Mobile media and space

Vølker has taken a closer look at two mobile media applications, Semapedia and Socialight, and how they have contributed to bring the digital and the real world together. Semapedia is an application that is implemented on a mobile media, like a cell-phone.

Semapedia works in a way that allows users to print out a barcode which represents a URL address and attach this barcode to any physical object, this barcode (or URL) is linked to digitally stored information on Wikipedia that interconnects the object to its digital information on Wikipedia.

Socialight works in a similar manner, however with Socialight the digital information can be audio, text or picture (or all of the above) and its purpose is not only to connect information to places, but to interconnect people to each other through information space linked to physical coordinates.

Vølker then takes a closer look at how these types of applications can be categorized, do mobile media with these capabilities exist in the Digital space, Virtual space, Supplementing place or Social space?
She argues that these applications on non-wired mobile medias have made the Digital space and Real Space (reality or ‘Meatspace’) overlap in existence. Furthermore by using Lefebvre’s definition of Social space, she points out that it can be a suitable concept to describe wireless mobile media as well because they hold the capability of take place almost anywhere in relation to physical places due to their mobility. Additionally, mobile medias that are connected to a network without the limitations of cable connection also falls under de Certeau’s definition of Virtual space, ‘composed of intersection of mobile elements’ while staying in the same real place.

I have to agree with Vølker that wireless mobile medias do alter the way we grasp space and with the help of Socialight, the concept of time comes into question as well. The message sent is not received before you find yourself at those physical coordinates. Does this stop making time linear? I believe that media, by ‘doubling of space’ and breaking time barriers, has changed our perception of time and space.