Becoming a Millennial

225. Another "Good Enough" Example

My previous posting highlighted several "good enough" technologies that have become very popular -- MP3, YouTube, Skype, Flip video camera, and Google Apps. I talked about the challenge of lecture capture and how simple tools such as a webcam and Camtasia might be all you need to deliver "good enough" video to students.

Yesterday I came across an editorial by Jim Rapoza who makes the case for another "good enough" device, his multi-function smart phone.  In Rapoza's words: "I do own a nice MP3 player, a very good digital point-and-shoot camera and a Flip camcorder, and, while I don't own an e-book reader, I've had the chance to try out several. But I find that I'm leaving these devices at home more and more and just sticking with one multifunction device.  All of these single-purpose devices are excellent and in pretty much every case they are superior to the functionality in my smartphone. But it's also true that in most cases my smartphone is good enough."

Jim was referring to his Blackberry.  For me it would be my iPhone which I've been greatly enjoying the past four months.  Now that I have my iPhone I don't need another phone, camera, video camera, GPS, calculator, MP3 player, calendar, email reader, voice recorder, notepad, compass, alarm clock, Bible, e-book reader, or web browser.  With a few exceptions*, all of these functions are "good enough" for me.  Amazing what one little pocket device can deliver.

*for web browsing and emailing I definitely prefer my laptop.  Every now and then I wish the iPhone camera had a zoom and a flash.  The AT&T phone service isn't the greatest here in Upland -- my reception fluctuates from one bar to five bars, even sitting in the same room.

223. Got an iPhone!

With my Centennial Wireless contract expiring I decided to discard my Palm Treo and switch to AT&T and the new iPhone.  It was waiting for me when I returned home Thursday evening from the BbWorld'09 conference in Washington D.C.

Since the iPhone came out two years ago I've been watching it.  Based on my experience the past 3 days I really don't think it's been overhyped.  Over the past year-and-a-half my 3 lb. mobile laptop has changed the way I operate.  The iPhone is going to change my modus operandi even more. 

It is pretty amazing having one pocket device that functions for all these purposes: 1) phone, 2) email, 3) calendar, 4) web browser, 5) camera, 6) video camera, 7) music player, 8) video player, 9) e-reader, 10) GPS. 

Add to this the list of dozens (actually hundreds) of fun apps that are available either for free or as little as $.99.  I've been playing with the calculator, compass, night-stand alarm clock, flashlight, and a very readable e-Bible. 

What have I been most impressed with so far?
1)  Readability is excellent.  The screen seems bigger than it really is.
2)  Typing is easier than on any mobile device that I have tried so far (I've had an iPAQ and a Treo).  It has a self-correcting feature that gets better the more you use it.
3)  The interface is extremely intuitive.  The only thing I couldn't figure out was the little sliding button that turns the phone to vibrate.
4)  Twitter finally makes sense to me now that I have a web-enabled mobile device.

What tip can I leave new iPhone users?
1)  Purchase the $19.95 Case Mate "Clear Armor".  It's a protective plastic kit that applies to the front and back of your iPhone.  A bit of a challenge to apply, especially around the corners, but it puts a scratch-proof coating on your iPhone (that is virtually invisible).  Something it will need as it resides each day in my front left pocket with my keys.
   

130. Cell Phones for Learning

StudyCell is a website that will turn a cell phone into a pedagogical tool.  You can either create your own or download already-created flash card decks (e.g. for language learning or SAT prep).

Just another example of the creative use of technology for learning purposes.

91. Cheating

My future son-in-law came home today from his class at Ball State talking about the latest cheating technique.  Kids are bringing their cell picture-phones to class, photographing their answers and sending them to each other during the test.

Here you see Mike checking to see if it really is possible to take a digital picture of your answer sheet ... and have it appear readable on the screen.  Given the right zoom level it does seem to work.

Mike is pretty excited because he figures he might now have a chance of making it through graduate school.  Just kidding.

