The New York Times recently reported a heartwarming story about a lost digital camera being returned after a kindhearted stranger analyzed the photos on the camera to find the owner.
The camera was left in the backseat of a New York taxi, and contained sightseeing photos of Manhattan, as well as Florida snapshots including people wearing name tags. Leads took the hunt to Ireland, back to New York, and finally to Syndey, Australia, where the rightful owner lives. He was "over the moon" with gratitude to get his camera back.
This story has a happy ending, and perhaps most of us would be glad to get our camera back in that situation, but it also made me uneasy to realize how much personally identifiable information was stored on one camera card. I would rather have a locked camera than could not be accessed if it was found, than have a stranger be able to peer into my photos.
The situation is even more crucial when it involves smartphones. ... Read more
Photo: Apple.com
Photo: Blackberry.com
I've been living a dual mobile life with both an iPhone and a Blackberry Pearl for almost six months now, and I thought that before we before we get overwhelmed with new gadgets rolled out at CES and Macworld, I would check back in on my developing relationship with the iPhone. I appreciate its charms much more after working with it for a while, and I have found an important new use for it, but it is significant that I have not come close to setting aside my Blackberry yet.
After the jump, you'll find my side-by-side comparison, written from a busy working Mom's perspective:... Read more
I've been drooling over the iPhone for months now. June 29th can't come fast enough for me. I have been an Apple user for almost 20 years now, going way back to my Macintosh 512 enhanced. In 2002, as soon as I saw an iPod I recognized it as a great tool for moms to "reclaim their mind space" by taking along their favorite music and podcasts with them on the go. The iPhone takes this a step further by combining a smart phone and mobile entertainment center in one device.
I am surprised we haven't seen more iPhone marketing directed at parents. Maybe Apple thinks they don't need to target us specifically, because they already have the world buzzing at a fever pitch, but I think that there are many features that make iPhone attractive to busy moms in particular. With iPhone there is no longer a need to bring a laptop on a trip just to show movies to the kids. No more juggling the cell phone and iPod in one purse. Depending on the robustness of the online interface in a real-life situation, I can imagine leaving my laptop at home for many trips to rely on the iPhone for surfing, email and blogging. I can already guess that the biggest challenge will be to share it with my daughter on occasion while making it clear that it is "mine."
I love the idea of being able to bring my photo album with me as well. I bet this feature alone might get tech-savvy grandparents on board.
The iPhone's fingertip move-and-zoom interface looks like something straight out of the thriller Minority Report. I predict that the large browser screen will be a huge success. My only concern is the smooth type pad without physical keys. As discussed in The New York Times, there is something familiar and comfortable about physical keys. Typing is a tactile experience. Time and experience will tell us whether we can willingly accept the trade-off, losing our keys to preserve the big screen.
I'll report back when I've had a chance to try the iPhone and compare the experience side-by-side with my current smart phone, the Blackberry Pearl.- prev
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