The iPhone Vices: iPhone as a bartender and as a gateway drug...

It's been a while since there was something worthy to note in this iPhone blog. The iPhone continues to perform well, even the replacement one. Updates come and go. I discover new features here and there, people still blog about it. It's just a part of regular life. People on planes still ask to see it. You can call the airlines to complain while you're on a plane. You can check flight statuses. Also, I've seen more and more women who have iPhones now too. This shouldn't be too surprising, after all with a million plus sold I'd imagine the gender balance would equalize.

Anyway, during the holidays I've flown here and there and met up with old friends. Last night, we all met up to go out. Of course, the iPhone comes out and people who don't have one will ask to see it. But our night out not only got the "oh, that's just like the commercial" but also had practical benefits too.

We were at our local watering hole/pool hall in Iowa City (yes, that's right, Iowa) and we wanted to order our favorite drink, the "Pissed Off Japanese Minnow Farmer." Sadly, the bartender, who was new, didn't know how to make it. He said he would make it if someone told him how. We were kind of stumped. Our combined suggestion would have yielded something like a Loaded Long Island Tea, in other words, something that would taste like "yick." Undeterred, I volunteered to look the recipe up via iPhone. Lo' and behold' after a Google search there it was, all six types of booze with the proportions correctly listed. Here's the recipe. Shocking how it doesn't taste like anything apart from cool-aid. Anyway, we took note of this new and practical use and took some pictures to celebrate our prowess after we toasted an "iPhone moment."

Cheers! Toasting our prowess at getting our drink recipe via iPhone

And, of course, if this vice wasn't enough. I admit it. I made the switch from PC to iMac a couple weeks ago. Thanks, in large part, to the ease of use, the slickness, and the elegance of the iPhone. I've become addicted, so I ended up with what is essentially a giant iPhone. So, as a present to myself, I ended up with a shiny new 24-inch iMac. Ah, gateway to Apple products indeed, I must be the marketers dream!

Happy Holidays!

[deftdrummer]

All the things that have happened, especially in the past few weeks, including the 3rd party apps, makeshift GPS, actual GPS receivers, HD video recording yadde yadde, and your schmoozing in the bar is "worthy" of the iphone blog. LOL at you Kevin Ho, you even posted pictures of the magical experience! How cute.

[jeffk08]

I think this story misses out on the larger significance of what it means to actually have the internet in your pocket in an easily useable form. Other phones have had internet access for a long time, but rarely (or never) has it been the kind of user experience that would lend itself to quickly looking up basic information on a whim. Have you ever noticed how much of eeryday conversation is taken up by people arguing over facts that could be easily found online? The iPhone is the first step towards a future where everyone has the internet and all the information it contains at their fingertips (not a reference to the touchscreen), which will have profound indications for commerce, education, and simple barroom conversations.

[cnet120312]

You know, cellphone internet accessibility existed for a long time before the iphone.

[skygreenleopard]

Yeah, but no one cared. The Treo will never sell a million in such short a time span. The Blackberry's alright, but the iPhone doesn't scream "CORPORATE TURD." It just screams "WOW IPHONE SO COOL," which, while also kind of annoying, also offers functionality, hype, and millions of sales. That is itself the revolution.