What we need is for somebody to make one of those Norman Rockwell holiday paintings, but instead of a group caroling or a family opening gifts, it will be someone pretending to listen to their uncle's endless meanderings while really devoting their attention to that Tetris high score on their phone. Let's face it, MobiDiction is fast becoming as American as preemptive warfare. Shouldn't we allow it to become a part of our holiday traditions as well?
Thursday, December 11, 2008
MobiDiction and the Holidays
MobiDiction will no doubt affect your holidays this year. No, it's not a cardinal sin to check your pocket for texts every five minutes at the table during Thanksgiving dinner, nor is it entirely shameless during Christmas mass to snap and send a picture of the stuffy priest to one of your friends. These aren't desecrations of sacred custom, but creative new pieces to add to the holiday tradition. Pretty soon, buying last-second gifts with your iPhone on Christmas Eve will be just as precious a holiday ritual as putting that last ornament on the tree or making the first cut into the Thanksgiving turkey.
What we need is for somebody to make one of those Norman Rockwell holiday paintings, but instead of a group caroling or a family opening gifts, it will be someone pretending to listen to their uncle's endless meanderings while really devoting their attention to that Tetris high score on their phone. Let's face it, MobiDiction is fast becoming as American as preemptive warfare. Shouldn't we allow it to become a part of our holiday traditions as well?
What we need is for somebody to make one of those Norman Rockwell holiday paintings, but instead of a group caroling or a family opening gifts, it will be someone pretending to listen to their uncle's endless meanderings while really devoting their attention to that Tetris high score on their phone. Let's face it, MobiDiction is fast becoming as American as preemptive warfare. Shouldn't we allow it to become a part of our holiday traditions as well?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Crackberry
For those who seek additional tales of mobi-diction beyond my weekly dose, here's some very good news. Blackberry Made Simple, whose products my company KnowledgeShift is a licensed dealer of, recently released a 'true-crime' style book geared toward mobile addicts. It's called CrackBerry: True Tales of BlackBerry Use and Abuse, but from what it looks like it speaks to all mobi-addicts, not just BlackBerry users. You can purchase it directly into your device here. It's also available in regular print edition, though if you're a frequenter of this blog you probably forgot long ago what a paperback book is. In other news, hope everyone had a very mobi-Thanksgiving. Stay tuned for new stories in the next couple days!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
MobiDiction, pt4: Phones for Felons
Today's post again comes from the news. A friend recently alerted me to this innovative new program that a correctional system has implemented in the Southeast. Here it is:
"Repeat offender rates have always been awful in our state, but in the last year they've gotten so desperate that we've had to start taking new, 'outside-the-box' measures. The most recent one is a locally funded program to give inmates well-equipped mobile devices upon their return to society.
There was considerable public outcry at first ('Why reward criminals with items that most tax-paying citizens can't afford?'), but much of that has now been silenced by the program's success. Of course it's too early to make a complete judgment, and other factors may be at play, but the fact remains that this month's repeat offender rate is considerably lower than expected.
What's the link between lower crime and mobility, you ask? We believe that the busier and more distracted ex-convicts are, the less time they'll have to commit crime. We've equipped their devices with an assortment of games and stupid videos, and limited browsing and communication abilities. Thus, now instead of masterminding heists, stealing from the weak, or murdering for pleasure, they're beating Frogger and watching 'Knock Knock.' The results are there for all to see.
Is this finally the nationwide solution we've been looking for? It stands to reason that so long as ex-cons are wasting their lives away they can't ruin others'. But only time will tell."
"Repeat offender rates have always been awful in our state, but in the last year they've gotten so desperate that we've had to start taking new, 'outside-the-box' measures. The most recent one is a locally funded program to give inmates well-equipped mobile devices upon their return to society.
There was considerable public outcry at first ('Why reward criminals with items that most tax-paying citizens can't afford?'), but much of that has now been silenced by the program's success. Of course it's too early to make a complete judgment, and other factors may be at play, but the fact remains that this month's repeat offender rate is considerably lower than expected.
What's the link between lower crime and mobility, you ask? We believe that the busier and more distracted ex-convicts are, the less time they'll have to commit crime. We've equipped their devices with an assortment of games and stupid videos, and limited browsing and communication abilities. Thus, now instead of masterminding heists, stealing from the weak, or murdering for pleasure, they're beating Frogger and watching 'Knock Knock.' The results are there for all to see.
