i(might)Phone

I made a conscious decision a couple of weeks ago, and that was not to push for an iPod Touch this Christmas but rather to hold out for the official Australian release of Apple’s iPhone.

“An ipod whah?” some of you are no doubt saying. Yes, ok, iPod Touch. I’m sure you’ve heard of the iPhone, well the Touch is the iPhone without the phone bit. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s been a lot of Touch-bashing lately and I certainly want to distance myself from that crowd. There’s nothing wrong with the Touch. Nice piece of technology there. Dashed good iPod, great video player,  and a build in web-browser running off a wi-fi connection. But if I’m going to upgrade the contents of my pockets, I want to eliminate all possible pieces of equipment and if there’s no built-in phone, then I’m going to have to lug around some brick of a handset for the next two years.

Put an iPhone in my jeans and I can give my 5G ipod the flick along with my Sony Ericsson k750i. But let’s not stop there, with built-in calendar I can do away with my pocket diary. With extra functionality I can leave my stopwatch at home. With built-in games, I won’t have to worry about shoving a pack of cards and a travel connect-4 set into my duds each morning. The built-in movie player means I won’t have to carry the TV and DVD player everywhere. The built-in web browser means I can leave to old Macbook at home. The iPhone also displays the time, so I won’t even need a watch. And of course the built-in camera means that I won’t have to tuck my Fujifilm S6000 under my arm as I leave each morning. And best of all, having my very own iPhone will fill me with such satisfaction for reaching the pinnacle of geekish coolness that I can relax and take time to appreciate about the pleasanter things in life.

Or at least that’s what my overly-Westernised consumerist imagination tells me. I think sometimes that I walk a fine line between being on the cutting edge of technology for the advancement our civilisation, and just craving the next generation of gadgetry because this season’s sleek matte finish feels so much nicer than last season’s brushed titanium.

I do like driving with a bluetooth headset on, and reading emails from the comfort of my balcony. On the other hand, I also like the beach and riding my bicycle. Oh, would I be just as happy with my old Nokia 8210 and a tape deck as I would be with an iPhone? I don’t know. Get me one and I’ll tell you.

Merry Christmas all.

TRA

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The sound of one voice talking

It has oft been said that talking to oneself is the first sign of madness. But simply saying something oft, does not make it true. What about saying something oft, to oneself? Quite the conundrum. But in all seriousness, and in my professional opinion, there is nothing wrong or shameful in talking to yourself.

The modern myth that links this act to mental illness is nothing short of a smear campaign, probably spread but the unions. I will therefore stake my reputation and boldly proclaim here and now, that I am a person who talks to himself. Usually it’s a monologue, like practicing for some upcoming speech or conversation. Sometimes it’s a dialogue, where I adopt two separate voices. The first voice is usually a “straight-man” voice: deep and earnest, the voice of reason. The second being the “funny-man” voice, a little wacky and ever forthcoming with the witty repartee – his name is invariably Douglas. In most cases reciting the likes of the ‘Wink wink nudge nudge’ sketch.

On the rare occasion I have been known to do a whole crowd scene – my ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ production was a theatrical triumph. Each individual thief had his own back-story and personalised voice that reflected his region of birth. The whole project took weeks to prepare and could only be performed with the aid of forty playback devices (the voice of Ali Baba was performed in real-time). It seems like a lot of effort to go to but if you have a long commute, I’m sure you’ll understand.

Isn’t it ironic, that those who are so very vocal while on their own, feel compelled to remain silent on the topic in the company of others. Basically what I’m saying is that you don’t have to be mad to talk to yourself. ( – But it sure helps, as Douglas would say).

TRA