Tag: smartphone

  • Thoughts on ‘Hamilton’ and theatergoing in the age of the smartphone

    Last week, my wife and I had the opportunity to see Hamilton live in Pittsburgh. We had decent enough seats—ten or so rows back in the left-hand orchestra section. While the view was partially obscured (we couldn’t see the elevated balcony at stage right), we were close enough to see the actors’ facial expressions clearly.…

  • Putting screen time to better use

    We claim that we’re “too busy” to launch a new project, read more, or exercise. But what about the time spent thumbing through Facebook, playing Clash of Clans, or binging on Netflix?

  • An antidote for smartphone “zombie syndrome”?

    Meditation can quell our appetite for distraction and prevent “screen zombie” syndrome.

  • Who is the Apple Watch for?

    Who is the Apple Watch for?

    The Apple Watch allows users to keep their phones in their pockets while they’re on the go. But as a remote worker, my phone’s never in my pocket, and I’m never on the go. My iPhone sits on my desk, always within view. I can easily see each new notification as it rolls in. Why…

  • Always absent

    Always absent

    Glass, Google’s nascent wearable computing platform, endures its fair share of ridicule. The device looks clunky and awkward, even when embedded in traditional prescription eyewear. But future versions of Glass will make the technology more attractive. I’m not worried about fashion faux pas; I’m more worried about human presence. We’re already hyper-distracted. Our smartphones stave…

  • iPhone pants

    iPhone pants

    Nestled inside the side pocket of many men’s pants, you’ll find another, more mysterious pouch. I’m not talking about the (utterly useless) “watch pocket” Levis sews into each pair of jeans. I’ve never found a use for that narrow, skin-tight compartment. Anything you drop in there ain’t coming back out. No, I’m referring to a…

  • Mountains cure iPhoneitis.

    Mountains cure iPhoneitis.

    This video made the rounds this past week. It depicts a twenty-something woman, moving through her day sans smartphone. All around her, tiny glowing screens transfix her friends and family, leaving her to experience real life all alone. It’s an effective commentary on how consumer technology isolates us, even as it connects us virtually. When…

  • Smartphones: self-sedation, or self-improvement?

    Could a smartphone pull us back into the world rather than away from it? Could smartphones facilitate real life, instead of substituting for it? Can phones ‘nudge’ their users toward deeper, more genuine involvement in others’ lives?

  • Apple iOS 4.1 release steals Google’s thunder.

    Talk about timing. At the very instant Google was announcing a major revamp of its premiere product, Apple rolled out an update of its own. Now this could be coincidental. But maybe Apple saw an opportunity here–a chance to steal press from its chief rival in the smartphone space. After all, relations between the two…