That said, I do use it to check the weather occasionally, and to get traffic directions - and at doing those things, it's pretty good.

Bryant

No Android apps, just a very few limited functions. The camera sucks. I use it only for phone calls and an MP3 player.

There's an app for that

This still makes me snort when I watch it.

my wife lives on hers.

Very small, and fits in any pocket with room to spare. It's never on, unless I need to make a phone call. It works great for that, and the battery doesn't need to be charged for weeks.

if you don't need to have net access. They are more durable, reliable, and consume little power.

in case I want to check something on the Internet or read whatever book I'm currently reading. The phone is there to make calls, when necessary. It's usually with me. The Kindle is often left behind.

crossword or scrabble games (when one is bored in a waiting room) or sending texts "speech to text" for which internet access is needed, smartphones are the best. Free WiFi is available in so many places these days for activities that don't require too much security, so one doesn't even have to use the 3G network all the time.

Only about 10 people, mostly relatives, have my number.

At home I have an iPod, DVD player, flat screen LCD/LED TV, turntable, AM/FM tuner, integrated amp, laptop, desktop, cordless land line phone, shortwave radio, old tube-type AM/FM radio, portable DVD player, and on and on it goes. Enough is enough.

a phone. My wife's fancy Android phone is not as good at being a phone, despite its advance features otherwise.

I have a sister addicted to her smart phone. Takes it everywhere and is constantly talking, texting, taking pics, checking emails, or doing facebook with that stupid phone. She has to charge the damn thing almost every night it seems like and pays out the nose for her plan.

But, I am sittin in dr office typing this while I wait. Makes waiting not so hard. I would be reading a book though, without

E-readers are better dedicated devices, but I'll read on my phone happily if it's all I have, which is most of the time outside of the house. There are dozens of free book apps but the nook one will sync between devices so it keeps track of your page the same on the phone or not. Good for waiting rooms and whatnot.

when they called my name, it was like wait... i have to gather all my toys, switch glasses... so many things. lol.

I do have a pay-as-you-go phone that I keep in my very old car in the event I need to call a tow truck

I like my own thoughts too.

No thoughts though. I've just never been a big fan of the Chinese government or human rights abuses.

The most hi tech piece of equipment I own is a basic laptop and xbox 360. I don't need or want anything else. I'm with you Cyrano.

I have a Trac Fone that serves my needs quite well.
If my wife needs to call me she can, she is the only one
that has my number.

a couple days ago, i was with mrs. unblock at the doctor's. they didn't finish with her in time, so i had to leave to meet mini-unblock after school. she then needed a ride and was able to find a friend via facebook to pick her up.

yes, i could have just collected mini-unblock and circled back, or she could have taken a cab, but this was much nicer.


it's also convenient for planning an outing or a trip on the fly. finding cheap gas stations while you drive, or finding good restaurants in the area, or using priceline to book a hotel cheap when you're too tired to drive any further on a long road trip.


on the other hand, i certainly agree that most of the time spent with smart phones is silly entertainment or satisfying an artificial need for instant communication in situations where it could easily wait.

I bought them phones for christmas 15 months ago because they both needed the additional utility of a smart phone, but neither my wife or I have any need for those things at all, both of us having home access to a computer and an IPAD that either of us might take anywhere if we felt any need to.

and notice all the smart phoners who are oblivious to the moment... can't hold an uninterrupted conversation, savor a meal, enjoy a walk or DRIVE...

All this instant communication and yet we are more and more disconnected.

I am resisting the push by those who disparage my ancient device; and like you, I don't feel superior at all. I know that the day will come when my PHONE will become obsolete (when the battery finally dies). Until then and keep smelling the roses!

to another dumb phone with a full-alphabet keyboard. I don't see myself going for a smartphone any time soon; as it is, I leave the dumb phone at home or on stun a lot of the time. It's for my convenience, not someone else's, and there just aren't that many times when someone truly needs to reach me right this minute.

