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Always On: Hope and Fear in the Social Smartphone Era
'Delightfully insightful and intensely readable [...] There is an energy and drama to Rory's writing which nonetheless leaves space for us, the reader, to make up our minds' – Stephen Fry
We live at a time when billions have access to unbelievably powerful technology. The most extraordinary tool that has been invented in the last century, the smartphone, is forcing radical changes in the way we live and work - and unlike previous technologies it is in the hands of just about everyone.
Coupled with the rise of social media, this has ushered in a new era of deeply personal technology, where individuals now have the ability to work, create and communicate on their own terms, rather than wait for permission from giant corporations or governments. At least that is the optimistic view.
This book takes readers on an entertaining ride through this turbulent era, as related by an author with a ringside seat to the key moments of the technology revolution. We remember the excitement and wonder that came with the arrival of Apple's iPhone with all the promise it offered. We see tech empires rise and fall as these devices send shockwaves through every industry and leave the corporate titans of the analogue era floundering in their wake. We see that early utopianism about the potential of the mobile social revolution to transform society for the better fade, as criminals, bullies and predators poison the well of social media. And we hear from those at the forefront of the tech revolution, including Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Tim Berners-Lee, Martha Lane-Fox and Jimmy Wales, to gain their unique insights and predictions for what may be to come.
Always On immerses the reader in the most important story of our times – the dramatic impact of hyperconnectivity, the smartphone and social media on everything from our democracy to our employment and our health. The final section of the book draws on the author's own personal experience with technology and medicine, considering how COVID-19 made us look again to computing in our battle to confront the greatest challenge of modern times.
We live at a time when billions have access to unbelievably powerful technology. The most extraordinary tool that has been invented in the last century, the smartphone, is forcing radical changes in the way we live and work - and unlike previous technologies it is in the hands of just about everyone.
Coupled with the rise of social media, this has ushered in a new era of deeply personal technology, where individuals now have the ability to work, create and communicate on their own terms, rather than wait for permission from giant corporations or governments. At least that is the optimistic view.
This book takes readers on an entertaining ride through this turbulent era, as related by an author with a ringside seat to the key moments of the technology revolution. We remember the excitement and wonder that came with the arrival of Apple's iPhone with all the promise it offered. We see tech empires rise and fall as these devices send shockwaves through every industry and leave the corporate titans of the analogue era floundering in their wake. We see that early utopianism about the potential of the mobile social revolution to transform society for the better fade, as criminals, bullies and predators poison the well of social media. And we hear from those at the forefront of the tech revolution, including Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Tim Berners-Lee, Martha Lane-Fox and Jimmy Wales, to gain their unique insights and predictions for what may be to come.
Always On immerses the reader in the most important story of our times – the dramatic impact of hyperconnectivity, the smartphone and social media on everything from our democracy to our employment and our health. The final section of the book draws on the author's own personal experience with technology and medicine, considering how COVID-19 made us look again to computing in our battle to confront the greatest challenge of modern times.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published July 13, 2021
15 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 18, 2021
For a book about a potentially very interesting topic I found this a bit dull and to much focus on the story of a news reporter. Some good accounts of recent history in tech but some stuff I could have done without - e.g. the Raspberry Pi stuff was dull.
May 24, 2024
Not what you think it's going to be from the description. It is essentially a history of technology told through a highlight reel of Rory Cellan-Jones' career and thus, through the lens of British tech news. All well and good, but the description makes it seem much more like a broader cultural analysis of how society has been impacted by changing technology rather than a historical summary of a very niche corner of tech journalism.
April 22, 2021
Always on by Rory Cellan-Jones is an amazing book which I couldn't put down.
It starts from a personal point of view on how the tech build up plus the rise of apple and the competitive phone industry. Nokia, Blackberry, iPhone to iPhone and Google Phone. To the rise of social Media and how that became quickly important to have in business and personal. To the rise of Facebook/Myspace and something called Bebo. Then you have the constant debate of 5G whats really going on. Also how tech during a pandemic Helps us.
( This goes up to now 2021)
I really liked the personal point of view written plus experiencing, I learned immensely , also its nice to read from a point of view with someone who experienced this rise of technology as well.
Great book would highly recommend!
Publish dates July 13 2021!
This Arc was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest review
It starts from a personal point of view on how the tech build up plus the rise of apple and the competitive phone industry. Nokia, Blackberry, iPhone to iPhone and Google Phone. To the rise of social Media and how that became quickly important to have in business and personal. To the rise of Facebook/Myspace and something called Bebo. Then you have the constant debate of 5G whats really going on. Also how tech during a pandemic Helps us.