Is this finally the nationwide solution we've been looking for? It stands to reason that so long as ex-cons are wasting their lives away they can't ruin others'. But only time will tell."
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
MobiDiction, pt3: Mobile Potty Joker
I'm able to take today's installment straight from the headlines. The following story, which comes from France, proves that mobidiction is indeed a worldwide phenomenon. Without further ado:
"A passenger on a French train had to be rescued by firemen after having his arm sucked down the on-board toilet.
"A passenger on a French train had to be rescued by firemen after having his arm sucked down the on-board toilet.
The 26-year-old victim was trapped when he tried to fish out his mobile phone, which had fallen into the toilet bowl, and fell foul of the suction system.
The high-speed TGV train had to stop for two hours while firemen cut through the train's pipework.
The man was carried away by emergency services, with the toilet still attached to his arm.
"He came out on a stretcher, with his hand still jammed in the toilet bowl, which they had to saw clean off," said Benoit Gigou, a witness to the man's plight.
The incident happened on Sunday evening, aboard a train travelling in western France between La Rochelle and Paris." (Source: the BBC)"
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Tales of MobiDiction, pt 2: Texting Waitress
I received this story a couple of days ago:
"I'm not ashamed to say that I am mobi-dicted. It's the best way to stay connected to friends and keep current on news. But what happened to me the other day borders on embarrassing so I thought I'd share it with you.
I wait tables in a busy restaurant. Naturally, it's a management rule that servers can't have phones with them during a shift so that we stay focused on our tables. I always follow this rule, but one day last week I got so involved in texting a friend before work and didn't want to stop when my shift began. So I kept my phone on me and covertly typed a quick message whenever I had a spare moment. Multitasking was a little tough, but the diners stayed happy and my managers had no idea about the texting, so I figured it was all running smoothly.
A little later, when I had a spare moment, I checked to see what my friend had just texted me. He'd written: 'What are you talking about? Turkey club, filet, side of mashed potatoes? Is this a joke I'm not getting?' I didn't understand, so I checked the message I'd just sent. Indeed, I'd accidentally texted him my most recent table's order instead of sending it back to the kitchen. I froze for a second. If I'd sent him the order, what did I put into the computer to go back to the kitchen?
I raced to the kitchen. The cooks were laughing and smiling at me. "So Jenny told Maria that she was fat?" one cook said, trying his best to keep a straight face. My managers didn't find the 'mixed message' quite as funny, but fortunately it only amounted to a slap on the wrist. It's the only time mobi-diction has crept into my job, but my coworkers won't let me forget it anytime soon."
Please, keep sending your stories in!
"I'm not ashamed to say that I am mobi-dicted. It's the best way to stay connected to friends and keep current on news. But what happened to me the other day borders on embarrassing so I thought I'd share it with you.
I wait tables in a busy restaurant. Naturally, it's a management rule that servers can't have phones with them during a shift so that we stay focused on our tables. I always follow this rule, but one day last week I got so involved in texting a friend before work and didn't want to stop when my shift began. So I kept my phone on me and covertly typed a quick message whenever I had a spare moment. Multitasking was a little tough, but the diners stayed happy and my managers had no idea about the texting, so I figured it was all running smoothly.
A little later, when I had a spare moment, I checked to see what my friend had just texted me. He'd written: 'What are you talking about? Turkey club, filet, side of mashed potatoes? Is this a joke I'm not getting?' I didn't understand, so I checked the message I'd just sent. Indeed, I'd accidentally texted him my most recent table's order instead of sending it back to the kitchen. I froze for a second. If I'd sent him the order, what did I put into the computer to go back to the kitchen?
I raced to the kitchen. The cooks were laughing and smiling at me. "So Jenny told Maria that she was fat?" one cook said, trying his best to keep a straight face. My managers didn't find the 'mixed message' quite as funny, but fortunately it only amounted to a slap on the wrist. It's the only time mobi-diction has crept into my job, but my coworkers won't let me forget it anytime soon."
Please, keep sending your stories in!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tales of Mobi-Diction, pt1
The weekend is nearly upon us, which I think calls for a more relaxed, anecdotal post. A friend, who due to the sensational nature of this story will remain nameless, related this to me a few days ago:
"I just upgraded from a pretty basic phone to the new iPhone. Having used mobile devices for years with a commendable degree of sanity and moderation, I thought I could adapt to my new one without any problems. But the iPhone's just got so many features, especially GPS, that I've gotten accustomed to and have come to rely upon it more than I should. This was made clear to me the other day.
