New Media Tecnologies made up test

iPhone-I-Like

"It's heavy and its handsome, that's my initial response. The chrome border works magic on my aesthetic sensibilities, as does the mix of matt and gloss, aluminium and glass. I've long felt the gadgets of my present-future are a lot more plastic-y than imagined they would be. This thing has the solid, old fashioned build quality of a Star Trek Tri-corder. I'm not convinced that the large glass screen will survive a run-in with my car keys, but the touch screen interface is bullet-proof. The large square icons are idea for fingers, although text addicts will not be satisfied. The on-screen keyboard is nothing more than a note taker and the best argument yet for raising your proficiency in text language and emoticons.
One thing I'm surprised by, is the lack of applications. Safari is there and without a doubt represents the best mobile internet experience available. Along with various other apps your web browser is enhanced by the wizardry of an accelerometer chip which reorientates the screen as your twist the phone from vertical to landscape. There's a no nonsense mail program, a stocks and shares widget for all those American techy types who think they're still living in the 80s; and there's a pocket sized YouTube, which, if you ignore the hype, is like having an endless episode of You've Been Framed to watch and/or ignore. The trickest applications are iPod and Maps.
What's to say about the iPod function of the iPhone other than it looks lovely and the touch screen interface brings a tactile element to the whole affair that is easily as sexy as the jog-wheel that started all this finger flicking business. The phone's wide-screen format, and the TV content that is now available on UK iTunes (see last week's column) is a match made in heaven - and a threat to the Sony PSP's reputation as the coolest pocket video player. Maps is essentially Google Earth in your pocket and it and the touch screen make sweet music. Like all the software on my 'just out of the box' review unit, it loads in milliseconds and offers 'Start' and 'End' route finding functionality which is good... except it didn't work for any of my planned journeys in the UK. I'll chalk that one up as pre-European launch glitch.
So, five minutes with the most talked about dog-&-bone on the planet. Not faultless, but worthy of the hype."

Jason Bradbury

1a. According to this article what are the two most difficult features to use? (6)

b. State four words that suggest this phone is visually pleasing. (8)


c. Explain what is meant by:

i. ‘enhanced by the wizardry of an accelerometer chip’ (3)
ii. ‘as sexy as the jog-wheel’ (3)

2a. In what ways does the passage suggest that the iPhone would be a good gadget for a business person? (5)

b. Using your wider knowledge of new media technologies, discuss how the iPhone has developed from the original iPod. (20)

You should make detailed reference to examples from your case study material to support points made in your answer.

3. To what extent do you believe the convergence of institutions has changed new media technologies. 45)