( This goes up to now 2021)
I really liked the personal point of view written plus experiencing, I learned immensely , also its nice to read from a point of view with someone who experienced this rise of technology as well.
Great book would highly recommend!
Publish dates July 13 2021!
This Arc was given to me by netgalley in exchange for an honest review
February 27, 2021
Always On is a look at the technological history of the modern smartphone era, from Apple's unveiling of the first iPhone to contract tracing apps for COVID-19. Written by a technology journalist for the BBC, each chapter looks at a particular moment in this time, considering the breakthroughs and how much has changed.
Though Always On is positioned as a book about technology in the smartphone era, one of the most notable elements of it is the fact it is often about what it is like to be a journalist covering that technology during this time. There are hints of how difficult it can be to report tech news when people don't understand the impact or can't imagine that a new piece of tech will change the world, and also suggestions of the difficulty of doing tech stories when a lot of the leaders of the tech world can be elusive. Cellan-Jones at times has the tone of someone who has spent a lot of time trying to hype technology and why people should want to read or hear about it, occasionally to the point where you want a bit more critique.
The actual technology content varies from straightforward 'this is how something was announced and rolled out' to 'this is some of the controversy around it' (the latter is especially notable in the final section, on the current pandemic and the impacts of technology on health and conspiracy theories). The COVID-19 section is also good in terms of laying out the controversy and issues around contract tracing apps and the balance of privacy.
Unsurprisingly given that it's written by a journalist, the tone is mostly 'news site long read' for each chapter, meaning that if you're already interested in the area the chapter is about, it can seem a bit basic, though the elements of journalistic memoir woven in do add some variation. There's also some elements that felt like clear omissions—one striking example being that the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies is never mentioned in the section about them—which may have been because the overarching message of the book is one of positivity, and of the idea that we can make the smartphone future good.
As an introductory book to the technological change over the past fifteen years or so, Always On can be useful, but as a history of being a technology journalist over that time it is perhaps more interesting. If, like me, you're more used to tech books that are more critical of big tech companies and their figureheads (the Elon Musk-related chapter in Always On does read like an excited profile of him), then this one might be a little too positive at times, though there is some interesting analysis too.
Though Always On is positioned as a book about technology in the smartphone era, one of the most notable elements of it is the fact it is often about what it is like to be a journalist covering that technology during this time. There are hints of how difficult it can be to report tech news when people don't understand the impact or can't imagine that a new piece of tech will change the world, and also suggestions of the difficulty of doing tech stories when a lot of the leaders of the tech world can be elusive. Cellan-Jones at times has the tone of someone who has spent a lot of time trying to hype technology and why people should want to read or hear about it, occasionally to the point where you want a bit more critique.
The actual technology content varies from straightforward 'this is how something was announced and rolled out' to 'this is some of the controversy around it' (the latter is especially notable in the final section, on the current pandemic and the impacts of technology on health and conspiracy theories). The COVID-19 section is also good in terms of laying out the controversy and issues around contract tracing apps and the balance of privacy.
Unsurprisingly given that it's written by a journalist, the tone is mostly 'news site long read' for each chapter, meaning that if you're already interested in the area the chapter is about, it can seem a bit basic, though the elements of journalistic memoir woven in do add some variation. There's also some elements that felt like clear omissions—one striking example being that the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies is never mentioned in the section about them—which may have been because the overarching message of the book is one of positivity, and of the idea that we can make the smartphone future good.
As an introductory book to the technological change over the past fifteen years or so, Always On can be useful, but as a history of being a technology journalist over that time it is perhaps more interesting. If, like me, you're more used to tech books that are more critical of big tech companies and their figureheads (the Elon Musk-related chapter in Always On does read like an excited profile of him), then this one might be a little too positive at times, though there is some interesting analysis too.
October 29, 2021
A very good read especially if you have lived through this same period of technological advancement.
March 1, 2022
Rory Cellan-Jones has met those creating our tech world -- Mark Zukerberg, the late Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, Tim Berners-Lee who invented the World Wide Web, Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia and many others. This is the book for those of us who have ever worried about who is tracking your phone? Have you ever gone half-crazy trying to load or get rid of an app? Do any of us know how our smart phones really work? The mobile phone is the most extraordinary tool that has been invented in the last century and it has forced radical changes in the way we live and work. Unlike previous technologies it is in the hands of just about everyone. The author guides us through the smart phone and mobile phone era answering all your questions whether about a finnicky irritant or an overarching concern about the power of social media. It is a roller coaster ride from the early optimism of a revolution to transform society for the better to the criminals, bullies and predators that now poison the well of social media.
May 18, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book.
