Table of Contents

Section I Introduction

Umbrella Perspective on Communication Technologies; Historical Perspectives on Communication Technology; Understanding Communication Technologies; The Structure of Communication Industries; Regulation and Communication Technologies

Section II Electronic Mass Media

Digital Television; Multichannel Television Services; IPTV; Interactive Television; Radio Broadcasting; Digital Signage

Section III Computers & Consumer Electronics

Personal Computers; Video Games; Virtual & Augmented Reality; Home Video; Digital Audio; Digital Photography; Cinema Technologies

Section IV Networking Technologies

Telephony; the Internet & the World Wide Web; Social Networks and UCG; Broadband & Personal Networks; Telepresence

Section V Conclusions

Topical chapter; Conclusions

About the Author

Dr. August E. ("Augie") Grant is a technology futurist who specializes in research on new media technologies and consumer behavior. Jennifer H. Meadows is Associate Professor in the Media Arts Option of the Department of Communication Design at California State University, Chico. She earned her M.A.in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas at Austin. Her teaching and research integrate practical and theoretical concerns related to television production, the relationships between media and users, and changing media behavior in the new media marketplace. In addition to her teaching and research, she is Executive Producer for Milk Crate Productions and is a consultant to media organizations.

Reviews

"CTU is the best broad-based book for exposing students to the many subtleties of information technology. This work fills a void that once required many tests and sources to fill...this book is a fabulous effort that brings the reader into the present."--Joseph Screnci, School of Communications, Hawaii Pacific University