Keeping up with technology...or trying to

I have always loved gadgets.  When I was little I was in love with my "cassette" recorder.  I didn't even know anyone else who had one.  I recorded everything and everyone (ask my sister...he he)!!  Remember the first "walkmans"?  And, I remember our first computer, which was just a glorified typewriter.  Remember DOS?  We had the blue screen with white letters.  I thought it was amazing.  I remember floppy vs hard disks, and don't even get me started on ZIP disks(ugh).    Those first games that our kids played...they seem so lame compared to what they have now.  And my first car phone had a SUITCASE to carry it in!  But, wow...the idea of talking on the phone from my car.  It was like magic!  My kids have often asked me what kind of music I liked when I was young.  I tell them that I liked whatever was on the radio!  We didn't have the internet.  If the radio didn't play it, how would I even know about it?  

Fast forward.  I have been carrying around these wonderful "high" tech items:

digital recorder, ipod, camera, pda/phone:

And it's just too much.  My purse doesn't have enough pockets for all this and besides, it's too heavy.  So, at the urging of my daughter who got an Iphone, I got this:

And, it is supposed to replace all of those other items.  So far....NOT.  I'm starting to use the Ipod on my phone, but I haven't transferred ALL of my music...I have too much.  I want to go in and choose just my favorite music to put on my Iphone, but that sounds like a daunting task.  I'm still in transition on that.

I haven't given up on my digital recorder yet.  I still use it to recorder music to practice for the band, and I still use it to record our shows.  But, I don't carry it with me all the time anymore.  If I need to record a thought or a note, I will use the Iphone....but admittedly, I still have to search around to remember how to do that!

The PDA was a favorite of mine for many many years.  And, the Iphone has replaced it completely!  I am syncing my calendar and can go online and play games.  All things I used to use my PDA for.  So, there's one!

The camera.  Here is a picture from my old camera

My camera was not without it's problems.  It often had those little dots that look like water spots.  But, always in different places. 

Here is the same picture from my Iphone:

I prefer the other one, spots and all.   So, how can I NOT carry my camera with me?

I was talking to a friend who is a professional photographer and he told me that the problem was ME and not the Iphone.  So, with his suggestions, I downloaded some "filters".  

Here is a regular pic (from the Iphone):

Same picture with a filter applied:

So that was cool.

Here is another:

Here is the same picture with a filter applied:

That was also cool.

But, this whole ...take a picture...save the picture...apply the filter....save again....well that's not me.  I don't particularly like taking photos.  I just take a picture to save a moment or to show on my blog.  I don't want to take any extra steps at all!  

It would be nice to have my Iphone be my camera, but for now, I'm still carrying around my old one!

Yesterday I felt particularly HIGH tech.  I wanted to get a movie.  Hubby told me to go to Redbox.  I went to the one I always go to and they didn't have the one I wanted.  I was shopping and running errands and he told me on the phone to go to another one.  So, I pulled over and opened the Redbox "ap" and found the movie at a location just seconds from where I was.  I got there and there was a line.  So, while I was waiting for my turn, I got on my phone and reserved the movie.  Just like that.  If someone in front of me wanted my movie...TOO LATE!  I already got it.  I was feeling pretty smug!

I'm still learning all the wonderful things this phone can do.  And, I'm sure I have just scratched the surface.