tel·e·phone - /ˈteləˌfōn/
noun
Remember back in the day when we used a phone ONLY to make phone calls? I know I do, but some folks who cannot legally drink may not know about that.
When I was knee high to a tadpole, my parents had one phone in the house. It was a rotary phone. Pulse dialing. But, this was way ahead of some neighbors who still had a party line. One phone number for multiple houses. Now a days we have multiple numbers per house! There are 6 different numbers that you could call right now and a phone in my house would ring.
It still boggles my mind what has changed in the last 4 decades, and where we will be in 4 decades from now. As it stands now we can stream HD content to a phone (and watch it in 720p) whilst waiting in line at airport. I have 4G on my MiFi and I get 26 Mbps download right now. Some places can get upwards of 60 Mbps! I remember when we got Dial-up at a screaming 14.4 Kbps. Then I figured out how to split it between multiple computers so I could be online at the same time as my sister. I played Rise Of The Triad on that phone line against one of my friends on my 486 PC. It was laggy as hell, but it was better than playing by yourself.
Then there was the PS2 that my wife bought me for Christmas in 2002 so I could play Grand Theft Auto III. Now, I have a tablet that I can play it on in the palm of my hands for about 15 straight hours without running out of battery.
My first cellular phone was a Samsung back in 2000. It was simply a phone. No SMS, no data, no facebook, no twitter. It was just a phone. I got lots of enjoyment calling my friends during college classes to see who left their ringer on. Through various upgrades over the years, I am now rockin out an iPhone 4 courtesy of my employer. Since I am a cheap skate, if my employer did not pay for a phone, I would have a simple feature phone (and maybe even a pre-paid plan). These smart phones are an amazing technology. I think that the iPhone has more computing power than the first 5 computers put together (none of which can play Angry Birds). Instant access to social media, friends, games, etc. It is sometimes overwhelming when you think about it.
One of my favorite activities is to harass folks with an iPhone about how much better Android is. At the same time I am also razzing anyone with an Android that they need to get an iPhone. Which is better? Well, I can definitely tell you that BlackBerry is the worst between Windows Phones, iOS and Android. I just like harassing people to get involved in a discussion with them. For many, Android is better. For others, iOS. And for a select few hard headed individuals who I have given up arguing with, Blackberry is for them.
No matter what your preference is, they are all much more capable than what we had a decade ago, or even 5 years ago. You cannot appreciate Pepsi without Coke, Pizza Hut without Dominoes, or....well, you get the picture.
All I can say is to embrace technology and look forward to where it is taking us but do not forget to remember where we came from. We may end up back there sometime in our lifetime if something catastrophic were to happen.
noun
1. A system that converts acoustic vibrations to electrical signals in order to transmit sound, typically voices, over a distance using wire or radio
2. An instrument used as part of such a system, typically a single unit including a handset with a transmitting microphone and a set of numbered buttons by which a connection can be made to another such instrument
Remember back in the day when we used a phone ONLY to make phone calls? I know I do, but some folks who cannot legally drink may not know about that.When I was knee high to a tadpole, my parents had one phone in the house. It was a rotary phone. Pulse dialing. But, this was way ahead of some neighbors who still had a party line. One phone number for multiple houses. Now a days we have multiple numbers per house! There are 6 different numbers that you could call right now and a phone in my house would ring.
It still boggles my mind what has changed in the last 4 decades, and where we will be in 4 decades from now. As it stands now we can stream HD content to a phone (and watch it in 720p) whilst waiting in line at airport. I have 4G on my MiFi and I get 26 Mbps download right now. Some places can get upwards of 60 Mbps! I remember when we got Dial-up at a screaming 14.4 Kbps. Then I figured out how to split it between multiple computers so I could be online at the same time as my sister. I played Rise Of The Triad on that phone line against one of my friends on my 486 PC. It was laggy as hell, but it was better than playing by yourself.
Then there was the PS2 that my wife bought me for Christmas in 2002 so I could play Grand Theft Auto III. Now, I have a tablet that I can play it on in the palm of my hands for about 15 straight hours without running out of battery.
My first cellular phone was a Samsung back in 2000. It was simply a phone. No SMS, no data, no facebook, no twitter. It was just a phone. I got lots of enjoyment calling my friends during college classes to see who left their ringer on. Through various upgrades over the years, I am now rockin out an iPhone 4 courtesy of my employer. Since I am a cheap skate, if my employer did not pay for a phone, I would have a simple feature phone (and maybe even a pre-paid plan). These smart phones are an amazing technology. I think that the iPhone has more computing power than the first 5 computers put together (none of which can play Angry Birds). Instant access to social media, friends, games, etc. It is sometimes overwhelming when you think about it.
One of my favorite activities is to harass folks with an iPhone about how much better Android is. At the same time I am also razzing anyone with an Android that they need to get an iPhone. Which is better? Well, I can definitely tell you that BlackBerry is the worst between Windows Phones, iOS and Android. I just like harassing people to get involved in a discussion with them. For many, Android is better. For others, iOS. And for a select few hard headed individuals who I have given up arguing with, Blackberry is for them.
No matter what your preference is, they are all much more capable than what we had a decade ago, or even 5 years ago. You cannot appreciate Pepsi without Coke, Pizza Hut without Dominoes, or....well, you get the picture.
All I can say is to embrace technology and look forward to where it is taking us but do not forget to remember where we came from. We may end up back there sometime in our lifetime if something catastrophic were to happen.
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