Wiley Digital Universe: The Global Telecommunication Revolution

Product Description For the student and general reader, a tour of the digital universe that offers critical observations and new perspectives on human communication and intelligence. Traces the development and diffusion of digital information and communication technologies, providing an analysis of trans-cultural effects among developed and developing nationsProvides a balanced analysis of the pros and cons of the adoption and diffusion of digital technologiesExplores privacy, censorship, the digital divide, online games, and virtual and augmented realitiesFollows a thematic structure, allowing readers to access the text at any point, based on their interestsAccompanying resources provide a wealth of related online contentSelected by Choice as a 2013 Outstanding Academic Title Review Named CHOICE Outstanding Title for 2012 “There are some really nice touches in this book. It is well written. The cases are accessible and relevant. The tables, lists, and some of the figures lucidly present taxonomies and provide chronological information on important topics.”  (International Journal of Communication, 1 August 2012)“Summing Up: Highly recommended.  All readership levels.  (Choice, 1 August 2012) Review “Digital Universe takes the reader into the lives and labs of the pioneers of communication technology, helping us understand the struggles, unexpected successes & failures, and the connections among technologies. This book provides one of the richest sets of technology histories that have been compiled into a single volume. - August Grant, University of South Carolina “In his ground-breaking new book, Peter B. Seel humanizes the story of telecommunication technology and its consequences.  Providing a global perspective, Digital Universe thoughtfully examines the social impact of information and communication technologies from YouTube to augmented reality.” - John V. Pavlik, Rutgers University From the Inside Flap Digital Universe traces the evolution of digital information and communication tools used worldwide, from Morse’s telegraph to the emergence of mobile phones as personal computers, and their seismic effects on society. Critical perspectives of the diffusion of these technologies are explored, including the “dark side” of the Internet; privacy, piracy, censorship and the digital divide, as well as the advent of online games, and virtual and augmented realities. This illuminating text introduces readers to important inventors, scientists, artists, and critics, offering a unique blend of technology, its socio-cultural effects, its history, and the human face of invention and criticism. This is more than a how-to book, it is an empowering  tour of the digital universe offering critical observations and new perspectives on human communication and intelligence. From the Back Cover Digital Universe traces the evolution of digital information and communication tools used worldwide, from Morse’s telegraph to the emergence of mobile phones as personal computers, and their seismic effects on society. Critical perspectives of the diffusion of these technologies are explored, including the “dark side” of the Internet; privacy, piracy, censorship and the digital divide, as well as the advent of online games, and virtual and augmented realities. This illuminating text introduces readers to important inventors, scientists, artists, and critics, offering a unique blend of technology, its socio-cultural effects, its history, and the human face of invention and criticism. This is more than a how-to book, it is an empowering  tour of the digital universe offering critical observations and new perspectives on human communication and intelligence. About the Author Peter B. Seel is a professor in the Department of Journalism and Technical Communication at Colorado State University, where he teaches new communication technologies, video production, digital photography, and documentary fi