The Evolution Of The Smartphone

     When Google announced their new project, Google glass, many in the world started laughing and were skeptical about the whole thing, but turns out this project is a real possibility and one that has caught the attention of some really powerful competition. Apple's CEO met with Valve this last week to discuss this very thing, the guys at Valve are going to work on a "wearable computing" project that is due to come out in the next 3-5 years, meaning if Google and Apple are both taking this seriously then we should start to do the same. This is really exciting, it is the next step in the computing evolution for sure, it was bound to happen and thank God for it happening so soon, the benefits of it are immense.

     When was the last time you made a phone call? This is an interesting question to ask, so many times have we heard the phrase "calling takes so long, texting is way better", this is a product of our generation, and one we think is a good thing but some still believe it to be a bad thing. Let's start with the negative critiques, people fear the loss of communication between people, in many respects we feel this is silly and an exaggeration, it reminds us of the time when televisions were coming out and the previous generation kept saying that TVs would melt the young generation's brains, silly really. We think the evolution of the phone is a beautiful thing that encourages communication quite significantly, here's what's up.

      Ellen Degeneres in her new book "Seriously...I'm Kidding" has a chapter dedicated to this very concept, the concept that via text we can get a full 4 pages worth of information within one paragraph. The chapter is brilliant, she obviously over uses abbreviations, but the point is made clear, that communication is becoming faster and because it is faster more people can partake in the conversation, thus the increase and not the decrease in communication due to technology. To answer the question that started this point, phone calls have gone down significantly with the addition of text and smartphones to the big picture. The mass text invention changed the game even further, no longer do you have to call 20 friends to make a plan, now you can just text all of them at the same time and be done with it, it solves a 2 hour process in less than 2 minutes, that is a beautiful thing.

    Another huge thing here is that smartphones and Ipads are quickly replacing laptops, this might seem silly but it is not, this is the future. There is no reason to check your laptop anymore, save writing long papers, but even there there are people that have become accustomed to using their Ipads to write long papers, the laptop is a dying breed, trust us on this, its a fact. Think smartphone for a second, within  it you have your email, all your social networks, Google and your other search/reference networks, Youtube, Pinterest, and even Break all have apps, you have games and a camera even, with all those things at your disposal rarely does using a laptop seem practical, you have a computer that is more powerful than most 2-3 year old laptops on the palm of your hand, that is the future.

     This is why the invention of the computing glasses is such a big deal, this is the next evolution when it comes to technology. John Scalzi and other science fiction writers have described this evolution, John takes it a step further saying that soon we'll have a chip implant where we'll be able to use computers just by thinking, you might think that this is a far off concept but its not, its a 10-20 years concept. In the next 3-5 years we'll have all the computing power of a smartphone and laptop being a wearable thing, this will be done via voice command technology, video games are also going to incorporate such a concept with Microsoft already copyrighting projects that incorporate such a device for their newest videogame system that is due to come out some time in Q4 of next year. This is the future, and it is happening now.

     Virtual reality has been a human dream for countless generations and now we are approaching an age where that could be a possibility, this is a great thing for sure. To focus on what is happening right now though, with Apple on the race to get their wearable computing out sooner and better than that of Google's, be sure that more news on this will be coming out, not only that but be sure that the competition will be fierce and the evolution of the smartphone will occur in the next 3-5 years, possibly in the next 3 years. What this means is that smartphones will phase out laptops soon enough, just as laptops have been phasing out desktops which phased out typewriters and so forth. It is the natural evolutionary process of technology and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of it and see it happen.

    What do you guys think of all this? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Do you think it will be practical or will it bomb? We are in high hopes for this project, surely we'll have more to discuss when both Google and Apple unveil their devices. We hope your week has been going well and pray that it finishes well.

Love from your humble blogger,

The Reinvention Of The Board Game

     It isn't news to smartphone users how much fun apps can be. From random camera apps, to information or mass media apps, smartphones have quickly begun to replace the need for laptops more and more. This in many respects was expected, many saw this coming, but the replacement and reinventing of board games, though inevitable, was not foreseen by many. The concept was simple, introduce a game that everyone could play, while being a simple game that does not require much investment when it comes to learning how to play it, the solution, board games.

     "Words With Friends" was not the first board game to make it to smartphones, but it was the first one that succeeded in a massive scale, this was the reintroduction of Scrabble to the world. Scrabble is a fun game for sure but when you are playing the board game there are pieces everywhere, you have a limited time per turn, you can't consult anyone around you for aid, you are basically restricted to a table and not able to continue on with your life until that game is over. This is the big appeal to the rethinking of the board game, the ability to play wherever you want whenever you want, no longer are you constrained to a chair and time limits, now you can play at work, at school, before bed, or whenever you feel like playing. You get to play a board game with your friends without all the negative aspects of playing said board game.