Most of the messages are from the incident page network, and my tweeting is the paper's tweeter emergency/traffic feed. At times I include a photo. I am shocked at the photo quality though.

Occasionally I have used it to let hubby know something he needed done is done. He's done the same for me.

Oh and I did not get the most expensive sucker either. Would have preferred the IPhone, but could not afford it.

Yup, matted it to my external keyboard. It would become an emergency word processor next fire...after that, no, not really.

"Yup, matted it to my external keyboard. It would become an emergency word processor next fire...after that, no, not really."

I have no idea what this means.
Is this some kind of guessing game?

and have some fun with it before nadinbrezezinski gets back.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess nadinbrezezinksi (wow, that's a spelling finger twister) was trying to make a techno funny by sarcastically declaring that s/he might hook up the smart phone to a full sized keyboard and use it as a word processor if a regular computer was damaged in a fire. Ha! Ha! No.

Did I read it right? We'll find out after the commercial break...

(Disclaimer: Post is not serious. Post was meant to have fun. Should this post result in the destruction of any type of computer equipment or software, I am not responsible and you can not sue me for damages ;-P )

And only about 10 people have the number.
When I'm away from my computer, I don't want to be bothered by anything computer related.

My favorite thing about it is the naughty pictures people send me of themselves.

not paying attention and about to walk into me.

i waited until i almost was going to walk into him and shouted: "HEADS UP!" in my grownup police voice.

i startled the pod person, he said "i'm sorry" and kept walking down the street fingerfucking a smartphone.

smartphones make people dumb.

...occasionally checking prices while at the store.

Oh, and Google Sky can be awesome, especially in summer!

TYY

but today, no I do not own a smartphone of any kind.

I have zero need for one. I have a land line at home. I have a Tracphone for traveling and/or emergencies. I own desktops, laptops, and an old Zune for music. I even bought an Android 10" tablet but I have found that I actually don't use it that much. Sure, if I am sick in bed, I can read a book on it or watch a movie. But otherwise, most of the time it sits around unused.

It would be utterly redundant and useless really for me to get either an Android, Windows, or Apple iDevice either so I have no foreseeable plans to do so.

It's possible to own one, use it, enjoy it for things frivolous and serious, and still remember how to stop and smell the roses.

Don't often miss having at all.

Last edited Wed Mar 6, 2013, 02:54 PM - Edit history (1)

--also navigator.

Plus a new heavy duty rubberized case. It replaced my old broken Intensity that I used for 4 years without a problem, til last month when I dropped it on a cement floor after dunking it.

I'm with you, Cyrano. What else do I need? (well, I do have an iPod too.)

No contract, no bells and whistles, not smart anything. And I only got that a few years ago because my partner, who lived in Colorado at the time, bought it for me and set it up so that we could communicate more easily and less expensively. In fact, she still buys my minutes. If she ever stops, I'll drop it in the nearest trash can.

Actually, I hate telephones. When I retire I plan to follow Ulysses' example and carry a phone until someone asks what it is, then settle there.

the enemy of creativity.

have no use for a phone.

the only reason i keep one is because of the family plan relatives on my account who want or need phones.

i don't mind paying for that if it helps a family member.

Pretty easily defeated enemy.

are still a mainstay in most business settings.

you can always do DND or whatever, but there are still times when people want to talk on the phone.

in 9 cases out of 10, there isn't anything that a person discusses that couldn't be handled more effectively through an email.

i keep a mobile on in case if a family member tries to contact me - everyone else goes into voicemail.

I only have a pay as you go and originally got it to be able to talk with gf less expensively. I recall a few times recently how I forgot it at home either going to work or out to get things and noticing a big difference in how I felt not having this thing sort of gnawing at you to take a peek at it. I have even gone so far as claim texting specifically is murdering relationships.

The truth of the matter is that it came from my son's used stuff drawer, and all I use it for is as backup in case I need a cab or emergency when I'm out.

I can have enough hassle without my phone talking back to me.

