Here is a look at a few technologies that we are so used to in our day to day life. Each technology has evolved and made so much of inroads into how we live.
This is a series of articles on each technology and how it is a convenience and a nuisance.

Mobile Phone:
This technology some conspiracy theorists claim to be a technology given by some alien race. Alien or not this technology has taken so much control of our lifes at such a fast pace that most of us just cannot do without it.

This technology from my perspective has been one of the most conveniences generating invention. The use has been manifold and abuse on par I must say. Lets look at how this small device has created a niche for itself in our life’s.

Reachability:
This is the greatest advantage this little power packed gizmo provides. Gone are the days when you had to wait for your near and dear ones to reach home from a long distance drive or from work. Even children now have mobiles that lets their parents keep a tab on their whereabouts, well not exactly whereabouts as its not possible to know where the other person is. But still to know that they are safe and sound is a great advantage. It’s a great tool in service centric business, if you want to provide after office service, redirect your landline to the mobile and you are connected to your customers.

The same can be a nightmare for many, with the assumption that the other person is carrying a mobile can lead to high blood pressure to the one calling if that person is not picking up the phone or the phone is switched off. We start wondering why he/she is not picking up, what would have happened where will he/she be? Its easy for the other person to lie about his or her whereabouts, good for the naughty one’s. Sometimes you need personal space away from your office and business, a romantic getaway, and when you are enjoying the moment the phone rings and there goes a perfect evening.

Finding location
Finding a location or meeting someone at a designated meeting place, used to be a project in itself. Make sure you have the exact location, landmarks the land line phone number and meeting place numbers before we venture on this adventure. It might so happen that you are standing on pillar number 5 and the other person is waiting for you for hours on pillar number 6 and never meet up. Of course those will be the real dumb one’s, but it does happen.
Now, you want to meet up somebody you just take up a general location area and then proceed with the complete confidence that you can get the other details when you reach that place. It’s that easy. Now in this entire process, if you forgot to take your mobile, I guess you had it for sure, because nowadays who wants to remember phone numbers or for that matter carry a phonebook, it’s all in the mobile contacts. So we are so much handicapped without it that we may not know the contact numbers for so many close friends with whom we talk every day. Then there is the battery running out on you. Boy you then run around looking for an adapter as though somebody is sucking the life out of you.

Information
Initially, if you need to pass some address details or such details over the phone it was like going back to kindergarten and spelling out each word M for mobile, O for ostrich, B for balloon…
Passing contact numbers, address details and any other such information now is literally on your fingertips. Just type them down as SMS and send it across. No need to say it loud and try to spell it out to the other person.

Music
In the yesteryears not long ago, we had the big radio set to listen to music broadcasted over radio waves, then came the tape recorders and we could listen to music in the comfort of our house. Our needs increased and we wanted to listen to music, while we are walking and jogging, Sony revolutionized this need with their walkman. Listening to music since then has evolved to the extent that people want to listen to music doing everything that you could possibly think of, right from attending nature’s call. It must be helping some in having a smooth go I guess. So now you are at home with this music maniac and you are talking to him, calling him and there is no response, why??, because he has these plastic things tucked up in his ears. God help him if there is an emergency.

Services
The service industry definitely has benefited from this invention. Customers can call and check on their delivery, but then again, you order something and after a long wait you call back and you get the reply “ They are just reaching” “The delivery has just left”.

Missed calls
This is one great tool to signal for a lot of things at zero cost. Awesome!!!
I have heard there is a tea stall that delivers tea to the offices around that area based on the missed calls. Talk about being an opportunist.
Sometimes the missed calls are annoying as there are some who take it as a religion and will only give missed calls and expect the other person to call back. Arrggghh!!!!

Status symbol

The good old days owning a car or a big house were the status symbols. These days anything goes, and mobile is one such device. Some need to have the latest device in their hands with all the possible features that one can think of. How much of those features do they use, none.
“Hey this is my new mobile; it has GPRS, MMS, and 3g.”
“What is 3g?”
“Err.. Some new feature its seems, I don’t know”

Emergency
This has been a great tool in the event of an emergency. You can call anyone quickly and get called as well and get out of the situation faster. However due to some annoying circumstances you tend to switch off your mobile, thereby at times switch off all possible communication. God forbid such situation from arising.

Caller ID
Now with the mobile phone getting crank calls, blank calls and the heavy breather types are the thing of the past. Thank god or the alien for that.

Competitions
Ah! The TV competitions, what a brilliant idea some one had to use this technology as a voting button and in the bargain make loads of money. Now that’s what I can using technology to the maximum at others expense. I wonder how people feel like sending SMS at such a high cost to make some unknown stranger the winner of a competition and not tire at just sending one but multiple SMS just to make somebody win ?????

Some of the below points are just disadvantages which can be avoided by just being diligent in the usage of this wonderful device

Health
Too much talking on the mobile phone is way to hazard, its like a slow poison and the best it to keep it to the bare minimum and use it only for required communication where landline usage is not possible.

Monthly bill
People have the tendency to call on the mobile when the other person is just a few feet away or across the road or on top of a building. Why?? Just walk over buddy, that action is an exercise it will only benefit you. It just adds to your expense. Use the magical missed call wherever applicable. Now don’t give missed calls expecting the other person to call, please…

Public places
Some people are in a meditational trance when they are on their mobile phones I guess. The will be so loud and vocal in public places like buses and waiting rooms as though in their trance they feel there is no body around them and its alright to talk loudly. Is there any suggestion on what can be done about these trance practitioners??

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