The only thing that was in my mind when we made that first phone call was, 'Is it going to work?' We had all these parts hand soldered together, engineers standing by with the soldering iron - just in case.
Martin CooperRead
People are mobile. They move around, and anytime they want to communicate, if you tie them to the wall or the wires, you're restricting them, you're infringing on their freedom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Communication should be free and unrestricted; limiting it violates personal freedom.
In this quote, Martin Cooper highlights the inherent nature of people to be mobile and the crucial role of unrestrained communication in their lives. He argues that tying individuals to physical limitations, such as walls or wires, not only restricts their movement but also their ability to connect and interact freely, thus infringing upon their personal freedom.
Themes
CommunicationFreedomMobilityTechnologyConnection
In practice
Example use cases
During a technology conference to emphasize the importance of wireless communication.
More from Martin Cooper
All quotes βAs I walked down the street while talking on the phone, sophisticated New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around while making a phone call. Remember that in 1973, there weren't cordless telephones, let alone cellular phones. I made numerous calls, including one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio reporter - probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my life.
Martin CooperRead
When you are doing one thing - talking on your phone, texting, whatever - you are automatically not doing something else. What is the greatest scarcity in the world today? It's not oil. It's time. Time is precious. Don't throw it away.
Martin CooperRead
Somehow in the last 100 years, every time there is a problem of getting more spectrum, there is a technology that comes along that solves that problem.
Martin CooperRead
It pleases me no end to have had some small impact on people's lives because these phones do make people's lives better. They promote productivity, they make people more comfortable, they make them feel safe and all of those things.
Martin CooperRead
We did envision that some day the phone would be so small that you could hang it on your ear or even have it embedded under your skin.
Martin CooperRead
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