Gadgets Blog Homepage

Well, here I am with nearly a week under my belt of being mobile phone-less. I’m missing it a bit less now, and am gradually conditioning myself into reaching for my pocket every five minutes, but feel its absence most when I have a spare fifteen minutes or so when I’m sat waiting for something, walking somewhere, or the like. Thankfully my plans for this weekend are fairly straightforward, and just involve meeting up at Top Golf in Watford for 12:30, before heading back to a friends for a housewarming get together, and with no further organisation required it shouldn’t matter that I’ll be phone less.

I’ve had an update from the repair shop, and it isn’t looking good, from originally thinking it may just have been the battery that needed replacing, it is now looking like it may be the logic board, which makes things more awkward.

As I alluded to in my previous post, thing that is getting to me the most about not having a mobile phone, is just how cut off I feel. I don’t have a landline at home (why do I need one when I have my mobile?) so I am currently entirely without a telephone. Normally all of my friends and family are just a quick call, or more likely, text message away. If I feel like doing something like going to the cinema, its easy to organise at the drop of a hat, sending out a stream of text messages, or making a few quick calls.

Still, hopefully the week ahead will bring some better news! Have a good weekend folks.

Well, after many years of ridiculing people for dropping their mobile phones down the toilet, breaking them on an inebriated night out, and just general silliness karma appears to have caught up with me. Yes, on Saturday just gone I dropped my phone into some water. It was only in there briefly, but long enough to do some damage. Although initially seeming to be fine, the battery no longer charges. It has been sent away for repair, and I’ve been advised I could be without it for up to two weeks whilst the required diagnosis and work is carried out. (If indeed it can be repaired!)

This leaves me in something of a predicament, as I am now entirely without a mobile phone. Twenty years ago, before I’d got used to having one and depended on it so heavily for various things, this would not have phased me at all. Unfortunately now I rely quite heavily upon my mobile, as most people do, for keeping in touch with friends and family, keeping track of my social and working diary, as well as other functions.

This is fine when I’m at home, as I have my laptop and can keep in touch through Email, and social networking sites such as Facebook. Of course, sending someone a message on Facebook, or even by Email is not as instant as a text message or phone call, and once I’ve left the house I am not contactable to advise of changes to plans, or anything else until I have met up with someone else.

As well as phoning and texting, I tend to use my phone for:

• Checking Facebook and my Emails whilst out and about
• Listening to my music
• Playing games to alleviate boredom on long journeys
• Finding local services such as cash points/petrol stations and the like with Google Maps
• Getting directions to places I’m unfamiliar with, and making sure I’m going the right way
• Getting general information from the internet be it train times, or the answer to a random question that comes up in conversation.

Just in the last few days I have found myself automatically reaching for my pocket at regular intervals to get my phone out, only to realise that it isn’t there. Although something of an inconvenience, I’m trying to see this as an interesting social ‘experiment’ to see if it is still possible to integrate and function in modern society without having a mobile phone of some description.

So far I feel pretty cut off, and have that nagging feeling that I’ve been sent at least one important text/missed one important phone call.

The World Cup is over, and the likely lasting memories for most will be the constant hum of the Vuvuzela, and the controversy of the Jabulani ball at the beginning of the tournament. It seems that there are at least a few ‘Soccer’ fans on the staff at MASA as they have conducted a study into how the Jabulani ball reacts at different speeds. Their official findings are that:

“The Jabulani’s 440 gram weight, coupled with the high-altitude conditions in South Africa, means when at speeds of 44 mph or more the ball becomes susceptible to something called the ‘knuckle effect’ – if the ball becomes unstable in the air and volatile swerving may occur.”

So there you have it! Likely a result of it being close to month end and having to wait a week or so for some more funding to come in to enable them focus on more important matters, such as finding intelligent life, or water outside of our own planet.