On Mon, 10 May 2021 08:10:21 -0500, AMuzi wrote:
On 5/9/2021 11:00 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
Yep, everyone. At this time, there are 298 million smartphone users
in the USA:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/201182/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-the-us/
Out of a US population of 331 million, that's 90% penetration at all
ages and income levels. Even the local homeless have smart phones. It
may never actually hit 100%, but even at 90%, it qualifies for "almost
everyone".
So, what will it take to convince you to switch to the dark side and
get a smartphone? My guess(tm) some feature that you can't live
without. Built in flashlight, death ray, or bicycle headlight? Movie
projector? Simulation of your favorite historical personality using
AI (artificial intelligence)? Star Trek tricorder that does medical
diagnostics and possibly treatment? Pocket x-ray spectrometer for ore
and metallurgical analysis? Voice FM modulation lie detector? The
list never ends. Eventually, you will find some feature in smartphone
that will get your attention and inspire you to buy one. Resistance
is futile. You will be assimilated.
meh.
Luddite perhaps? Back to the farm? Retrotech? Stop progress? Life
was simpler back then?
For what it's worth, I've been using mobile phones since the days of
having to ask the mobile operator to dial a phone number for you.
http://www.wb6nvh.com/MTSfiles/Carphone5.htm
For my business, it was very useful. This continued through several
generations of improvements and largely stopped about 10 years ago
with the LG VX-8300.
https://www.cnet.com/news/remembering-one-of-lgs-coolest-phones-thats-not-the-v30/
I considered the phone to be perfectly adequate for my needs and
resisted upgrading to a smartphone because I didn't need mobile
internet and didn't want to pay for the data plan. However, the
smartphones did have one feature that attracted my attention. The
camera was much better than the VX-8300. At the time (2007), I was
dragging around a Canon S5-IS DSLR, which was rather large and
inconvenient.
https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons5is
If I could have similar features and quality in a smartphone, I would
get one. So, I bought a few older smartphones mostly for the camera
and without a cellular data plan, and continued to use the VX-8300 for
voice. Carrying two devices was a bit awkward, but survivable.
Smartphone cameras improved substantially over the years. Prices for
cellular plans and data decreased. The final straw was when Verizon
built some 4G cell sites nearby, that didn't have the 3G capabilities
required by my now ancient VX-8300. So, I bought a Motorola Droid
A855. Since then, I've gone through a series of smartphones, at
approximately 2 year intervals. My current phone is a Moto G Power
(2020).
So, why the long story? Because expect you to go through a similar
ordeal process on your path to smartphone enlightenment. You'll find
a feature that your find useful, but expensive. You watch the
products as they arrive until the price is right and when you can no
longer resist temptation. I don't know what the compelling feature
might be for you. It might be some external accessory that only works
with a smartphone. At the rate that smartphones are adding features,
it won't be long.
Ultrasound inspection for carbon fiber frame tubes and components?
Mechanical resonance analysis to measure bearing wear?
Infrared viewer to find defects and detect localized heating?
Kelvin bridge ohmmeter to measure CF frame resistance to detect
changes which might indicate damage after a ride?
X-ray components inspection?
Display unit for sensors scattered all over the bicycle?
Near infrared viewer for riding in the fog?
Dashboard camera with license plate reader and logger?
Flight recorder in case you have an accident?
Microscope camera for inspecting tiny parts?
The list never ends. Eventually, something new will get your
attention, and it will likely be either built into a smartphone or
used in conjunction with one.
--
Jeff Liebermann
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558