41–50 of 106 posts
"You should follow me on twitter here" ... Groan.
Please explain why that line bothers you and refrain from insults. This is not reddit.
... it speaks volumes to me, none of it good.
Why do people think that a person immersed in a gadget is a bad thing? I wouldn't be doing anything better without it. I would be bored to hell, as it used to be before I got my first gadget.
It’s handy to have all these things in one device, but for now, the pros outweigh the cons for me. The pro's listed: You call people more & you don't worry about damaging your phone anymore. Personally, those pro's don't even come close to outweighing the inconvenience of not having instant access to maps, music, camera and email for me.
Saying that smartphones make you unproductive and then making a big announcement online about how you're giving up your smartphone is just a hip thing to do right now. The truth is that smartphones are just another tool. It's like saying you won't drive any more because you could get in an accident and die. Just as I drive as carefully as I can, I avoid being engrossed in my smartphone the whole day. But that doesn't…
It's also on Giffgaff in the UK so it costs me £20 top up a month for what I was paying around £80 a month for before.
It is a weight lifted from my shoulders in many ways.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you a robot or something? Humans need to talk, meet and interact. Even Obama and the Pope can find time for a chat, let alone a normal person.
While I agree with what you're saying, your examples don't hold up. Do you really think you can just pick up your phone and chat to Obama or the Pope about the weather? Of course not, their time is too important. You'd need to schedule a meeting long in advance to chat with them, and you'd chat about very interesting topics. Why should my time or your time be any less valuable than Obama's or the Pope's?
You might think that your time is as valuable as theirs -- and I'm not arguing either for or against it -- but the fact is that you would be a minority and the world doesn't work the way we think it should, but the way majority decides (or is led to decide). And the world's that way not just when it comes to phone calls.
Try this - Leave home with nothing and go take a walk around. No bags, no phone, no keys, nothing. Just clothes and maybe $20 in your pocket for emergencies. Leave early and with no commitments later in the day. Eat on the road. Return when you feel like it. Walk at whatever pace you like. Go wherever your legs take you. It's an awesome feeling like nothing else. Helps if you live with someone so they can let you in…
Some out of date Kodak 35mm film (free) and an old Praktica camera (free) and the city was mine. That, clothes and a rain coat and I was happy :)
I don't advocate it, but trespassing has certain interesting side as well and is free (if you don't get caught).
People seem to always enjoy experimenting with the way they live. I don't think the lack of a smart phone that created a good experience, I think it is trying out a new pace.
I spent several years with my family in a rather primitive house. We tried to minimize use of power when possible to save money and not be dependent on it. As a result, our refrigeration needs were minimal.
For several months, we started shutting off the main power circuit into the house for one day a week, usually Saturday or Sunday (and banning the use of battery-powered gadgets). It was awesome. No phone calls, no humming of the refrigerator, no ability to distract oneself easily with the PC or a movie or the radio. We would eat basic meals, go on walks, or just sit around the house/property on our own and reflect. I'd read more. The evenings were often spent playing cards together, often by the wood stove, with candles, talking more, drinking wine.
I miss those days, and someday hope to return to such a situation. This isn't some kind of snobbery. Such silence and freedom -- such idle time -- is good for the mind, body, and soul (at least that's what I personally believe). I encourage people to experience such peace when they can.
No camera; I don't take pics from my smartphone.
No music; Not enought choice of music in the format required and anyway the player leak too much battery and it is lagging.
No maps; 10 minutes to get a fix...
I’ve started calling people more; taking 10 minutes for a fix on the agps built-in is too long
I don’t care for my phone; it is so heavy that I got asked at airport
My concerns were mostly right, but I can live without these things; but someone told me QtMoko was usable, I will give it a try also.
Let me the time to compile this thing ( Not going back.. for now )
Message sent from my OpenMoko Freerunner GTA02
Here's my experience. It's not exactly the same, but it's worth a read. Currently I have a very basic Nokia model. There is a process called 'handing over' or 'hand shake' that happens when you move from one cell (a small region of an entire area) to another or when one cellphone tower 'hands over' the signal to another tower. This process is handled exceptionally well on most smartphones, but not so well on the basi…
But spot on to all your points :)
Here are my observations: - No one reads (books) on buses/trains anymore. Its very rare to see someone reading a book in SF in public transport. - No one looks around anymore. I seem like the only person who is looking out the window, or observing fellow passengers. I would say around 80% of the people have their headphones on, and are engrossed in their smartphone. One funny incident stands out. I waked into Chipotl…
They do here (Tokyo area).
What's interesting is that a few years ago, far fewer people seemed to be reading; everybody was staring at their phone. Lately (within the last couple of years), however, this seems to be changing, and I see many more people reading actual books [this is helped by the fact that Japanese paperbacks [文庫] are almost perfectly suited for train reading, being small, thin, light, and flexible].
My guess is that the bloom has passed to some degree, and highly capable phones have become so normal that people are less fascinated by them, and more likely to see the tradeoffs compared to things like books/newspapers/etc. [and indeed, I seem to see more people reading actual broadsheets on trains lately as well]
That doesn't mean people don't look at their phones, of course; many do. But books are back, baby... :]
[This is all merely my personal observation of course; YMMV...]