That personal essay thing
Oh, sweet sassy, molasses. I do love gadgets.
This week is the CTIA conference – a gathering of the cellular telecommunication and wireless providers.
My email box is filling with news tidbits of new services, devices and toys that will be coming out this year – from all over the industry.
It is always fun stuff – especially when you work in the industry, to get a sneak peak at what is coming.
And for a confessed gadget geek like me, it is especially fun.
I bought a new laptop computer this week (A 17†Toshiba Satellite, with 4gb of Ram and 250 GB of HD space – purchased online form ShopNBC.com, if you need to know.)
My old laptop was a used Dell that was probably 5 or 6 years old. It had some sort of know defect where the power input (where the plug plugs into the computer) overheats and eventually shuts down the system. I replaced the motherboard and attempted to replace the power plug input with some terribly executed soldering – point being it was time for a new laptop.
And a new laptop at that. This thing is shiny and new and fun and fast and powerful. Harman Karman speakers – it has better sound that my television! HDMI output means I can watch Netflix on my big flat screen television.
This is gadget heaven.
Working for a cell phone company, I have come to love the gadget world. I am exploring how to be come a product ambassador, so I can get the latest phone to demo – I will keep you posted in that endeavor.
And I am scouring the web at all time for tech news and gadget news. There are some great places out there to get your gadget fix:
Tech Crunch – (news, reviews)
Gizmodo (news, reviews)
ReadWriteWeb (news, reviews)
Lifehacker (a blog devoted to tips, hacks and tricks to make life easier.)
Amazon.com (yes, Amazon – they have the gadgets and you can buy them there.)
Think Geek (great toys for the cubicle farm.)
Now it isn’t all gadgets with me. I lust for fancy pens and inks and inserts and preferences of gel pens over ball points and fountain pens. I read Ebay and a few other sites looking at really, really expensive men’s watches – in a lusting manner that many may see as unhealthy.
I have very precise standards for all sorts of regular day things – finger nail clippers (they have to have a certain feel and “clippiness†or they are a no go.); coffee accessories (see here. I roast my own and am pretty picky about the first cup of the day (those standards change and the day wears on and I need more java.).
I am thankful I am not a big skier or fisherman – those outdoor types can really accumulate the gear and the gadgets. Have you looked recently at the Cabella’s catalog or the crazy gadgets in the Campmore catalog? They have a gadget or a hook or a piece of clothing for everything.
There are now websites, devices and services to assist me in lessening my addiction to the internet, gadgets, online shopping and related activities. How odd is that. Use technology to wean me off technology. There is probably a support group for me. Luddites Anonymous or whatever.
That may be my future – sitting cuddled with a candle and a book (referred to in the gadget speak as Print 1.0) and waiting to be hauled off to debtors prison because I spent all my dough on a new gadget that cleans me, medicates me and puts me to bed.