Daily I have to restrain myself from dashing it against the wall. So many features it gets all twisted up trying to manage them. I really miss my little flip/slide phone with a seven day battery life. As soon as this summer rolls around, I'll be inquiring about a downgrade.

I'm becoming the people I mocked, face down in the screen way too much.

has been going bonkers ever since. Especially with emails that can't be read and then kept as new unless you have the app "inbox zero." (I've heard there's a very long waiting list for it.)

I've become convinced that it's just a matter of time before she takes a hammer to her smart phone.

had a smart phone. My 5 year old flip phone cell works just fine. Someday maybe, I'll get a new phone and learn to text...but, I could seriously care less.

I can call Triple A and 911 from the car if I need help. That's enough for me-

We ARE thinking of joining the new century and getting a cheap tablet...so we can download the Audobon guides. Have you seen those? I love the idea of a bunch of field guides in a tablet that weighs less than a pound.

My no-contract, pay by month plan with Virgin Mobile on my Samsun Reverb is the BEST and cheaper than anything Verizon has to offer! So, it was worth it for me to switch to a smartphone.

I get lots of minutes, and unlimited texting and data.

I don't have to be "checking" something every minute, but to know that I CAN do it with my hand-held computer is a blessing. I can send texts "speech to text" with access to the internet and if someone needs to reach me and doesn't have my phone number, they can always get me by email (which I only check once a day).

Also, android banking and "smartphone coupons" make life simpler for me.

I am not a "computer geek," and I am old enough to remember dial phones before push-button was the norm. It is good to know I can still be in touch with the world if my electricity goes out (as long as I keep it charged - or use my car charger) in an emergency situation.

Maybe it's not for everyone - but used wisely, by that I mean not ignoring people, it is the best thing since sliced bread!

so I got her one for christmas and.....yeah, most of the time she uses it to check email or Facebook or play some completely time wasting game. Sure, I can see a handful of occasions where it might be handy to look up movie times or the address of a restaurant, but otherwise it's pretty much just a really really expensive camera for her.

Instant access to data, email , web pages etc has made my life easier. Being able to communicate through text messages with my daughter in japan without incurring international charges is more then enough to justify it. I can't imagine not having a smart phone.....

BTW I was a hold out,didnt get it until a couple of years ago.

The only reason I have one is that my wife calls me every day and tells me what time her train is getting in from work so I can pick her up at the station and I am not always home or at the office when she does.

I rarely text (only when my wife or kids text me first). I use my Kindle Fire to play games and read so I don't wind up with a dead cell phone battery at 3 in the afternoon.

i'm actually more suspicious of people who have smart phones.

sometimes I kinda look down on them a little.

i don't understand the point of your analogy.

a tool, depends upon one's needs and wants. I will not be critical of those who have them and use them nor will I be critical of those who choose not to.

It's a thing, that's about it.

100% consumed by her stupid fucking cell phone.

Not really, but I do entertain the thought every time she says 'Huh?" without looking up from that vile little device when I speak to her.

I sometimes literally have to text her to get her attention.

She says "Grand-kids are coming over! Can't wait to see them!" And even after they are here she still finds something more important to do on her fucking phone!

were in their effin' phones the whole time. It was sad.

filled that bill. What that simple communicator has become is no longer a dream, it's a freakin' nightmare!

I used to think people who were consumed with their smart phones would eventually get over the novelty of it. Boy was I wrong. At least so far.

it addicting.

You don't HAVE to play stupid games or check facebook all the time. But there are times when it can save your butt. I was flying somewhere a couple winters ago and the flight was delayed so much that I had missed my connection. I was able to get booked on a later flight before I'd even gotten out of my seat on the first flight.

It's the whole internet in your pocket -- how can that not be awesome?

That, and the ability to look up things like local restaurants when I'm not at my computer.

I made the switch because I kept running into things I wanted to look up while at the bar (news and trivia stuff). I also do a smidgen of day trading and helps getting alerts and being able to trade away from home.