An entertaining, readable look at the major changes brought about by smartphones and social media which explains things so that you don't need to be a geek to follow. Even when extending further into AI, bitcoin and such like Cellan-Jones explains complex ideas and technology in a very easy way.
This book allows the reader the chance to think about their own use of smartphones and social media, the impact it's having on our lives (both good, bad and yet undecided) and also has a section about the role that it's played during the Covid pandemic.
Thoroughly recommend this as a starting point for further discussion about where we're going, the ethics of the companies involved and our data, and what will undoubtedly be seen as a period of huge technological and social history change in years to come.
An entertaining, readable look at the major changes brought about by smartphones and social media which explains things so that you don't need to be a geek to follow. Even when extending further into AI, bitcoin and such like Cellan-Jones explains complex ideas and technology in a very easy way.
This book allows the reader the chance to think about their own use of smartphones and social media, the impact it's having on our lives (both good, bad and yet undecided) and also has a section about the role that it's played during the Covid pandemic.
Thoroughly recommend this as a starting point for further discussion about where we're going, the ethics of the companies involved and our data, and what will undoubtedly be seen as a period of huge technological and social history change in years to come.
May 14, 2021
Read if you: Want an intriguing memoir of the heady early days of the iPhone, Tesla, and many more innovate and complicated tech breakthroughs of the past two decades.
Rory Cellan-Jones is a British journalist, so it was interesting to get his take on the rise of American and Asian tech companies during a time in which European companies, which previously enjoyed dominace, were falling behind (Nokia, etc).
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Continuum and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rory Cellan-Jones is a British journalist, so it was interesting to get his take on the rise of American and Asian tech companies during a time in which European companies, which previously enjoyed dominace, were falling behind (Nokia, etc).
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Continuum and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2021
Good read, having grown up with tech online through a similar period. A good, critical, UK-centric perspective. I’m just (extremely selfishly and stupidly) obsessed with my lack of a cameo on that day Rory couldn’t source a Raspberry Pi Zero on a magazine cover at launch and I took one up to Broadcasting House so he could make the story ;-)
I’m recommending this to a lot of friends, both inside the tech industry, and without - lots of truth and insight here, with a lightly cynical outlook, but Rory “boils it down” well.
I’m recommending this to a lot of friends, both inside the tech industry, and without - lots of truth and insight here, with a lightly cynical outlook, but Rory “boils it down” well.
June 7, 2021
Amazing Accessible review of Society & Technology
Definitely not a book targeting geeks, this unputdownable reveal of the good, bad and downright ugly players in the technology evolution world helps the reader to better understand the hidden under-currents that shape our past and more importantly our future. « Take statements on new startup technologies with many a pinch of scepticism ». Many thanks to the author, Rory Cellan-Jones.
Definitely not a book targeting geeks, this unputdownable reveal of the good, bad and downright ugly players in the technology evolution world helps the reader to better understand the hidden under-currents that shape our past and more importantly our future. « Take statements on new startup technologies with many a pinch of scepticism ». Many thanks to the author, Rory Cellan-Jones.
October 8, 2021
Very readable. I felt I was reading something written by a journalist. At times a memoir of his journalistic career and other times a record of news events in the aftermath of the smart phone. It jogged my memory but I didn’t learn much that was new.
January 27, 2022
Not often you read an honest book from a journalist
Rory writes the good and Bas as he saw it, learned it, reported it and saw the impact of each. Smartphones, AI, internet, social media, health and tech, and more. Great book!
Rory writes the good and Bas as he saw it, learned it, reported it and saw the impact of each. Smartphones, AI, internet, social media, health and tech, and more. Great book!
November 17, 2021
Huh. Never had the experience of reading a book written for the sole purpose of telling me how much of a fool the writer is.
Bravo, Rory. Bravo.
Bravo, Rory. Bravo.
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April 25, 2022My interview with Rory Cellan-Jones about "Always On":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtGst...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtGst...
July 17, 2022
I enjoyed this book. An engaging summary of the last 15 years of the smartphone era and some interesting insights into how tech stories are developed and reported on by journalists.
January 5, 2024
Always On was an interesting thought provoking read. I have often discussed how much life has changed in my forty plus years: how we used to carry a ten pence piece to make a phone call, had to go to the library to source books for school and university projects or visit the computer on a Sunday to access a PC to complete a university course, plan journeys using a paper roadmap, plan holidays looking through a glossy brochure.
It is strange to think people are growing up never knowing life without the internet, mobile phones, home computers etc. So much change in so few years, what will come next?
It is strange to think people are growing up never knowing life without the internet, mobile phones, home computers etc. So much change in so few years, what will come next?
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews