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| My V3 Razr |
The only "nerdy" gadget I own is a 3 year old simple Palm Pilot PDA which I use for the basic functions: contacts, appointments, and information archive. No Wifi crap. No games. No email. No internet everywhere. I frankly couldn't care less. I just need help remembering names, phone numbers, and appointments.
A few months ago I needed to get a new mobile phone. When shopping around, I quickly discovered that most of the phone models offered these days come with a digital camera. My feeling about cameras on phones is that it is a waste of space, money, and battery power. I simply want a phone that works well, is easy to use, and is small. If I want to take pictures, I'll buy me a digital camera that does the job right. I'm not going to bother with some half-ass excuse for a camera jammed into a cell phone.
Then I found a phone that I fell in love with. The Motorola V3 Razr. I liked it because it is small, flat, and strong. It fits perfectly in my back pocket. It is quad-band, so I can use it anywhere in the world. And the thing I liked about it most. The keys are big, easy to use, and easy to read. It also has a nice big bright screen too. It was everything I was looking for.
Telstra Mobile had a sale, so I bought one. I also noticed that it comes with a camera. "I'll never use that" .... so I thought.
The ads for phones with cameras and mobile services project an image of using the camera to capture all the fun you are having at bars, parties, the beach, dating, etc. And then using the mobile service to send these images to your friends to make them envious of your glamorous life. Who cares if that photo cost you $2 to send? It will make them green with envy!
Guess what I use my phone's camera for? I use it to remember where I parked my car.
Sexy, no?
Being a 42 year old divorced male working too hard, I don't have a glamorous life. My life is far more mundane, with my day to day struggles of keeping up with my workload, home, health, and commitments to friends and family. What the hell is there to take pictures of?
You know the saying... "A picture is worth a thousand words"? I got to thinking about the camera in my phone, and I realized that it makes a perfect notepad. So now whenever I see something that I want need to remember later, I simply take a picture of it.
For example, like where I left my car.
I also find it very handy to take pictures of phone numbers, business names, or addresses that I need later. When I am reading the newspaper or a magazine at my coffee shop and I see an article or ad that I'm interested in, I take a picture of it.
I also find it handy for automobile and handyman work. Before I take something apart, I take photos of it so I can remember EXACTLY how it looks assembled, or where a part goes. It really helps when you are putting an engine together and end up with an extra part or bolt that you don't remember where it went.
When working on the house, I find it easy to take pictures of what I need, or are working on, then reviewing it when I get to the hardware store. I keeps me from forgetting to buy things, or trying to describe something to a clueless clerk.
So there you go. I've discovered, to my complete amazement, that I enjoy having the camera function on my phone. But I'm sure that Motorola and Telstra will be seriously disappointed in my reasons. Perhaps they can create an ad campaign for us middle age boomers showing a frazzled mom using her phone camera to remember where she left her car at the mega-mall parking lot. Not sexy... but practical.
3 comments:
Just yesterday I read an article about a young lady on the New York subway who sat across the isle from a sleezy greasy fella who exposed himself to her and masturbated. She whipped out her phone, took a pic and turned it in to the police. He got charged and found guilty and also guilty of three other charges from the past.
I like to use it to take pictures of my children as we enter a crowded place. That way, God forbid they get lost, I have a photo of them for the police.
OK, bro--I DO THE SAME THING! As we were moving out of our old house, I was getting ready to dissasemble the HDTV/Satellite/DVD/Reciever combo and realized that I would NEVER be able to re-hook up everything the same way in the new house. With the digital camera already packed, I busted out the trusty cel phone with camera and took pics of all the hook ups. It took less than ten minutes to re-hook it all up at the new house by just running the pics in reverse!!! Made it worth every penny!
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