| Six years ago, audiences howled when the movie “Clueless” depicted wealthy Beverly Hills teens clutching cell phones as they strolled through high school corridors. Now the scene could be set in any school. Or office. Or street corner. In the space of a few years, it has become a wireless world.
More than 112 million Americans now claim mobile phones, up from 28 million in 1995, when the film was released, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association. And a steady stream of tech firms and pundits are touting the wireless wave as one of the most important trends at the dawn of the 21st century.
Yet several dark clouds loom.
Worries persist that cell phones could emit cancer-causing radiation. Others fret they cause accidents by distracting drivers. And privacy watchdogs are worried that a federal mandate to force wireless companies to be able to locate users in an emergency could ultimately allow marketers to tail users, too.
At least two satellite-based wireless companies fell out of orbit last year, and a third could soon become space dust as well.
Plus, relatively few Americans seem to be logging onto the Net via their mobile phone, despite the popularity of such services in Japan (where home computers are less common).
Not every outlook is bleak. Analysts are still bullish on an armada of companies offering everything from movie listings to the weather via computer- synthesized voices on the telephone. Meanwhile, consumers are facing a growing array of electronic gadgets to go with their phone, ranging from handheld computers to keyboards to MP3 players. Some could help address the safety concerns.
Undoubtedly, many of these high-tech toys will become next year’s Newton. But others might become as ubiquitous as cell phones. | 
