Tablet computers are changing our lives.

BlueFox

I now have an iPad Retina and an iPad Mini Retina, and am finding they are really changing my Internet access. Before, if I wanted to use the Internet I had to go to the computer, turn it on, wait, and do whatever it was I wanted to do. Now, I just pick up the iPad and do something. Since most of the time I am just consuming information, this works great. I am not doing anything different than the last 20 years or so, just that it is a lot easier and more convenient now.

For example, I have a recliner for listening to my two channel, and a table next to it with the iPad Mini and remotes. Then I wonder if anything new has been posted on CP, so, without moving, I pick up the iPad and check it out. While doing that I also check out other audio sites, CNN, the local news paper site, and anything else, such as type a post on Notes.

For work, I write software to test software, and we use Python. I might have some Python issue so I pick up the iPad and do a Google search. Invariably, I find what I need. The same thing applies to other issues, questions, etc. that come up.

Anyway, the point I am trying to make here is that tablet computers, or smart phones, are really changing how we are connected to the Internet. Other than an embedded link in our brain, I feel like this is about as close as one can get to being permanently connected. So far I think this is a good thing. For me, it has pretty much turned the Internet into a magazine I just pick up, leaf through it, and find whatever I need.

Anyone else noticing this change?

AsSiMiLaTeD

I actually agree and have posted the same basic thought before. A lot of people laughed at Steve Jobs when he referred to the iPad as 'magical', but really that's kinda how I see it as well. It has completely change how I consume almost all my information, and how I create a large portion as well.

gudnoyez

I agree this very post is being typed on an I pod in front of the 2 Channel in my recliner with the table to my right holding an empty jewel case of Floyd Obscured By Clouds and my Becks Beer the Remotes. I post mostly with either one of my I pods my Phone or the wife's Kindle, as a matter of fact The only time the Computer is On is to Burn a CD.

BlueFox

'Magical', I can agree with that. While more marketing and showmanship, the term does fit. Now that I have experienced it. Sort of like reading about how great power cords can be, but until you actually experience it then it does become magical.

Side note: In college, around 86 or so, for some class I had to read 'Oath of Fealty', and it had characters with brain implants to a computer. This gave them instant access, and since knowledge is power, they were in charge. I want one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_Fealty_(novel)

cnh

Two things:

Can cyborg interfaces be closer than we think?

And don't we end up spending less time with actual human beings? Are we being mildly, if ever so mildly, dehumanized in our "concern" with pure information or entertainment, or superficial interactions.. Oh wait that's M. Zuckerberg's area of expertise! lol

cnh

BlueFox

gudnoyez wrote: »

The only time the Computer is On is to Burn a CD.

LOL. The primary thing I use my home computer for is the rip CDs on a Saturday for my file player. Otherwise I use either my iPad, or work laptop.

gudnoyez

Yeah I can't even remember the amount of money I've spent on music gear and mountain bike gear I have ordered off this here I pod on which I Type on this very moment if only it could fetch me another beer.

VR3

My 6" phone is pretty close to a tablet... :-p

BlueFox

cnh wrote: »

Can cyborg interfaces be closer than we think?

We are now firmly in Evolution Phase II. Human created enhancements.

And don't we end up spending less time with actual human beings? Are we being mildly, if ever so mildly, dehumanized in our "concern" with pure information or entertainment, or superficial interactions.

These are good questions. What makes us human, our bodies? Our minds? Both? Exciting times these are.

polkfarmboy

I think these devices are dumbing down our intellect even though we are soaking up tons of pointless information. Our spiritual nature is becoming lost and our reptile brains taking over. Pretty soon we are all going to all interconnected among ourselfs and privacy will be no more .Eventually we become slaves to information with no real wholesome social skills and poor real world interactions and experiences. Were not going to get smarter or advance as a society and this is pretty much all the evolving thats going to be done.

tonyb

cnh wrote: »

Two things:

Can cyborg interfaces be closer than we think?

And don't we end up spending less time with actual human beings? Are we being mildly, if ever so mildly, dehumanized in our "concern" with pure information or entertainment, or superficial interactions.. Oh wait that's M. Zuckerberg's area of expertise! lol

cnh

Agreed.....we joke about it, but certainly has unintended consequences. What I see, is people bury their noses in useless information available anytime , in any quantity, in smaller more portable devices. I say "useless information" because the majority don't use these devices to further their knowledge base but to simply read or post B.S. to social media. Is this not evident by the amount of dumbed down zombies that walk around ?

As a result, social skills are lacking, kids become hermits, glued to social media and gaming consoles. They can't function in the real world without being "plugged in". Also since the majority of info is now being transferred by the internet, there are of course those who wish to control that information. Just like schools, another medium of information transfer, controlling that information is of great importance.

