[Discuss] [OT] Smart Phones

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

On 03/01/2013 08:31 AM, Mark Woodward wrote:
> I think I was the last human being above the age of 16 to get a smart 
> phone. Android, of course. I think the people who claim that they are 
> "life changing" are using more than a bit of hyperbole. As I think 
> about it, it really isn't a "phone" so much as a wireless personal 
> computer that happens to have a telephone application. Still, its 
> pretty useful.
>
> Thinking about it, it is a proper evolution from the phone. The phone 
> has become obsolete. Teenage girls don't spend hours on the phone 
> anymore. They spend hours texting. As more and more of our 
> communications becomes "written," the more these types of devices 
> become the norm. I can text and email coworkers easier than I can 
> speak with them. With all the various accents and nationalities, 
> verbal communications can be quite difficult. I can think as I write 
> much easier than when I speak.
>
> So, yes. As you walk through crowds of people, every single one of 
> them looking at their "phone," we have certainly rounded a corner in 
> human communications.
>
It has changed society significantly. With a Smartphone, you are 
virtually never out of communications range. (Unless you are in an area 
not covered like a National Park). Nearly every facet of society has 
been affected including warfare. Osama bin Laden was tracked down by his 
courier's cell phone. In your example, above, it also gives these kids 
some independence. In the old days they had a single landline in a house 
shared by all members of the family, and parents could snoop. Today, 
with text messaging the device is portable so while their parents can 
check on the bills and usage, they can't see anything about the 
individual text messages. But also the smartphone can be used to enforce 
24x7 coverage by one person in an IT situation. The impact of 
smartphones is world-wide.

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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