Since the iPhone has GPS, I never bother to look up the address of where I'm going before I leave the house, since I can just do it on the fly. So when I found out that my girlfriend's parents were in town for a surprise visit, I suggested we all eat dinner. It was my job to choose the restaurant, but I'd just left work and didn't have time to go home first. So I grabbed my trusty new iPhone, pulled up the GPS and looked up the address for a hip new restaurant, 'Liza,' that a buddy had told me about. I called my girlfriend, told her the address, and let her know I'd be a little behind them and that they could go ahead and grab a table.
As I approached the restaurant a few minutes later I saw my girlfriend and her parents standing outside the front door. They looked a little annoyed. I asked if there was a long wait inside, to which my girlfriend curtly replied, "There's no wait." "Well, you didn't need to wait up on me." My girlfriend looked at me in a way no one's ever looked at me, like she was choking for air. In the same curt tone, she spat out: "Why don't you go in and check it out for yourself?"
I stepped inside. Music blared. Lots of red lights and mirrors. This was not the restaurant I'd heard about. And then I connected all the dots. The stage, the pole in the center? I'd invited my girlfriend and her parents to a strip club. In utter panic and confusion, I stumbled outside again.
I was screwed either way. If I lied and told them I purposely sent them to a strip club, they wouldn't have seen the humor in it. And if I told them that I just plugged something into my iPhone they'd think I was irresponsible and uncaring. Needless to say, the only thing I've been using the Internet on the iPhone for recently has been reading articles on how to correct relationship mistakes.
It was much later that I found out I'd misheard my friend. Riza, not Liza, was the restaurant he'd recommended. Of course, if I'd never allowed myself to become so reliant on my device, I'd never have been in this situation, would I?"
That's a pretty good one. I know that you or someone you know's had a similarly funny, embarrassing, or downright frightening experience arising from your addiction to a mobile device, and I'd love to hear about them. Feel free to post below!
"I just upgraded from a pretty basic phone to the new iPhone. Having used mobile devices for years with a commendable degree of sanity and moderation, I thought I could adapt to my new one without any problems. But the iPhone's just got so many features, especially GPS, that I've gotten accustomed to and have come to rely upon it more than I should. This was made clear to me the other day.
Since the iPhone has GPS, I never bother to look up the address of where I'm going before I leave the house, since I can just do it on the fly. So when I found out that my girlfriend's parents were in town for a surprise visit, I suggested we all eat dinner. It was my job to choose the restaurant, but I'd just left work and didn't have time to go home first. So I grabbed my trusty new iPhone, pulled up the GPS and looked up the address for a hip new restaurant, 'Liza,' that a buddy had told me about. I called my girlfriend, told her the address, and let her know I'd be a little behind them and that they could go ahead and grab a table.
As I approached the restaurant a few minutes later I saw my girlfriend and her parents standing outside the front door. They looked a little annoyed. I asked if there was a long wait inside, to which my girlfriend curtly replied, "There's no wait." "Well, you didn't need to wait up on me." My girlfriend looked at me in a way no one's ever looked at me, like she was choking for air. In the same curt tone, she spat out: "Why don't you go in and check it out for yourself?"
I stepped inside. Music blared. Lots of red lights and mirrors. This was not the restaurant I'd heard about. And then I connected all the dots. The stage, the pole in the center? I'd invited my girlfriend and her parents to a strip club. In utter panic and confusion, I stumbled outside again.
I was screwed either way. If I lied and told them I purposely sent them to a strip club, they wouldn't have seen the humor in it. And if I told them that I just plugged something into my iPhone they'd think I was irresponsible and uncaring. Needless to say, the only thing I've been using the Internet on the iPhone for recently has been reading articles on how to correct relationship mistakes.
It was much later that I found out I'd misheard my friend. Riza, not Liza, was the restaurant he'd recommended. Of course, if I'd never allowed myself to become so reliant on my device, I'd never have been in this situation, would I?"
That's a pretty good one. I know that you or someone you know's had a similarly funny, embarrassing, or downright frightening experience arising from your addiction to a mobile device, and I'd love to hear about them. Feel free to post below!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
