As IF Times

Source: Rob Kardashian Blac Chyna: Couple Grills Together After Engagement Reveal : People.com

Since the invention of the IPhone, an entirely new industry has sprung up dedicated to supplying the public with applications (apps) that enhance the experience of phone users.  While some have been quite useful, including navigational apps, or ones that point out the location of a restaurant, gas station or massage parlor,  there have been many more apps invented for all kinds of conveniences that we never knew we needed.  For amusement, take a look here, useless apps, to take in some training wheel  samples of human ingenuity.  For those too lazy to click on the link, they include such cutting edge human experiences as a tickle app; an app that measures how long you can hold your finger on a spot and an app that simulates the draining of a beer glass as you tilt the screen are among the gems.

Notwithstanding the improvements to the human condition that these apps represent, the reality is that for most people past the age of giggling when someone mentions boobies, apps that convey newsworthy information may be among the most useful of computer and phone apps.  The whole point of having a portable communication device is to be plugged in to the social world.  Here’s an idea for some smart app developer out there: create a filter that automatically deletes or blocks any reference to the inane revelations of most pop culture from a news feed.  Let’s assume that you don’t think that the gripping adventures of the Kardashians are newsworthy, or don’t find stories of Miley, or Justin, or Ben, or Jennifer, or Snoop Dog worthy of using up your bandwidth as you read about the latest Global Warming tragedy: you should  be able to filter out these cultural gems and only read about things that aren’t intellectual pablum and which threatens to cap your IQ.

It’s not that the lovable antics of the Hollywood prodigies aren’t interesting to some; heck they are the millennials’ version of the pet rock from another time.  But the embedding of their breathless exploits into real news feeds requires that you sift through them as if you were filtering junk flyers from your regular mail delivery.  Anyone who can develop such a filter app will not only be doing a service to the news business, they will also be helping to increase the general IQ level for all.

link DailyTech – Reports: Google’s Nexus One Price, ETFs, and Contract Details Leak

As hard as it is to believe, it was over 130 years ago in 1876, that US patent numbers 161,739 and 174,465 were issued to an American inventor that would contribute to arguably the most dynamic industry in history. Alexander Graham Bell, widely given credit for the invention of this device, started the whole ball rolling with the benign statement, at least for its time, “Watson, come here, I want you”. The Watson referred to was no slouch himself going on to later found a small business machine company which grew a bit into a company today known as IBM.

The telephone was invented. Over the next hundred plus years, every manner of contrivance was implemented to squeeze money from a public eager to talk and talk and then talk some more. In fact, some say that the phenomenon of the teenager would have been impossible were it not for the telephone’s invention. Morse coding your squeeze after a hot date wasn’t practical and spelling errors were problematic. “What did he mean by 2 dots? Did he mean 3 dots? or a dash?”

The first phone company, American Telephone and Telegraph had what many had assumed to be a lock on permanent revenue. How that got screwed up is another discussion, but suffice to say, with the evolution from communal phones, to private phones in homes, to public pay phones, there was a penny to made at every step. It wasn’t that long ago that if a long distance call came in, you would first be prompted to accept the charge by an operator and then the whole room went silent as this expensive call was taken. Phones were essential to any modern home in those days and it often occupied a prominent place in the house. The idea of convenience and portability in those days was a 30 foot cord.

Fast forward to our modern lives where cell phones are as common as nipples on a cow. Everyone has one, or two or six. Little kids have them as well as the elderly. Naturally business people require them and of course teenagers have them. In third world countries where there’s no running water or cable TV, the villagers have them. But a phone isn’t just a phone any more; how quaint would that be? Can you imagine kids in 1970 getting excited about getting a phone for Christmas?

No sir. Phones today are mini computers capable of collecting and transmitting not only voice, but also data. Pictures are sent, word files are stored. These devices can not only inform, but embarrass, just ask Tiger. Phones today have exceeded the capability of personal computers of just 10 years ago. Manufacturer Sony Ericsson has a ‘smart phone’ that approaches $900! Google has a product called Android which will compete with Iphone which competes with Blackberry.
Tech blogs wax breathlessly about the release of the new latest gizmo because…well…because…it’s newer and better!

According to a tech research outfit, Wintergreen Research, the worldwide telecommunications market including wireless handsets are set for extraordinary growth, doubling from $123 billion in 2004 to $282 billion in 2010. This piece was done presumably a few years ago, before the invention of the newer, costlier gizmos.

The classic advice for any salesperson is to point out features, but explain benefits. With the new phone devices these days, they’re all features but murky on the marginal benefits to the old phone. In fact, we’re seeing smart phones and dumb people. Is this really an empowerment of man’s innate need to communicate or is it just proof that people will buy anything as long as it’s new?

Who could have possibly imagined the lengths we’d go to just to gab about mainly nothing. The biggest irony is, most phones now are geared to allow people to communicate by TEXT not voice!! These days, when someone texts “Come here Watson, I want you”, it has a whole new meaning…and usually is accompanied by pictures.

So never mind banking bailouts, buy PHONES!