Other than that I like some cool frippery stuff like beer rater or google earth. My car has GPS but for those who do not a smartphone can substitute there.

It's certainly not an essential, and I'm not one to be glued to it non-stop, but the possibilities are quite broad and either entertaining, informative or useful depending on your needs/preference

We all pretty much have company phones, upper skilled people have smart phones ... somehow I ended up with one a some years back. At first all I did was the e-mail, the texting was easier, and the sync to the PC helped manage phone contacts.

Later as more of the blue collar people started to get these devises the apps started to show up that really do help with work. I can pull up an app on the I-phone that tells me what surface feet per minute different kinds of carbides and materials like to run at. I can also pull up these calculations and simply enter numbers like diameter, rpm, and feed per turn and the app will tell me the material removal rates and surface feet per minute and other great information.

There are some great dimensioning apps that allow you to take a picture and then add dimensions to the picture to send to others, and even extrapolate other dimensions from known ones in the picture. Setting compound angles with trig table is old school and if you know how it is no big deal, but the apps that figure the angles and lengths of sides makes it nice when you forget SohCahToa or get it wrong.

One of the new safety people in the orifice is attempting to ban all cell phones from the work areas and the debate rages on about removing such valuable tools from production personnel.

All in all ... it is a great tool for work. Off the clock, it's a phone no different than any other.

Here's a math funny..

I always say I don't need a computer in my pocket and have yet to run into a reason I did.

My phone will do email, but I don't use that feature (I hate email). I use it for phone calls, texts, occasional web sites for checking the weather or getting driving directions. It has a camera but I don't use it much, no video.

I do use the calendar and the notepad app. I also use the alarm as a backup so that if my power ever went out I would still have something making noise at me so I would not be late for work. That is really about it.

I think there is a happy medium between being in the '80s and being bound to the newest device. The trick is to find a place where the object serves you more than you serve the object. Also, my bill is ~$40.00 a month instead of what other people pay for 4G service.

*Edit to add link to my specific phone, and to mention that I plan on upgrading once the warranty expires this summer but not all the way to a smart phone. I see no reason to pay the extra money for the service needed to run them.*

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG-Beacon_id6444

Not interested in paying any data charges quite yet. But I suspect that when I eventually do go in for a new phone, I won't have any choice but a smart phone.

when I am called away from my home office. It was big help when my Mom was in the hospital and rehab too.

Not everyone needs a Smart Phone ... depends on your situation.

My life has NOT been made better by a smartphone. And my husband and I have 'no technology' nights and on the weekends - no days.

It's dumb. People - you look dumb walking around with your nose in a 'device' ALL the time. Seriously - and it makes your appear socially inept.

I work in the business at an HQ level . . . I'm jaded. I'm burned out. I think it's silly how people cream in their jeans over what is essentially a THING. It's just a thing.


Soooooooooooo - Cyrano - Let's talk books. And magazines. Hobbies. Walks. Nature. CREATIVITY. Imagination.

See - I imagine you are engaged in all of those things and more - because you aren't being happy being bored playing angry birds and facebooking all the time.

will never give up books. I love the way they feel, I love turning pages, I love searching back for something I may have missed, and I love the smell of the two leather-bound ones I have. I love books.

I collect first editions, and didn't ever think I could make the switch. But I received a Kindle Fire for xmas 2011, and I just love it!

I highly suggest you always avoid the temptation to buy one, or you risk becoming assimilated like us poor SOBs.

The jury is still out on bidets though.

and sends and receives texts, i don't need to be constantly tethered to the internet.

"Have smart phones made your lives better?"

Not better, simply more efficient in my case.

They are merely tools... how effective they are or how they deny the owner the opportunity to remember to smell any available flora or fauna is most likely a user issue rather than a phone issue.

