Saturday, January 06, 2007

Screens Screens Screens


The new Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is on the verge of getting introduced. I more or less love my Nokia 770 Internet Tablet, so I'm wondering what bump in speed or memory is under the hood. The only thing I wish my tablet could do better was to be able to view flash video a la youtube/google video and also be able to handle embedded video in Windows Media and Quicktime format.

Which got me thinking, the upcoming week is gonna be big in the tech world, seeing how both the Consumer Electronic Show is busting open their doors in Vegas while Apple is gonna have another Steve Jobs keynote at Macworld. Everyone is clamouring the next big gagdet, of which 90% or so will have to do with something about looking at a screen. Be it a smartphone, a video display that outputs 1080p clarity, a fancy tablet, etc.

And it got me thinking, is our world so dull that we need to distract ourselves with windows into virtual/fantasy worlds? Is technology and capitalism just creating a new paradigm of Plato's Cave? Is reality that harsh that we have to cling onto our techno security blankets? Maybe. After all, I have a love/hate relationship with this stuff. It excites and frustrates me at the same time. Will I be still shelling my money over for the toys that are introduced next week? Probably. Will I resent myself a bit because I could've spent the money a bit better by either traveling or paying of my debts? Maybe. I guess only time will tell. Although, most of the time, I know sinking my money into technology is sort of like drugs. They get me high for a bit, but ultimately, I'm looking for a stronger high, a bigger fix. And ultimately, I might just be a bit poorer for running in this vicious cycle.

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