Another Reason For Hands Free Cell Phone Use?

I came (no pun intended) across this article during lunch. I guess its true. Attach enough dollar signs to something and it will become acceptable. The part I find particularly disturbing? The apparent rise of the medium on cell phones. Another avenue to deliver it to those who really don't need it, like oh, text-happy teenagers?

"Juniper Research analyst Windsor Holden estimates consumers around the world will spend $1.8 billion on cell-phone porn this year. He thinks that will grow to $4 billion by 2012. Strategy Analytics, another research firm, forecasts the mobile-adult-services market will reach $5 billion worldwide by 2010. Holden chalks it up in part to the cell phone's "anytime, anywhere" availability."

Given the fact that cell phones have lead to a revamping of certain rules of etiquette, I can only imagine some of the questions that will arise from this. "Is it ok to download porn while at Aunt Hattie's funeral?" A: "Yes, as long as you don't have the sound turned up on the money shot."

"The mobile phone affords the user of mobile adult services the opportunity for privacy, which many users may find attractive," Holden says."

Just like all those 'private' conversations that we are treated to in virtually every public setting today. Yeah, I'm really diggin' this brave new world. Who cares if the thoughtless teenage knucklehead just let loose with a litany of curses in front of your three year old? Just try explaining the Jenna Jameson clip he just exposed both your pre-teen children to. Pull the other one, jackass. It plays 'Jingle Bells'.

"Private Media says its content is available to more than 745 million cell-phone users in 33 countries via 78 operators, and it expects big growth. "We think that wireless will be an explosive top-line revenue opportunity for the simple reason that the cell phone is the ubiquitous device in the world," Cohen says."

We smell money. Screw every other consideration.

"Consumers aren't just looking at pictures, watching video and downloading naughty ring tones or video games. "Adoption is really rising rapidly in Europe, and one of the key drivers is video chat," says Holden. Several services provide one-on-one video chat with models for $3 a minute, he says, and the average length of the chat is six to seven minutes."

Yeah, standing in line at the Safeway and hearing someone's purse going "OOOOHHHHH! OOOOOHHHHH! OOHHHHHHH!!!" in a rising crescendo because of their incoming (no pun intended) call. As for the average chat being six to seven minutes, I guess that should go a long way towards shattering some people's expectations about the act itself. Of course no one will care. They'll all be calling these lines on their phones.

"Compared with Europe, U.S. demand has lagged because high-speed data connections aren't as prevalent and carriers are more reluctant to offer cell-phone porn. But Cohen thinks the rollout of faster data service in the U.S. and better age-verification systems will change that. "As those two obstacles get worked out, we see enormous upside," he says."

Ok, I'm a Verizon shareholder, and I do not believe for a minute that any carrier will be reluctant to offer any $ervice that might bring in the dollar$. I suppose I shouldn't be cursing the slow connections any more. The enormous upside I can contemplate is reading the police reports from some of the new accidents being caused by people on their cell phones.