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week 3 // CH5 You are what you carry.

In the TED talk, The Anthropology of Mobile Phones, Jan Chipchase talked about how in pretty much all cultures people carry three things and they were keys, money, and a cell phone. He mentioned how they all are tools used for survival and mentioned how so. Money being a source of getting food, keys giving people access to shelter as Read more →
UX: Chipchase "You Are What You Carry"


Jan Chipchase’s “You Are What You Carry” chapter was a relatable followup read to his TedTalk on the anthropology of mobile phones. He elaborates on the four factors of security, convenience, reliable solutions and peace of mind that drive our carrying behaviors. These factors are inherently connected so that lack of one directly degrades another; for instance, if I feel Read more →
Week 4 Response: You Are What You Carry

After reading this chapter and also having to watch his TED talk earlier on in class, I can better understand his point on how technology has benefited us. He has used the three most important things to elaborate several new terminologies which I found was very interesting: Range Of Distribution. This is a very good way to observe a certain Read more →
Chipchase TED video - Better Human Connectivity?


In this TED talk, Chipchase talks about being connected, how everyone is going to be connected (and now are) via mobile phones that transcends through space (by calling) and time (by messaging with convenience). It was a rare thing then, with the streets of China even reverse engineering the production and functions of a phone, and then producing them.
But this Read more →
Wk4: You Are What You Carry
In a similar topic to Mobile Phones (Wk3), this week’s topic has a closer look to what we carry. It is said from Chipchase’s research that Keys, Money and Phones are the most common things at the point of the TED talk, which till now has not changed much.
As written previously in my Wk3 post, the mobile phone is the Read more →
Anthropology of mobile phones

Ten years ago Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone. He started his speech with the words “We’re going to make some history together today”. Now in 2017 when we’re looking back, he was completely right. Jan Chipchase gave this speech in 2007. Even then the three most important things people carry are their mobile phone, money, and their keys. The reason Read more →
Chipcase reflection

Chipchase shared his research – what do people carry, in which keys, money and phone top the list. However, society now is different from then.
With technological advancement, keys are no longer an essential item. Electronic security systems are increasingly common in new estates. Personally, access into my house is now only a fingerprint away.
Cash is no longer the only option Read more →
[Response] Anthropology of Mobile Phones

Despite the immense leap of improvements in technology since the time Jan Chipchase gave this Ted talk to now, it seems to me that there is one thing that appears to remain the same — the habit of disposing phones when they no longer work or are outdated.
Sustainability seems to be the hot topic nowadays. But Read more →
Wk3: Anthropology of Mobile Phones
One of the points that Chipchase has mentioned was that the top 3 things that people carry are: Mobile phones, keys and money. This is across cultures, ages and genders.
Despite this being many years ago, where keys provide security, phones connectivity and money basic necessities, in today’s context it is the same, yet different. How different? Well, as discussed in class Read more →