I see it as a tool, you can use it for good...or bad, but it is an addictive tool for a lot of people. We have a saying, "too much of a good thing is bad for you." Too much of anything is bad, the key is moderation.

I like tablets, don't own one because I don't need to be connected everywhere, in any room, nor do I even want to be. Life has too much to offer, too much that resides outside of a computer.

Msabot1

Who are the brain police??

amb426amb1

The power at are finger tips is almost scary. I work as a administartive nurse, and when teaching a group of new nurses on the use of are heart start defibrillator about three years ago... I pull out my smart phone and joke that there will soon be a app that will allow us to read shockable rhythms...when I started my proffession the entire prossess was manual, read the EKG pattern and identify the rhythm, manually set the amout of joules to deliver and hold the paddels correctly to the chest. Most of the new nurses cannot inturrupt the rhythm today.

Now the other day I purchase a OBD2 dongel, plug it into my cars OBD port and bang...Ive got all vital signs of the car sent blue tooth to a nifty little app on my smart phone. Powerful apps are used throughout the hospital now at the bed side. The social media side of this is a struggle in the hospital settings as privacy laws ramp up. The nurse or health care professional can send valueable data as well as pictures to the attending physician with remarkable results. That same person can post unstightly pictures to social media...two steps forward or 3 back?

rooftop59

I agree they are changing our lives, and like ALL technology this has great potential for good and great potential for ill. Think about any technological invention, from writing, to tools, to the printing press, to the internet. But I do agree with CNH and Tony on the dehumanizing effects of technology and that is why I just try to self-discipline. Here is a pretty hilarious Louis CK bit that hits it:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5HbYScltf1c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

GlennDog

Cam across this very morning . . . .

http://blog.petflow.com/this-is-a-video-everyone-needs-to-see-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-im-speechless/

tonyb

There are so many arguments that can be made for and against technology. I think it's great for the medical professions, business related applications, but personal....not so much. How has it made anyone's life better ? Maybe it's made your life more convenient, but did we really need it to be more convenient ? You still go through the same routine every day with or without your cell phone or computer.

There are those who profess McDonalds is making us fat. So they go after them with zeal. Could not the same be said for Apple products ? Even here, people complain about having to get off the couch to push a power button. Really ?? I suppose putting on your own shoes in the morning is a task too then.

So health wise, we have fast foods making us fat, while we encourage a seditary life style. But only one is the villain. Actually, neither are, life is about choices...good or bad, and you reap the benefits of good choices or suffer the bad ones. That's called experiencing life. Instead, we have this army of dumbed down sheeple that never look up, who constantly complain of being a victim, and who can't interact with other humans face to face. While being promoted by those in power who tell them not to worry because they will take care of them from cradle to grave.

Which is of greater threat to society in general, McDonalds...or Apple ? You decide that one. Me...I prefer moderation in everything. I prefer to experience life outside some alternate reality projected at me on a computer.

F1nut

polkfarmboy wrote: »

I think these devices are dumbing down our intellect even though we are soaking up tons of pointless information. Our spiritual nature is becoming lost and our reptile brains taking over. Pretty soon we are all going to all interconnected among ourselfs and privacy will be no more .Eventually we become slaves to information with no real wholesome social skills and poor real world interactions and experiences. Were not going to get smarter or advance as a society and this is pretty much all the evolving thats going to be done.

Knocked that one out of the park!!!

tonyb wrote:

Instead, we have this army of dumbed down sheeple that never look up, who constantly complain of being a victim, and who can't interact with other humans face to face. While being promoted by those in power who tell them not to worry because they will take care of them from cradle to grave.

Another one over the wall.

fossy

The technology is amazing .....computers have come so far in a short amount of time .....I work for a grocery company here in Texas and 6 years ago part of the department I work in went to computer orders. OOOO no I said ...it can't work !!! 6 years later , I don't know how we would survive without it ...

On the other hand , they do take up a lot of ppls time .Hand held devices to be specific..... ever go out to eat with a friend and 95% of the time , that friend is on the hand-held device ? it's just friends but still ..... it is rude

go to a concert and look across the crowd ... most are on the puter .... it's all good I suppose ..

Hermitism

fossy wrote: »

On the other hand , they do take up a lot of ppls time .Hand held devices to be specific..... ever go out to eat with a friend and 95% of the time , that friend is on the hand-held device ? it's just friends but still ..... it is rude

+1

I was on a first date once, and the girl I was with answered eight (I think) phone calls during dinner. She was actually having a good time, but she didn't see a problem with using her phone. I was tighter than a new rope.

tonyb

Hermitism wrote: »

+ I was tighter than a new rope.

