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Small Tech: The Culture of Digital Tools

by Byron Hawk, David M. Rieder, Ollie Oviedo (eds.). 
(Electronic Mediations, Volume 22)
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, London, USA/UK, 2008.
pp. 236, illus. b/w. $55 USD

Reviewed by Rob Harle (Australia)

harle@dodo.com.au

This book is a smorgasboard of essays concerning the cultural aspects of new media and aesthetics with a common thread that advocates a humanistic approach to the use and development of digital technologies. There are twenty seven papers by as many contributors most of whom are experts in the field of new media critical analysis. The title is a little misleading in that the book is not concerned specifically with the engineering and technology of electronic objects like iPods and cell phones but the cultural ramifications of their ubiquity.

The editors have done an excellent job in selecting such a broad range of scholarly contributions. Some of these are mere appetisers of a few pages in length others are main course fare of around twenty pages. Computers, wearable computers, iPods, cell phones, virtual environments, the Internet, web sites, hypertext, game design, digital image manipulation, video and sound production, augmented reality, Google and so on are all treated, in most cases, with a well-balanced and clear sighted approach.

Small Tech is divided into three sections: Traditional Software in New Ecologies; Small Tech and Cultural Contexts; and Future Technologies and Ambient Environments. There is an excellent Introduction by Byron Hawk and David Rieder, a List of Contributors, but unfortunately, no Index. This is perhaps an oversight as the book I’m sure will become a prescribed reading text for multimedia and cultural studies tertiary education courses. The first section investigates the ways in which a number of traditional software applications are transformed by emerging media ecologies. One example of this is the potential “blogs” have for bringing about political awareness and then radical change. The second section critically investigates the ecologies surrounding specific small tech objects, such as iPods and mobile phones, and the cultural implications of their use. Most of these essays are very short, simply bringing to the reader’s attention the most salient points for consideration. The third section looks at the future impact of virtual technologies, with haptic interfaces, visual displays, electronic surveillance, wearable computers and the potential for eduction of virtual teaching tools.

Considering the specific and technical nature of the subject matter, most essays are highly readable and suitable for readers with a general interest in our technologically saturated society, as well as those involved in new media design, implementation and policy making. There are black & white illustrations throughout the book to support the various arguments and discussions. The graphic design of the cover of this book is beyond redemption, it is bland, boring and unrelated to the subject matter. It is a good thing that most of us don’t “judge books by their covers” (or do we?) because you would never pick this one up from visual appeal alone.

I’m sure this book will become a standard reference text in the various areas of humanities scholarship. Scholars are now faced with challenges that are unprecedented in human history. The cultural impact and potential long term effects brought about by the exponential growth and expansion of technology globally, need to be carefully analysed and discussed if we are to use technology in our service and not the other way around. This book goes a long way towards informing this investigation.