A Virtual Part of Me

It's not really surprising to learn that how smartphones are changing the world and our lives.  When I was on the train, I noticed that 90% of people around me were using smartphones.  About 70% of it were iPhones.  I was on the train to San Francisco for a couple of times.  Every time I might see different faces but the fact that the majority of people were using smartphones always held true. It's even hard to spot people who are using non-smart phones now-a-day.  It's not even surprising to me anymore that a lot of elderly people are using smart phones, especially iPhone due to its intuitive functions and usage I guess.  Who says old people are resist to change?  Smart phones are proving them to be wrong? :P

Speaking of my experiences, a smart phone has drastically changed my life.  It's like my virtual secretary.  Or an electronic Personal Data Assistant (PDA)?  With it, internet is just at the tip of my fingers.  Get lost and need directions?  Google Maps and other GPS applications are right there to help me anytime.  Checking weather and stocks are so handy.  Oh yeah, time and world clock!  I don't even remember that I haven't worn my watches for how many years.  And if I want to talk with my uncle in Burma, all I need is to check the world clock to make sure that I'm making a call him at the appropriate time. 

Utilities such as calculator, torchlight, to-do-list are all in there as well.  Not sure how long but I don't bother to remember all my appointments anymore.  Literally I don't know any of them on top of my head.  Reasons?  They all are marked and sitting in phone's calendar.  When it's getting closer, the reminders I set gonna reminds me for every single schedule or appointment.  So why worries? 

Needs entertainment? No more carrying of a separate mp3 anymore.  iPod is just sitting in right there.  As a matter of fact, my 32GB iPod is just sitting itself on the charging center most of the time.  As my phone has an integrated iPod so why bother carrying two separate items?  What's even cooler is when my phone iPod gets connected to Bluetooth of our car, we can enjoy our favorite music at the quality of the car's amplifier speaker.  Poor DVDs or CDs are just sitting at the corner and hardly ever got picked them up these days.  Sorry! :(

Want radio?  Breaking and top headlines news?  Gossips?  Netflix?  You name it.  Oh wait!  Can't forget about games.  People of all ages can't get away from it.  Even my girls love to play some educational games.  And they prefer to watch kid video clips on iPad over Nickelodeon Jr on TV for some reasons.  iPad is the hottest gadget at home now.  Once we get home, everyone wants to use it.  Even the laptops are not much in favor now for daily surfing of the internet. 

And yes, camera and video?  In case I forgot to grab my camera on the go, it didn't even bother me anymore. When one can take high definition pictures and video clips easily via the phone, no more complaints anymore of course. 

No more paper newspaper or magazines.  And not even hard copy books.  Thanks to the electronic versions which could easily be carried in your phone without any extra weight and space . 

And it doesn't even stop there.  All the deals and coupons are so handy.  A lot of times, my friends asked me how I managed to find good deals as a busy working mom?  No secret of course.  It's so convenient that those deal sites like Groupons could easily be browsed at my fingertip during those tiny little spare times I could get :P  What's even cooler is that no more pouts or regrets for not printing any coupon out of one's forgetfulness.  Forgot?  No problem!  Just show the coupon bar code in your phone and they could scan it from there.  What's a fascinating technology era!!

And I must add about this personal trainer software as well.  It tells me how many calories I broke during my exercise.  It'll advise me whether I'm doing good or on track, etc.  Literally, without setting a foot in the gym, one can stay fit and healthy economically of course.  It saves me $$$ from they gym membership or the actual personal trainer :P

Possibilities are just endless.  My phone is the electronic versioned of my small little all-in-one.  It's so much amazing that it's drastically changing my lifestyles.  Without even knowing myself, it's becoming a part of me.  I feel so naked without it.  When I'm in one of those rare areas where the reception is poor or no coverage, I feel so strained and screwed.  I feel like I'm a living disabled person who got disconnected from the world.   

I could not even imagine how gadgets would gonna evolve ten years from now.  Now, they had already shaped our daily lifestyles.  And with more and more advanced technology, it will change and aid our daily activities even more.  I feel that they will be more influential to our lives and would become one of the integral parts of our lives for which they already did even now.  The only bummer might be the "cost".  Hopefully it'll gradually drop and make them much more affordable for everyone.  I often wonder to have a little robot as my house maid which will be sharing the workload of my house chores.  Let the innovation evolve and keep them rocking and rolling!!