    Here is a point that should be made, sitting down and playing a board game is really fun and not a "universal negative", what is meant here is that sitting down to play Scrabble counts as a positive at times but the majority of the time it is a negative, not in all cases but in most. Let's take this thought further, what would the creators of Scrabble want us to be able to do everyday? Play Scrabble. What prevents us from doing so? Having the time, want, and company that is required in order to play. How do you solve this? By removing the need to slow down and giving the players the power to play whenever they want by removing the need to sit and play. This is why board games for smartphones was so ingenious, because people love playing games against one another and now they are able to do so whenever they want.

    Other games have sought to follow Scrabble's example but no game succeeded like "Draw Something" did. Here is another simple concept, a game enveloping attributes from our favorite classic board games like "Pictionary" and so forth. The concept is simple and fun, therefore making it a hit with everyone, it appeals to all ages and because of this it is bridging a gap that has long existed between generations. Where as before this there was no way to play a fun game with your parents back home, or friends back home while you were away at school, now you can, not only that but you can play multiple games with multiple people and reconnect with far away friends.

     There is another aspect to this movement, one that was also unexpected but welcomed by many, the resurgence of board games due to smartphone games. The concept is simple, raise the awareness of how fun your game is and people will come together to play it. Though we do live in world where time is becoming precious and everything is done quickly, there is always time for recreation, there is always time to sit down and enjoy a good conversation with friends, while playing a game together. There are immense health benefits to slowing down and including a social gathering in your week, in fact to not have any social interactions during a week can bring life from being a beautiful thing to a morbid thing.

     Board games caught their second breath due to the smartphone move, it should be interesting to see what the future might look like when it comes to them, we think that they will always be around. From card games, to video games, to make believe games, to board games, being united is a very important aspect to being human. Having social interactions keeps us going, it ignites something within us that is unexplainable and it is this spark that helps us see the beauty in life. This is why board games will never disappear, because we are sociable creatures, we need one another and board games just happen to be a great medium for a good bonding, relaxing, and rejuvenating time. Thus we think that the reintroduction of board games is a beautiful thing in that it bringing people together and reinvents an old concept while at the same time breathing life into a classic concept.

  We hope you have a great week this coming week and pray that as we approach the end of the school year that you may find time to relax and rest, maybe play a board game with some friends, that is always a good choice. Personally I'm partial to "Quelf", I recommend it. 

Love from your humble blogger,

Smartphones, Who Needs Them?

       Personally I was one of those people that boycotted the smart phone for as long as I could hold out. I never knew what the big deal about them was, hence I always made fun of them and kept telling myself that there was no way I would ever own one. Within my frame of mind there was no need for one, I had a laptop and my regular phone served me well, so why spend so much money on something that wasn't going to change my life that much....boy was I wrong.

       Around 2010 I got an Iphone 3GS, and I became instantly enlightened to the ways of the smartphone. It took about a hour or so of messing with it before I realized that I had been wrong for years, and with a defeated but joyous spirit I had to finally admit to being wrong and admitting my love for smartphones. Do you remember when you were 15 and thought to yourself, "I don't really need a car, it would be nice but it won't be a life changing thing" and later realized that now you could not live without one? Yeah, it's the same feeling.

       Smartphones have quickly become a norm and soon we will no longer have any phones around except for smartphones. They have everything one could possibly want, a computer right on your fingertips all the time, no matter where you are, yeah, it's magical. A huge breakthrough in technology. It wouldn't be wrong to speculate that this is the future of computers, that soon laptops will be ancient, and we'll all have pocket sized computers that will do everything it's bulky counterpart used to be used for.

       It's also obscene how technology evolves now a days, every year there is a new product that makes last year's product obsolete. Meaning if you buy a laptop today, that a year from now the same "top of the line" laptop will no longer be found in stores because it's old and outdated. Which can be a good and a bad thing, depending on your level of patience when buying new products. If you don't mind waiting, then you can just stay a year behind the growth and get a good product for way cheaper than it originally came out for. If you are not patient then yeah, this sucks for you, no doubt.

       The Ipad is also a big break through, it's crazy how much the Ipad has infiltrated our day to day lives. From doctors, students, lawyers, to business men, the Ipad has become a norm in various fields. It simplifies your life a significant amount. The downside being that you are always "plugged in", meaning anyone can get a hold of you at any time, be it through email, phone, text, aim, facebook, twitter, and all the other social media we have come to possess. Some have looked at this as a negative for the smartphone, but the positive outweighs the negative, so technology will continue to evolve and we'll continue to purchase the next best thing. It's just the way it works.

      So who needs a smartphone? Everyone. Those that have one understand that this is true, those that don't have one will probably disagree and fight me on this, but I promise you this, as soon as you own one, you will never be able to go back to a regular phone. They are just that helpful. The power of having Google at your fingertips in overwhelming, the possibilities are endless, and I for one am glad to finally have made the transition last year. It was a life changing experience.

           What is your take on smartphones?

    Hope you all have a fantastic Friday and a glorious weekend,

    Love from your humble blogger,