Hi. My name is Art and I’m a recovering Blackberry abuser. I’ve been holster-free for 26 months. I still feel the phantom buzz and reach for my device while driving. I know there’s a greater power that I can never overcome but I continue my struggles. Could we hear from brother Barry?
I was listening to HPR this morning about president Obama’s struggle to keep his Blackberry. The thrust of the coverage revolved around increased security that would prevent hackers from using the phone as a listening device. The reporter droned on about how a White House server was more secure and blah, blah, blah. What they entirely missed was the addictive nature of the crackberry and how this might have shaped the 44th president.
Yes, it is true. I did own one a few years ago. I was faithful and carried it everywhere and diligently (obediently) and compulsively checked my email at every opportunity. When I finally did switch, I was completely devastated because I would lose my favorite breakout game. But I’m here to tell you, it can be done and it is a liberating feeling. I didn’t have that phantom buzz to keep me on edge and I wasn’t concerned that I might be missing some vital email announcing my winning Nigerian lottery ticket.
Granted, notification that North Korea has launched another long-range missle pales in comparison to my boring life, but do we really want the text “n kor cmd launch… explosion 10 min into flght… FAIL-WHALE!” to be in the national archives? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you agree. Plus, given all the new laws regarding texting and driving, can you imagine the traffic jam in D.C. if the Wizards ever made it past the first round of the NBA playoffs?
OK, I’ll have to admit that having the First Geek in the White House does intrigue and thrill me. It’s a form of validation for the lifestyle that I’ve chosen and surely a great way to promote it.
As for me, I may be a recovering Blackberry addict but I did give in to the dark side and bought an iPhone. Does anybody know if there’s a technology equivalent to the needle exchange program?
So That's Life? 
Ticket to Ride
01/28/2009One of the most useful (and free!) applications that I found for the iPhone is the Public Radio tuner. It aggregates the streaming audio from public radio stations from around the country into one, easy to use, interface. Most importantly, both of Hawaii’s stations are available to listen to on my daily bus commute to work.
With the iPhone, I’ve come to expect a 3G signal just like I expect clean air, clean water, and a dial tone. I pay my monthly bill and in return, I expect to have my internet connection wherever I go. I plug in my headset as I walk down to the bus stop and the latest news is delivered via the iPhone. I board the bus and and the experience seamlessly transfers to my city & county limousine. However, as I enter the urban core at the intersection of Kapiolani and Kaheka, my listening experience is suddenly and inexplicably shattered. Without fail, the stream is broken and I suffer sporadic coverage throughout the remaining 1 mile of my ride.
If I were in some outlying area or even in a concentration of tall buildings, I could understand this problem. However, this stretch of road runs through the commercial center of town. There are literally hundreds of businesses operating and thousands of employees working in this area. Hello AT&T, can you explain where my signal went? The most ironic aspect of this outage is that the public radio broadcast emanates from within this area!
While this service disruption is annoying, I find it more emblematic of my personal dilemma. How do I fit technology into my everyday life when something as simple as a radio signal can’t be relied on? I want to embrace the online experience. I want to be wired but if I can’t get a signal in the middle of town, is this lifestyle really ready for prime time?
Posted in Blogroll, commentary, tech | Tagged AT&T, commentary, tech, wifi | 2 Comments »