For the teacher, the moral of the story is you had better proctor.  Most students today do not consider cheating to be wrong. A good practice is to sit/stand in the back of the room where you can see virtually any movement a student makes.  It is easy to catch someone glancing at a neighbor's paper, even more so getting out their cell phone to make a call.

80. You May Find This Disturbing

You've finally figured out how to open & send attachments, create distribution lists, file your messages, protect yourself (sort of) from spam, and now this ...

The Associated Press, July 19, 2006 --

"Email is so last-Millenium. Young people see it as a good way to reach an elder -- a parent, teacher or a boss -- or to receive an attached file. But increasingly, the former darling of high-tech communication is losing favor to instant and text messaging, and to the chatter generated on blogs and social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. The shift is starting to creep into workplace communication, too. "In this world of instant gratification, e-mail has become the new snail mail," says 25-year-old Rachel Quizon from Norwalk, Calif. She became addicted to instant messaging in college, where many students are logged on 24/7..." -- Martha Irvine  Read the entire story.

This view of email may be one of the reasons so much campus communication never gets read by students.  I'm trying to come up with a reason for the faculty :)  -- ouch! --

13. Tunes in the Park

How many times have you needed some information, looked all over the place ... and then realized, "Duh, why don't I just go to the web?"  I had a similar experience yesterday at the Upland Strawberry Festival. 

It was raining, but we set up our church booth hoping for the skies to clear.  This was our fourth year to participate.  We do face-painting for the kids and give away free popcorn and gospel bracelets.

Mid-morning there was still a steady drizzle.  The park was deserted except for the strawberry booth that had a steady stream of people picking up their flats.  I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice to have some music to listen to as I sit here waiting for the rain to clear up?"  Then I thought of my Treo cell phone. 

Recently I had purchased a 1 GB memory card and downloaded some songs that I had more or less forgotten about.  But I hadn't brought my headset.  Well, what about just holding it up to my ear? ... which I did and got suprisingly good sound.  So, I enjoyed half an hour relaxing and listening to a little jazz and B.B. King blues. Another time I might have opened up a pod-casted talk show or a recorded sermon, but on this occasion I just wanted to "veg" with a little music.

11. Cell Phones and PDAs

Four years ago I decided I needed to "get with it" and buy myself a PDA.  I purchased an HP iPAQ that had a lot of great features: color screen, calendar, task list, email reader, Word, Excel, Solitaire, ...

The only problem was that I quit using it after less than a year because I found I just didn't like to fuss with entering text using the stylus.  It's kind of like that shirt that hangs unworn in your closet month after month ... eventually it dawns on you that you really don't like it and you might as well donate it to Good Will.  Well, my iPAQ became a $495 night-light sitting unused in the docking station.

I sold the iPAQ for $100 to one of my (thrilled) student workers and I went PDA-less for a couple years. Last fall I saw something that made sense -- a PALM Treo that included both the PDA and a cell phone ... and a "thumb" keypad that works amazing well.  I bought a Cingular family plan, got myself a Treo, surprised my wife with her own flip-top phone, provided Carla with her own phone to solve the "perpetually-ringing-phone" problem in our home.  The Treo has been hanging on my belt ever since.

4. I've Got Three Millennials

I've been blessed with three wonderful children (Neal 23, Arlene 21, Carla 18).  They are great kids, very much a product of the digital age. 

Neal bought a cell phone while in high school.  Some months later I asked him if he could really afford the $50/month subscription and he said, "Dad, I can't live without my cell phone".  As I watched him operate with his friends I began to understand what he meant. 

Since she was in junior high Carla has been our IM queen ... always several windows open, fingers flying on the keyboard.  She'd come in from hanging out with her friends and immediately get on the computer to talk some more via IM.  Our phone rang constantly.  It got so we wouldn't even answer it -- we'd simply call out, "Carla, it's for you!"  The best decision we made was to get Carla her own cell phone about six months ago.