I have a computer and a cell phone. I rarely use the cell phone except for emergencies. I prefer my land line. My land line has voice mail, which serves my purpose. I use my cell phone when I am driving in case of my car breaking down. Also, I need it if the power goes off because my cable, Internet and phone are bundled, and if I lose power, I lose it all.

Which I use to make phone calls and the occasional text message.

What did I use my old cell phone for before I got my I-phone?

Phone calls and the occasional text message.

It has a decent camera. That's about it in terms of improvement over what I had.

A couple of weeks after I got my Iphone, I asked DU "What's the big idea about smartphones?" And I was told by many to just wait and see, in a couple of months I wouldn't know how I lived without it.

Well, it's six months later and I'm still woefully unimpressed.

... I use Gas Guru to find the best gas prices. It's helpful in my own town and even more helpful traveling. I can
find a station just a bit off the x-way and save significant money.
I use Red Lazer to scan UPC codes at stores to see if the item I see in one store can be bought cheaper somewhere else.
I like the built in spoken turn by turn driving instructions. I'm always using the reminder and alarm to remind me of appointments.
My weather app is checked frequently. I have a police scanner app that can let me know if something 'funky' is going on in the area.
Pandora beats my car radio. I enjoy the comedians that are available at any time.

Now, I have no idea how I lived without it ..

Is often a thought given to ATM machines. Ha

I feel the younger generations will be more likely to have one and use them a lot more and enjoy having a smartphone. Nothing against older generations, but they never had it so they don't really feel the need to have it.

but I think their function is limited to just being an all-purpose communication tool.

As a small business owner:

I like that I can make and recieve phone calls from anywhere. I don't miss the days of sitting by the phone at all.

I like being able read emails on the go, when I am not at my desk at home. Sometimes it's important to be able to respond in real time.

I also like the apps that let you process payments from cards (square).

The fact that I can also listen to the radio, or play a game to pass the time are, while fun, unnecessary.

Almost 100% of my work is done online. I miss the interaction with real people. Plus, as an artist I've always been a people watcher. I can attest to the fact that most people are wired to their smartphones. We've become a nation of people who each live in their own reality bubble. People don't interact with each other much anymore. It's kind of sad.

...to carry one around with me. When I finally got a my first cell phone, it lived in the glove compartment of my car.

When smart phones came along, however... well, that was something I already knew I wanted before they were commercially available. I love having mobile access to news, weather, maps, googling answers to any odd questions that might pop into my mind or come up in conversations, having games to pass the time when I'm stuck in a waiting room, access to a scientific calculator, etc.

I was especially pleased when the storage capacity got big enough that I could put my full music collection on my phone, so that my phone replaces the need for an iPod.

With GPS my phone isn't just great for maps and directions, but now that walking is one my chief forms of exercise, I can track distance, speed, and calories burned.

And on top of all of that, it's often been very useful to have what functions as a passable camera and video recorder conveniently available all the time.

The person-to-person communications functions of my phone, voice and texting and e-mail, are of course nice to have, but not my top reasons for having a smart phone and carrying it with me wherever I go.

I educate myself off my iPhone, I take pictures, I use it as a flashlight. It's a game boy, television, and Walkman all in one. I get organized, I read, I use it as a GPS, I look up words on the dictionary, I "write down" notes. It's also a handy clock and calculator.

In my opinion, it's surpassed Star Trek technology.

It is a radio, an mp3 player, a library, a book, a book reader and a dictionary. I send it articles I find at work that I don't have time to read so I can read them later, perhaps waiting at the doctor's office for a parent, or standing in line at the DMV. It has games if I get tired of reading. I can access DU, the Nation and the New Yorker; McClatchy and Mother Jones and TED lectures. It is a GPS and a compass and a clock (alarm) and a calendar and a little tiny TV. It tells me movie times and restaurant specials and pharmacy hours. I can travel without my laptop and therefore don't have to deal with carrying or securing it. My family texts each other randomly about little things, funny things and things we don't want to forget to tell each other; things too small for a phone call. (We are a far flung family.)

