Thursday, June 29, 2006

Do BlackBerrys Kill Vacations?

LAPTOP Magazine Unveils New Series Exploring Societal Impact of Mobile Technology

Should you track your eight-year-old with a GPS-enabled cell phone? Pack a BlackBerry along with sunscreen for your next summer vacation? Ask a coach class seatmate if he minds that you watch an R-rated movie on your laptop? LAPTOP-Mobile Solutions for Business & Life, the leading mobile technology magazine, seeks to shed some light on these and other complicated issues with its new series of special reports investigating the societal impact of a world gone wireless. This editorial series begins with the July issue of LAPTOP, currently available on newsstands.

In July’s “Letter from the Editor,” LAPTOP Editor in Chief Mark Spoonauer asks, “How does having all of this technology at our disposal change the way we work, the way we play, and the direction that our society is moving in as a whole?” This smart and provocative ongoing series aims to help readers understand the impact of wireless technology by exploring the dynamics of having information instantly available at our fingertips anywhere we go.

The ever-increasing pace of innovation demands that the media attempt to provide a sense of perspective, and there is no better source than the publication that has been following mobile technology for more than 15 years. By consulting with everyone from sociologists and industry leaders to heads of research labs and individual consumers, LAPTOP will help its readers assess the potential benefits and downsides of always being connected.

The first installment, “Online, On Vacation,” takes an in-depth look at working vacations, exploring whether staying in touch while out of the office makes our lives more or less stressful. In the upcoming August issue, LAPTOP will investigate how parents can keep their children safe from such threats as online predators and cyberbullying. In September, LAPTOP will examine the new rules of digital etiquette by discussing whether America’s obsession with gadgets like cell phones and iPods is creating a ruder culture.

The July issue is a true celebration of LAPTOP's continued leadership role in covering all aspects of mobile technology. In addition to highlighting our 27 favorite wireless gadgets, the July issue features an undercover report on tech support, a look at location-based services and how they may compromise our privacy, the best business resorts, and how-to articles on making ringtones and encrypting files with simple step-by-step instructions.


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