Yep, there's an App for that

Today's Topic: The iPhone

I was always against people with their "big fancy cellphones." Honestly, it's a phone, and all I needed it for was to make calls with. That was until I bought the iPhone. I did learn that yes, there was in fact an app for everything. It has been the single device that has totally changed my lifestyle, how I conduct my day-to-day business and one thing that goes with me wherever I go. I never thought I would be this attached to a device, but yes, the iPhone has grabbed hold of me and I don't plan on letting it go.

For me, it wasn't because I wanted the "cool" phone. I needed something that was going to be reliable, useful, resourceful and make my life just a little bit easier (mark my words when I say that Apple is slowly taking over the tech world.) For example, this past thanksgiving, I was traveling to see my girlfriend in Cambridge and the traffic was absolutely brutal. Google has a built in Maps App on the iPhone that not only locates precisely where you are, but gives you a detailed traffic report, how far the traffic is lined up and your new ETA to your destination. I saw that there was no end in site to this traffic, so I got off at the next exit and my trusty phone guided me through the back roads all the way to my girlfriends house. It saved me at least an hour and half because riding a turtle would have made more sense then driving on the 401 that day. Life easier= a happier person. Not only the Maps app, but the ESPN Scorecentre app, my Scotiabank app (yes, I can pay all my bills from my phone), the YellowPages (which saves me a TON of time with work) and just having the Internet in the palm of my hand at all times in general is just awesome. All for $56 a month. It's a complete all in one package that has completely revolutionized my life and helped me keep up with the 21st century we live in. It even has the built in iPod, 3mp camera and a sweet calender. The best part? Every awesome app is free, 99% of the time.

The iPhone for me is a classic case of a piece of technology owning you, not you owning the technology. I will straight up admit that this phone is way smarter than me. The concept is incredible and for what you can do on it, blows my mind. It amazes me everyday. It's safe to say that my phone and I are in a serious relationship. Any conversation or debate I have with someone on a day to day basis, (mostly my big brother) we pull out the phone to get the facts straight or prove one another wrong. I always say "Well luckily, there's an app for that," followed by a brief browsing period (which costs no extra money since I'm connected to the nearest router automatically...as long as I know the password.) There are few things this pocket device cannot do. Aside from feeding you or giving you money, it takes care of everything else. It's gotten to the point where I often feel "naked" if it's not on me. Since I started this blog even, I've looked at it multiple times for inspiration.

If you don't have a smart phone yet, do it. I'm not going to get into the blackberry vs. iPhone debate because they are for two completely different people. The blackberry helps people stay in touch and has revolutionised communication with the free worldwide BBM network, which is a stroke of genius. Had it not been for that, the iPhone would have already monopolized the cell phone industry. I would recommend the iPhone to any walking human being, from the age of 10 to 85. You don't have to be a genius to be on this thing, trust me. It does the thinking for you. Auto correct is a wonderful tool. And if you can get used to the touchscreen, you're off to the races. Eventually, if you own a cellphone, it will have to be a smart phone, as technology changes so fast that the old cellphones keep having turnovers and discontinued models. Hop on this one though and if you can, buy Apple stocks because this is one company that is going to be around for a very, very long time.

I think the most amazing thing about Apple is that the Apple is their marketing tool. No words. Just a symbol. A fancy screen, the simple colours, and a whole group of followers that love the latest and greatest in the tech world. The sales speak for themselves. $3.4 billion last year in the quarter of sales that surrounds Christmas. Not too shabby. Steve Jobs has to amazed by his masterpiece. He totally dominates a cut throat industry that is only concerned about one thing: being the best. Do one thing and do it well. That's what Apple has done, and will 100% likely continue to do.

The one question I have, where were we before all these smart phones came about? Were we that lost in the clouds? Were our lives that much harder? Did we not have a device that could literally do it all? Whatever the case, people far more intelligent then us figured it out, made the change, and now we live in their world. However, I for one am thankful. Thank you iPhone. You deserve a round of applause.