Thinking about it now, I just realized how much of my life was spent waiting for people in random places. Welcome to the sandwich generation.

I've given the number out to perhaps a dozen close friends and relatives. I get a call every week or so. I make a call less often than that.

No text, no internet, no GPS, just a phone. I'm happy with that.

Honestly I think all of these electronics make it hard to have a normal family life. Work and home lines blur. My husband seems to never leave the office, even on vacation. He feels if he doesn't stay in touch all the time he will fall behind. The students he teaches expect 24/7 access, if you do not respond to them immediately they bury you in emails and voicemail.

I have talked to other people whose spouses are similar. I would love a no tech weekend....

I hear people saying they can only connect to their kids via facebook and texting - WTF - pitiful

I have no desire for a smart phone.

And I still manage to smell the roses ...



Bake

I have 2 laptops, a desktop all powerful enough to do CAD and I have 2 tablets.

I will adopt most technology if it will make my life easier, the smart phone sound too much like a leash and something that will keep me from getting my necessary work done.

This is what I have for a cell phone and it is prepaid:




I don't text either!

DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW THE ANSWER RIGHT AWAY????

AND IT WILL MAKE YOU SEEM SOOOOOOOOO MUCH SMARTER THAN THE NEXT GUY BECAUSE YOU CAN GET ONTO WIKIPEDIA QUICKER THAN HE CAN.


LOL

I AM NOW PROVEN CORRECT!!!

I can't seem to make myself stop reading them but:

My hubby still insist on using a road atlas if we are traveling! I usually have my ipad but nooooo, he still pulls out that atlas and gets us where we need to go. Tickles me to death! lol

I would advise using it before the trip though.....seems like people are losing the art of PLANNING things in favor of INSTANT ANSWERS

regularly and do high-end projects with them. But I don't care one drop about phones. I buy the simplest one that I can get my hands on and use it for calling and taking calls.

I know there is a camera feature on it, but I've never bothered to figure it out. I assume that I can send text messages, but again I've never figured out how to do that.

The only reason I have a cell phone is because my wife wants me to have it. She gets mad at me whenever I forget to grab and I run to the store or when I turn it off and she tries to call me when I'm out and about. She always says "why bother having a cell phone if you never have it with you if you always have it off?" I reply "I never wanted a cell phone and the only reason I have it is because you wanted me to have it!"

I hate cell phones. There is no reason anyone should be able to call you at anytime or anyplace you are. It is really nice to be disconnected from the world. Hell, I don't even believe if myspace or facebook or twitter or all of those things. I hardly check my email - ever. My boss has to yell at me to get me to check my email at work whenever she sends me important messages. I hate hate hate hate hate all of this social media/email/cell phone crap.

I was dragged into Macy's to so my wife could shop for a dress for our daughters upcoming wedding. She said she would like her to see it. I decided that it was time to use the camera, snap a shot and send it.

My daughter called immediately laughing at my attempt to add a message. With my fat thumbs and those keys, lol. But be warned if you send pictures from a pre-paid phone, it will cost you a bunch of minutes.

I got a refurbished iPhone 3 about 18 months ago, after ranting that I never would, and found myself using it often. I like the map and directions feature (not that they're the best user interface IMHO), the camera for taking pictures of weird things I see on my walks, the Kindle app so it can be my emergency backup book, the app for the local commuter train so I can check the schedule.

There are a lot of things I don't like about it, and it's not as easy to use as a watch as my old phone was before it went swimming, but not bad for $15.

Not that I use mine for that, but just saying, it is kind of essential for some.

I actually just use it to platonically meet people in the area. It has worked oddly well for that.

larger screen. I have txting and able to take pictures. My husband and I share 700 minutes and we don't ever use that much. I use my cellphone when we go out and we get separated in WalMart and all I have to do is call him and ask where are you? Of course for emergencies. I have a land line. That is all I did. I also use my laptop.

I like gadgets and I hate talking on the phone. Works for me.

