hurry up, future

Japanese exchange students came to our town in about 1980. That's when I first listened to a Walkman. My little brother used money from his paper route to buy one. The stereo effects were amazing and it was astonishing to have music that sounded so good and yet was easily portable. Back then, this device was a remarkable toy and there was no way we could imagine what might follow. True, the progress of electronic devices has been akin to an evolutionary bush with many branches that became truncated including digital audio tapes, Betamax video, and other assorted devices that barely left a mark. But the Walkman was quite something.

And technological innovations march onward. I've seen enough new devices that I am eager to see what develops next. The iPod touch does some things really well but for some reason it takes more work to get it to access wireless on campus. But at home, it is a marvel. Another example occurred earlier today. First, I was on video chat with a co-author. Next, I was instant messaging on Facebook with 3 people at the same time: someone I went to high school with, a current grad student, and a colleague from Kent State. Part way through the messagings, Sherry calls me on my cell phone from HER cell phone. It was a little confusing to keep it all straight but that had more to do with my mental state. The ease of using these devices was hardly an issue.

Tonight I learned of a new device that outdistances almost anything I could imagine. The Pomegranate looks like a sleek and sultry cell phone. But it has an array of features that boggle the mind. Sure, it looks impressive with the slick advertisements. And the price is more than a little steep. Somehow, though I find myself being drawn in and wonder just how much extra summer school teaching I would need to do in order to secure one of these beauties for myself. Truth is, I just "discovered" the actual fruit in its unadulterated form this past Thanksgiving. Prior to scooping out the fruit for the salad, my only other exposure was via grenadine in mixed drinks. Soon, the Pomegranate will stand for so much more than a curiosity at the produce stand. This thing has completely taken me in.