Defining and Discussing “Super Apps”
By Cathleen Cusachs What if we could open one phone app and access messages, social media feeds, food delivery, rideshare services, and even our bank? China’s WeChat, a “super app,” does... More
News
Smartwatches and Your Health
By Cathleen Cusachs Smartwatches seem to be getting more and more popular each year. The devices track data, some of which can be used to monitor the user’s health. The Verge... More
Some of the iPhone 13’s Innovations
by Cathleen Cusachs Apple launched the iPhone 13 series on September 24. Though some have criticized its design as being stagnant, there are a few important innovations worth highlighting. Apple’s iPhone... More
Making Mobile Communication Accessible
By Cathleen Cusachs Designing mobile-friendly websites or social media posts to be accessible is an important part of the process. According to the CDC, one in four U.S. adults live with... More
Smartphones Becoming Fashion
By Cathleen Cusachs In recent years, people with flip phones were not typically considered very fashion-forward. But now, Samsung is trying to change that. Their Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a... More
The Mysterious Industry of Phone Location Data
By Cathleen Cusachs Do you know who has access to your phone’s location data history? The Markup investigated this question recently, identifying 47 companies that work in this space. They shed... More
Instagram and Teen Mental Health
By Cathleen Cusachs On September 14th, the Wall Street Journal published internal Facebook research on Instagram’s effects on teen mental health. The documents revealed serious dangers, with teenage girls being the... More
Interview with Dr. James Cummings
By Haiting Hu Dr. James Cummings is Assistant Professor in the Division of Emerging Media Studies and previously served as co-director of the Communication Research Center at Boston University. His research... More
Smartphone App that can Diagnose Mental Health Issues
By Haiting Hu A start-up from Israel recently developed a mobile phone application named Brain Profiler that can scientifically diagnose an array of mental health issues using AI. The application, which... More
Managing Children’s Screen Time
By Haiting Hu Screen time spent on cellphones and tablets has become a common tool for parents to occupy and entertain their kids. However, with the COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning has... More