To garner attention today, cell phones have evolved to include digital interactivity as well as new technology.

With the progression of technology, phones have now become a mode of communication and connection to the rest of the world.

As cell phone technology progresses and develops, the consequences for culture and a person’s way of life are unknown.

“Obviously, it’s progressed a lot from being just a regular phone that hardly worked. It is working better with the advent of the iphone with all its interactive touch screens and videos and photos,” John Ruggirello, computer science professor, said.

The iphone is one of the latest and most popular phones to hit the market, according to Ruggirello. It is a product of Apple Inc., the company responsible for the production of the music device, ipod. Their products are getting smaller and more technologically advanced every day.

“I think the iphone is the sexy winner right now, only because of the fact that Apple have always been a good marketer of equipment,” Ruggirello said.

The iphone may be the most popular phone at the moment, but some students have different preferences. Samuel Hong, business major, has a Voyager phone and has been a customer of Verizon for years.

“I can go on the Internet and the keyboard isjust like a computer’s, so it’s a lot easier for me to type,” Hong said.

Hong said he has done homework on his phone when the Internet at his house was down.

Because of newer technology, he was able to finish and get credit for his work.

“I did my homework on my phone and I got the credit for it. For economics, we do fake stocks and I check my stocks every now and then,” Hong said. “Even in classes, I check my stocks and sell them sometimes or buy more.”

With advancements to the online support for phones, the Internet access on a phone may soon be better than access on a desk computer at home.

“The new 3G technology, because of its faster download speeds, those are going to grow. Only because of the fact that they use 1.4 megabits per second, which is equivalent to your DSL or relatively fast DSL,” Ruggirello said.

3G stands for a third generation of cellular-phones that have improved technology and capabilities.

With Internet access and other features setting the standard for cell phones, the demand for faster and better technology increases.

“The phones and land lines are going to disappear,” said Ruggirello. “It’s already happening, in fact it’s about 20 percent a year now. They are simply disappearing because people are using their cell phone as their main line.”

Other technological improvements include an interactive desktop, which allows one to physically operate a computer with their hands on the screen in the same vein as the iphone.

“It’s an interactive tabletop. It’s keyed toward restaurants and kiosks, somewhere where people will gather,” Ruggirello said.

For some, Internet access and connectivity are not their main concerns. They just want something that works when it comes to the basics of a cell phone.

“You can go online, but I don’t really do that. I see no purpose in it,” Tiffany Huynh, 18, said. “I mean I don’t go and buy stocks on my phone or anything, but it gets me places, from A to B.”