I'm guessing here....but so was she ?

tonyb

I know the younger generations think the older ones don't like technology. They couldn't be more wrong. The older generations like it for the tool that it is, they can distinguish when to use it and when to put it down. Younger generations use it for social reasons and can't figure out when to put it down.

I couldn't imagine if we had this tech when I was growing up. It would have changed a lot of life lessons necessary at the time. So I wonder if those life lessons are lost on the youth of today.

There's a certain value in human interaction, needs to be experienced, not read in a book online. Being on the side of the older crowd myself, having some experiences under my belt, I can tell you this. Life is shorter than you may think. There are only x amount of hours in the day, x-amount of years in a life. How we chose to spend that time dictates the quality of that life. If you choose to spend the majority of your time walking upright...looking down with your nose buried in hand held devices, whining about why your life sucks and why that guy has more than you, then that will dictate your whole life.

Or...you can choose to use media in a moderate fashion, pick your head up and take notice of whats going on around you. Stop whining and actually do something to better your life. Quality of life is probably the biggest complaint you'll hear from anyone, yet few do anything about it....to change the situation. Have we not become a nation of whiners ? Least from where I sit they have, and instead of doing something about it themselves, they ask government to do it for them. That's where the divide comes in between younger and older generations. The older generations had some hard life lessons taught early on, which helped dictate a path going forward. Younger generations seem lost in that path, unwilling to do the hard work necessary to flourish or raise a lifestyle. Not all mind you, hate to paint with that broad a brush on you youngsters.

Best advice I can give anyone hooked on media....pick your nose up and experience life instead of reading about it on a hand held device. Make stuff happen instead of complaining about why it doesn't. Do something to better your life, be it physically-mentally- educational-financially....and use moderation in whatever your addicted to. Tips from an older guy in the cheap seats is all.

westmassguy

tonyb, you need to write a book!

mhardy6647

When are the tablets with vacuum tube buffers going to be available?

cnh

While I laud most of what Tony has penned above. There is "another" side to this. The guys, those in power both politically and wealthy who ALSO spend most of their lives with information, devices, charts, board meetings, work 80-100 hour weeks and are seeming Captains of industry who have NO TIME for friends and their family because they're too busy "profiting and making profit for others". A life WHOLLY centered around "profits" does not seem like a life worthy of "emulation" to me. And it is a POOR life indeed.

Such individuals are far from "takers" as described above. In fact I would REMOVE the word takers because it represents only ONE side of the political problem. Yet, in some sense the above are also takers. They take their profits, companies and labor overseas so as to escape taxes (which like it or not one has to pay if you're going to live in a State society--you have to pay "something". And if you don't you're as irresponsible as those who choose to live on the dole. In fact you're worse because you "feel" no need to give back to those who were instrumental in "your" rise to fame and power.) And that's just a horrible example, IMHO.

I'm not for dumping on the poor and giving the wealthy a free ride. If we're going to let them have it. Both sides deserve a kick in the pants. And there should be TONS more Wall Street boys in jail. Don't you think?

The lives of many in the top tier produce families of unbelievable "dysfunction". I see their children everyday and I can only feel "pity". Profound pity. Because they have so much and love so little.

It goes without saying that not all poor nor all who are wealthy are problematic. There is always some good, which is why we're not in total disintegration yet.

cnh

tonyb

Good post my brother in thought....agreed. Money is nice, but sure wouldn't revolve my life around it. There's just soo much more to it than that. At the same time however, are we not conditioned to keep chasing that buck ? More and more of it, it's never enough ?
Are we not put into classes based on how much you have...or don't have ? Treated differently in most aspects of society ?

As much as I'd like to join you in your pounce on the Wall St. asshats, there still remains those who do give back and we don't hear enough about those companies because it won't fit the narrative. It's all about shaping a narrative, a belief, be it true or not. Kinda like one bad apple in a bushel and calling the whole bushel rotten. Though in this case, there's a few more than one bad apple. lol

Hermitism

tonyb wrote: »

I'm guessing here....but so was she ?

I wouldn't know, I went home alone that night.

tonyb

Hermitism wrote: »

I wouldn't know, I went home alone that night.

That might explain your affliction for VCR's....lost in a time span remembering the one that got away ? lol.

tonyb

westmassguy wrote: »

tonyb, you need to write a book!

Ya know pal....I'm actually working on one. More so for my kids/Grandkids though rather than general publication.

tonyb

Apologies to Fox for the slight derail....ok it was more than slight.

Back to tablets and being connected.

They are cool, offer a lot in a small package and are reasonably priced. Whats not to like about them ? If you have use for one, I would certainly dive in. Maybe I'll wait for that scratch n sniff screen to come out.