Luckily, there's an app for that too. Instant applause. I'm not even kidding.

The Big Box Theory

Today's Topic: Our Square Life

It's not as boring as it sounds. It all starts with a signal that your brain sends to your eyes. If you believe that you are simply a visitor on this Earth for an already determined amount of time, take a look around every once in awhile. I mean REALLY take a look around. I did this the other day and realized that life really is a box inside a box, inside another box with square shaped objects that resemble a box. This isn't the first time I have heard of this; a teacher once pointed this out to a class I was in. Your eyes become so accustom to shapes that shapes simply don't even matter anymore. It's just the object you concentrate on.

Think about how boring a book store is. A square entrance, a square shelf, full of square books, square patterns on the walls and floor, you pay with square money or a square card and then walk back out through a square door. Riveting. Or, take for example right now. Look around your room. I can guarantee that are at least 4 or 5 square objects. A computer screen, a filing cabinet, a window, a door, a drawer, the floor, your keyboard or keys on the keyboard, your desk, a television, a book, your phone, perhaps your mouse pad, and most certain...the room. This is your life inside a square. All units of equality and balance are measured by the square. Think about it a bit further and you realize that you don't even think about it at all. It just becomes a habit for your mind and eyes. When you are taking a picture, you are usually trying to centre your subject inside a square screen. You turn on the television at night and the subject is inside a square screen, being filmed through a square frame, inside a square room, inside of a square house.

Doesn't it make you realize how simple life is? It's all a big square. Maybe that's why that advertisement doesn't always catch your eye? It's just a another square. I believe that when life throws you a triangle, a circle or an octagon, you are that much more likely to pay attention to it. Take for instance driving: You stop at a stop sign because your eyes notice a different shape. You can recognize the colour of a stop light because it's a circle. You notice the fancy cars because they are a shape all on their own. But when you get out of your car, do you ever really look at the door you slam? Or the next one you open? Do you ever notice what colour it is? What kind of trim it has? Nine times out of ten, the answer is no. Your mind only makes the attempt to open the door, instead of actually staring at it. It really is amazing thought isn't it? That your mind knows enough to just concentrate on opening the door and not really looking at the detail of it. I wonder what it would be like to open up a restaurant called Triangles where you have nothing but triangles in the place. The door, the sign, the windows, the tables, the chairs, the plates, the glasses. I think it would be incredibly successful. Everyone would say, "You have to go check out this restaurant called Triangles. Every thing is a triangle!," as if our mind is amazed by the shape. Patent pending.


I think it would be impossible to count the number of squares you encounter on a day to day basis. I'm sure it would be in the hundreds or perhaps even thousands. In fact, I challenge you to try it and re post how many you count in a single day, or how many your eyes look at. Maybe it's the thought of different shapes that makes our mind more attentive, a test for instance. If you were to take this one step further, you could relate this to the black box theory and how our mind works. For example, if you had a black box that you could not open, could not just "look inside" to see how it worked, all you could do is guess how it worked based on what happens when we do something to it (an input) and what occurs as a result of that (an output). If you put an orange in on one side, and an orange falls out the other, you could make an educated guess on what is happening inside the black box. It could be filled with oranges, it could have a conveyor belt to move the orange from one side to the other, it could even go through an alternate universe for all we know. All you can do is guess. You have to guess what is going on inside the square darkness. However, it's the square concept that your mind concentrates on. All you do is test your mind on how it works without actually knowing HOW it works.

The point of the sitdown this week was to expose things around you but also to help you realize that your life is a series of developed boxes inside one another, on top of each other and surrounded by you. It's not so much a scary thought as it is an interesting one. You live in a "box", some of us work in a "box" and for everyone, you are going to walk through a "box" everyday of your life. So there you have it ladies and gentlemen; a simple way of looking at the big box theory that is your life. And until they come out with circle doors like you see on cartoons, you are 99% likely to walk through or see at least one square a day. It's inevitable.