigational systems, and space communication."(Funk & Wagnalls, 2014). Without the invention of the radio, a lot of the technology that we have today would be nonexistent.
The reason why radio was such a popular form of media technology is because it was able to reach numerous people at the same time. When it became more popular and consumers all over purchased radios it really became a huge source of communication. Various companies could broadcast their products to reach numerous customers all at the same time. News station could now broadcast important messages and events throughout the nation.
3) Mobile/ Cellular Phones:
These instruments of communication have been growing rapidly throughout the years. They allow one caller to communicate to another caller in a different location. Now phones are not just forms of communication but are also devices that access the internet, take pictures, play games, read books, and so much more. A cellular phone can be defined as, "a telephone with access to cellular radio systems so it can be used over a wide area, without a physical connection to a network." (www.dictionary.com).
The original use and design for cellular phones were for cars. This was geared towards the business class whom needed a more efficient way of communicating on the go. So when was the very first mobile phone created and marketed? "1983, the Motorola Dyna Tac 8000x arrived on the market." (http://new.artinstitutes.edu). The sole purpose for this phone was the use and operation in motor vehicles. Later over the years, the mobile phone progressed to be able to be carried around outside of cars. Now, target audiences for this media technology are everybody and anybody. People are more frequently using their cellular phones for other things besides just communication. With todays technology people can play games, watch tv, surf the web, video chat with others, and etc. With that being said, you might ask yourself, well what does the future hold for mobile phones? "The cellular phone has changed and developed so rapidly in the past decade that it seems as though almost anything you can imagine is possible for the future. According to Jones, the convergence of all our tech gadgets into one mobile device will continue to advance. He anticipates that "the majority of the hardware and software can be moved to 'the cloud' and the product will mainly be comprised of the input and the display." (http://new.artinstitute.edu).
4) Computer:
This is the most widely known and popular form of media technology. A computer can be defined as, "an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a verbal program."(www.dictionary.com). In our current time, just like a cell phone everyone owns a computer. They can be standard desktop computers, lap top, or even a tablet. These computers can be portable or secured. They come in different sizes, colors, and even shapes. This advanced technology lets people communicate throughout the world to one another in various ways. People can email one another, face time, instant message, and even post videos. There is a substantial amount of ways that someone can use this media technology to communicate.
Even though we know that computers exist everywhere do we really know where they came from? Did you know that very first computer was actually created in a garage in 1939? "Hewlett-Packard is founded. David Packard and Bill Hewlett found Hewlett-Packard in a Palo Alto, California garage. Their first product was the HP 200A Audio Oscillator, which rapidly becomes a popular piece of test equipment for engineers."(www.computerhistory.org). Surprisingly enough one of their first customers was non other than Walt Disney. He purchased the first set of computers to aid in the making of his film "Fantasia". Throughout the years the computer has gone from only being used for business purposes to now being used for business and personal. This makes everyone a target audience for the purchase of this form of media technology.
References:
www.dictionary.com
http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?category=cmptr
http://new.artinstitutes.edu/blog/the-history-and-evolution-of-cell-phones
Radio. (2014). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1p.1
www.history.com/topics/inventions/telegraph
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