I admit it. I'm still a newbie. But I'm getting a little cocky already.
Right now as I sit here writing this blog, I have my iPhone on my desk and have tapped the Pandora radio ap, now listening to light jazz with an amazingly good sound from this cute little 2" x 4" contraption.
I've been pleased with the phone for the first 6 weeks of ownership, but my recent trip to Seattle got me hooked. We were able to find our way to anywhere we wanted to go with just a little touch, type and click. Voila! Not only an instant map, but a nice green line to follow from "where we are now" to the destination, including a flashing blue dot to indicate exactly where we were at any given moment.
All it took was typing in "self serve yogurt" and bingo, we were at BlissBerry Cafe in a heartbeat. We found a nice local Italian restaurant thanks to my iPhone. Actually, on day one we studied a lovely brochure of Bellevue (where we stayed - more on that in a moment) but were soon ignoring it - thanks to the magic of this nifty little bit of technology that had the answer to everything.
Not only that, but I could check my email, visit my friends on Facebook, and most importantly, continue playing my online Scrabble game with my sisters. I got whipped, by the way. That in itself isn't so rare, but seeing "Sorry Jenni, you lost by 108 points" on a 2" x 2" screen was a first.
Things are going to the clouds, folks. You may not think you like it, but we better all be paying attention. HERE'S a very interesting article that was in a recent Forbes magazine. I suggest you take the time to read it to become more informed. And it isn't only about our future - it's about what' s happening now.
Let me also say that this isn't simply about the younger generation. Some of the most active smartphone users I know are people who are 50 and then some. This is about a person's mind set and a willingness to learn and enjoy new ways to communicate. You really CAN teach an old dog new tricks. Keep that in mind as you forecast your own business plan.
Bellevue (a name which of course means beautiful view, and wow, so true) is the home of Microsoft and a few other giants such as T-Mobile and Exedia. As I walked around the downtown early one morning, I could easily observe the very casual nature of people arriving at work. Blue jeans and tee shirts were the standard attire. I'm not sure I saw even one person wearing a necktie. But it felt good. It was a very clean city, and the flowers everywhere were absolutely gorgeous.
By the way, we didn't spend a lot of time in Seattle, but I certainly enjoyed what I saw. Yes, the famous fish market! And if you ever go, be sure to tour the Boeing plant. Totally, utterly amazing!
You might be wondering if in this culture I saw lots of people with their "nose in their phone" as some would say. Sure did. And I was one of them. Did I miss the spectacular views? Nope. Did I miss out on having a good time interacting with friends? Nope. Did I have a very nice getaway? You bet. And taking my iPhone (hand held computer) along actually enhanced it all quite nicely, thank you very much.
Keeping up with the Joneses takes on a whole new meaning these days. Let's see where we can go together. The trip won't really be all that painful if we take along the right tools.
Looking ahead,
Jenni
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