What other people use/don't use isn't my business; whatever works.

and just talk or text....I have a tablet and laptop.and Ipod..that is enough I only text 3 people.

I am retired and don't need this computer phone. They are cool but I don't need it.

I started by checking out books for the blind on 16 rpm records and copying them on to cassettes for listening in the car. Then books on tape started up and I lugged a somewhat bulky tape player around with me. Then it was CD's that would lose your place and be nearly impossible to recover. I also tried ipods but they were awful if you lost your place too. The iphone is the best audiobook device there is. It keeps your place in the book, it's easy to find your place again if you lose it and you have it with you at all times.

Having a camera around constantly is also a plus for those times that something unexpected happens, like you run into Tom Hanks in a store, and you'd like to remember it. (Never happened to me, BTW)

I've never particularly wanted a smart phone, but I can't read on the bus without getting a headache, so I'm a big audiobook consumer. What are the logistics here? Instead of getting a set of CD's on which the book is recorded, do you pay for download rights to the book you want? Do you subscribe to a service that gives you access to a lot of books? Does this method work with any smart phone, or only an iphone?

They have a monthly subscription service.
You choose to download 1 or 2 books a month or you can get a yearly 12 and 24 download plan.
It's a great deal and they have a huge selection, they were bought by Amazon.
It works on any smart phone or computer.
It's a great service.

http://www.audible.com/

Also there is an app, Overdrive, that allows you to download both text and audio books from you library for free.
You get to use the book for a specified time period. After that you have to renew or the file stops working.

Details are here:
http://www.overdrive.com/Software/OMC/Default.aspx

To trade my humanity for a cloud, As i go around in my life I see people talking and texting away oblivious to what is around them the lost art of a face to face conversation, The missed experience of talking with a stranger,The lost empathy with others outside ones minuscule bubble,I own the most basic cell phone only because it is a must in todays world of un-natural crap,I also own a computer only because it has become the only way to find real news and opinion,In short the masses have and are being fleeced for their money while being stripped of the one connection that counts the one with nature and humanity.

can be addicting. Up to the user to decide if they are an addict.

It's a matter of self discipline to limit screen time (of any kind). Agree with you ruffburr--there is a down side to all of this. We are interacting less face to face, we are losing touch with nature, we are becoming allergic to meditating, reflecting, contemplating. We are jazzed all the time.

--I see the point of smart phones if you have business purposes or travel a lot. That justifies the cost. And for others on tight schedules they are handy for management of tasks.

If it's used to avoid boredom...

If it's to avoid people face to face...

If it's your main window on the world...

If it's used to always follow "the best" route--

I think of that old bumper sticker, "Not all who wander are lost." Especially when it comes to observing your surroundings.
It's kind of pathetic when people can't even navigate in a basic way.
---------

Smart phone or not, we should all limit addictive e-behaviors--otherwise, bombarded with info and images, your brain buzzes all night...never shuts down, y'know?
(& IMO they're really bad for young kids).

I got a problem with cellular stuff but will spare you the boring rant because its sure to offend people I truly love .

Are smart phones replacing tobacco ????

- they're young adults and they don't do much of anything without technology. They don't do a lot of phone calling and prefer to email or text. They also update their facebook pages regularly. I've had more communication with them since getting a smartphone and I'm able to keep up with what's going on in their lives via facebook.

It works for us.

my phone allowed me to check the trolley schedule, after which I used the GPS navigation app to determine how much time I needed to drive to the trolley station. once there, my google maps app gave me turn-by-turn voice instructions to tell me which train to switch to and at what station, then it told me what route to walk to get to the hotel. during that time, I used SMS to communicate to my friends my ETA. while riding on the trolley, I used my Subsonic app to stream music from my PC at home to my smartphone. I also got caught up on facebook and was able to read several posts on Democratic Underground. later that evening I used my smartphone to snap several pictures to commemorate my friend's birthday. so yeah, I believe that there have been some slight improvements to my life by owning a smartphone.