Cell Phone

I bought my iPhone back in September 2007 before my 2 month excursion to Europe. I love gadgets and I use technology to its capacity. Currently, I am an owner of a 17' Intel MacBook Pro and I was sold on Apple products. I tout them so if you come here looking for non-bias opinion then looks elsewhere. I love my iPhone but when folks consult me about their decision to purchase one, I am frank and ask them if they will really use it the way it is intended to.

Nonetheless, Michael Mace at Rubicon Consulting has broken down some basic demographics of iPhone users. One thing I do dislike about my iPhone is the social status symbol. It is this symbol that make most people buy it but not use it. So, I was not surprise upon reviewing the data that most people are not using their iPhone the way I do.

The big question is . . . Who owns an iPhone? Well, it turns out that younger adults which 75% were already Apple consumers. Interesting enough that fits me perfectly.

The next question would be . . . What do you do on your iPhone? Honestly, I do everything on my phone. I do have to admit that I do not use my camera phone but who buys an iPhone in order to take pictures? The numbers show that most people Email and I do that when ever I am not around my laptop. Not as many people compose email via their iPhone and I will acknowledge that if I have a choice between composing one on my iPhone or Mac, I opt out for my Mac even if I have to do it later on in the day. I am not used to writing on my iPhone but neither was I great at SMS when I had myK800. Only about 20% use the maps feature which I think is ridiculous since it is an awesome feature especially to aid in avoiding rush hour traffic.

Other data indicated that 63% only carry their iPhone but surprisingly the other third do carry another phone. I purchased an iPhone because I disliked having to carry my cell phone and iPod etc.

So, who suffered from the iPhone entering the SmartPhone market? The Motorola Razr sufered the most from Apple releasing the iPhone. Other Phone marked the larger percentage overall but as a manufactuer Motorola took the greated blow.

As I have claimed many times the impact of the iPhone on the consumer market may not be evident for another two years but rest assure change is on the way. The iPhone has created a minimum standard upon which other manufacturers must meet in order to compete against Apple. Just like 8 years ago when camera phones were introduced, it took about 3 years for all consumers to benefit from having a camera phone due to the new standard. I speculate that in a couple of years consumers will reek in the benefits that are currently unique to Apple and its iPhone. You can review more information concluded from the research via the Rubicon Consulting Firm website. And if you happen to own an iPhone and frequent my website, I have create a web clip so you can add to your home screen to make surfing to my blog easier. Enjoy!

Consumer spending hits lowest point in 17 months - Consumers, jolted by a credit crisis, job cuts and soaring energy costs, turned in the weakest spending performance in 17 months in February, further evidence that the risks of a recession are increasing. The Commerce Department said today that consumer spending edged up by just 0.1 percent last month, the poorest showing since September 2006. And if the effects of inflation are removed, spending was flat in February, the third consecutive month of sluggish activity.

China Law Could Impede Microsoft Deal for Yahoo - Microsoft’s hostile-takeover attempt against Yahoo may encounter an unexpected hurdle in August after a Chinese antimonopoly law takes effect that will extend the nation’s economic influence far beyond its borders. The law, which goes into effect on Aug. 1, is intended to strengthen an existing set of antitrust regulations the Chinese originally established in 1993.

Ledger's Joker could be biggest posthumous movie role -  Heath Ledger's frenzied reinvention of the Joker had fans and colleagues buzzing. His dreadful clown face was seen online by millions, and stood as the goosebump-raising image upon which nearly all early marketing of "The Dark Knight" hinged. Now the Batman archfiend stands as Ledger's next-to-last performance. And while it's not the first, "The Dark Knight" has already emerged as arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.

Cuba lifts curbs on mobile phones - Cubans are to be allowed unrestricted access to mobile phones for the first time, in the latest reform announced under new President Raul Castro. Some Cubans already own mobile phones, but they have had to acquire them via a third party, often foreigners.

Human noses 'can detect danger' - Our noses can quickly learn to link even subtle changes in smell with danger, claim scientists. Volunteers who could not differentiate between two similar smells found they could do it easily after being given a mild electric shock alongside one.

The New York Times has an intresting article about current methods of communication used by teens. Laura M. Holson entertains the idea that cell phones are setting the future norm for communication between parent-child relationships. Holson claims, "Children increasingly rely on personal technological devices like cellphones to define themselves and create social circles apart from their families, changing the way they communicate with their parents."

Cellphone providers have come along way in promoting their services to families. 10 years ago their market was young adults and business professionals. 5 years later they restructured their promotions and started to aggressively target families with plans that would cover the whole household. This shift has proliferated the increase of children and teens that own a cellphone.

I still recall when text messaging was not that popular in 2003. In fact, teachers did not know that certain students were cheating on exams with their phones. That of course has changed. Nowadays there are official texting championships that test how fast you can thumb a random message. Did you know the Guinness Book of World record for text message is 41.52 seconds.

Why did text messaging become popular? 10 years ago, instant messaging was the "it" thing for teens. It was the new way to communicate as you could hold several conversations at once. Cellphones took over that role. You no longer have to own a computer to stay in touch with friends as was required with instant messaging. If you communicated with friends via IM, it was only a select few who had A) access to a computer and B) access to internet. In fact, you no longer have to be in front of a computer in order to communicate with friends now a days. It is this prime reason why I believe texting is so popular. Friends can stay in touch 24/7 or as long as the cellphone's battery does not die.

This type of communication has filtered into other relationships that teens have. Their perspectives expect individuals to adhere to their communication standards. Thus, parents have had to adapt to fulfill this demand. Holson adds, "When asked if their children wanted a call or a text message requesting that they be home by curfew, for instance, 58 percent of parents said their children preferred a text."

What's the social implication though? A concerned parent claims, “I see kids text under the table at the restaurant. They don’t teach them etiquette anymore.” From driving while texting to ordering your favorite tune or wallpaper via texting, the way technology entwines and impacts our life is changing rapidly. Don't be surprised if it becomes the norm to receive a notice from the boss via a text message or a reminder of your appointment by your doctor. What may change though will be how we communicate grammatically. If society as a whole embraces text messaging as a legitimate form of communication, expect it to receive structure much like emails did about 15 years ago. So "R U OK?" would no longer be permissible . . . at least not on as a business related text message.