Tryon brings up platform mobility and I can’t help but think of Apple’s new continuity feature. Tryon says platform mobility “…includes the ability to deliver a vast menu of entertainment choices to the viewer, wherever, he or she may happen to be.”(Tryon). With Apple’s Handoff feature there is even more mobility than there ever was because not only can a person watch something in different places but they can even watch the same thing they were watching or doing on a different device. Apple’s way of advertising this feature says “Now you can start writing an email on your iPhone and pick up where you left off when you sit down at your Mac. Or browse the web on your Mac and continue from the same link on your iPad. It all happens automatically when your devices are signed in to the same iCloud account. Use Handoff with favorite apps like Mail, Safari, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts. And developers can build Handoff into their apps now, too.” The fact that you can carry on an activity you were doing on different devices on a different device is as flexible as possible(Apple). “Platform mobility feeds into an on-demand culture defined by flexibility in when and where people consume media (Tryon).” This feature is teaching us to be good consumers in the same way Apple’s calamari ad is. Apple gives us a feeling that we need to be surrounded with multiple devices (with their iOS) in order to be as efficient as possible and in order to have the best experience. “Sometimes when your iPhone rings, it’s not where you are. Maybe it’s charging in another room. Or it’s buried in your backpack. But your Mac or iPad is sitting right there.”(Apple) Not only can we stream Netflix anywhere but we can leave one device as it charges and can watch the episode where you left off. Making handoff available for other aps is very convenient because one can start their game on their phone and then end it on another device. How will people respond to this endless web of interconnectedness? The first responses are positive “It has become part of my workflow, as I no longer feel like I have to limit myself to performing certain tasks on certain devices. With iOS 8, I know I can finish nearly any task on another device if need be.” Jason Capriani a writer for CNET states. As Jenkins refers to in his black box fallacy; “there will be no black box that controls the flow of media into our homes. Thanks to the proliferation of channels and the portability of new computing and telecommunications technologies, we are entering an era where media will be everywhere.” Not only is media going to be everywhere but more of it serving the same function is starting to be positive as well. Platform agnosticism where people regard all screens to be equal will be even more obvious now especially as people begin to do the same things on one device as they did on the other.
Works Cited
Cipriani, Jason. "A Brief Explanation of IOS 8's Handoff Feature - CNET." CNET. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015. <http://www.cnet.com/how-to/a-brief-explanation-of-ios-8s-handoff-feature/>.
"IPhone, IPad, and Mac. Connected Like never before." Apple. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2015. <https://www.apple.com/ios/whats-new/continuity/>.
Tryon, Chuck. "Pushing the (red) Envelope." Portable Video, Platform Mobility and Pay-Per-View Culture (n.d.): n. pag. Print.