On Saturday night I was at a concert with a friend named Eric Duong. I dragged him to see one of my favorite bands from back in the late '90s (Pavement), and we found ourselves reminiscing
about the past and reveling in the present. It's amazing to think of the advances in technology that we're witnessing right before our very eyes, many of which were still just forecasts the last
time that Pavement was on tour, and mere fantasies when we were all kids. It was the stuff of science fiction and James Bond movies, but it's happening now, right in front of us.
The
iPhone 4's Facetime is just one of those advances that we've imagined for years. I was skeptical of the concept when I first heard about it, but seeing it in action was a whole other
experience. The idea of the videophone has been around for years, but now it's real -- and it lies in the palm of your hand, not tied to your desk or your computer. The implications of
video chat on a phone are that you can truly share experiences with others as never before.
I know the platform is limited now, but knowing Apple, it's only a year or two away from
being a larger jewel in the crown. And just in case you weren't paying attention, Apple just found a way to bring the world of cell phones to the deaf by expanding the opportunities for
lip-reading as a form of telecommunication (kudos to whatever newscaster pointed this out).
But Facetime isn't the only technological innovation that's shaping our world, or has shaped our
world in the last few years. Can you remember what things were like before ATMs, cell phones and microwave ovens? Everything took a lot longer, your penmanship was far better, and you
actually spoke to the people at the bank.
Times have changed, our ability to multitask is increasing and plans are being made on the fly. No more waiting around the house for your
buddies to call and tell you where to meet them; now you just pop a "hot-pocket" in the microwave, take off to run your errands and call their cell.
Personalized GPS devices and in-car nav
systems are making it more and more difficult to get lost, saving millions of men the embarrassment of ever having to pull over and ask for directions. Hundreds of thousands of gas station
workers no longer need to be able to point out where the freeway is, and the location of the infamous In 'N Out Burgers are no longer a secret. And of course, neither is the hidden menu:
everyone now knows what "animal style" means, and they order them two at a time (or on a 4x4, of course)!
The Internet itself is a life-changing innovation along the lines of the printing
press and the airplane. It increases the ability for all facets of life to become more efficient, mobile and engaging. It's created business opportunities and wealth, and it's even
responsible for social networking in a whole new way. It used to be that you had to wait until your 20-year high school reunion to catch up with all those people you haven't heard from in
years. Now we have Facebook to bring the class of 1991 together again (and 1990, 1989, 1988, and so on). I've been back in touch with old friends, old acquaintances and even some of the same
people who used to pick on me to justify their own existence and make themselves feel better. Of course, now we're all grown up, we've got families, we're more mature now. And some of us
even have our hair!
But seriously, with all this innovation and constant change, how much longer do I have to wait to see a truly viable flying car? Will it be around before the reunion
of Luna? Is it possible that we'll see one before the Rolling Stones stop touring? Probably not, but then again who'd have though that things would move so fast!