Mobile phone inventor warns modern devices are making humans slaves to the phone.
Apple is to make its biggest ever acquisition, buying the music streaming and headphone company Beats for 3 billion dollars. Beats was founded by hip hop artist Dr Dre and music company executive Jimmy Iovine. The brand is known for its colourful and expensive headphones as well as its streaming service 'Beats Music'.
Apple already has its own online music store iTunes, a downloading music service. Its acquisition of Beats sees a move to the mobile streaming side of the market. Mark Murnane, Shelbourne Markets, says that consumers are moving away from downloading to a subscription or rental model similar to the services offered by Spotify and Pandora.
Apple's trying to break into that market.
This is all a far cry from the first mobile phone invented by Marty Cooper 1973. In Dublin to address the EXCITED digital learning conference. Marty Cooper describes modern mobile phones as technological wonders is wary of modern mobile technology.
I don't think they're very good for people. They're much too hard to use and they tend to make us slaves to the phone.
He believes the most important developments in mobile technology are yet to come in areas such as education, health and collaboration.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 29 May 2014. The reporter is Will Goodbody.
