Granovetter likes this.

If only we had a phone that scrolled up and down rather than left to right like the iPod would all of our social etiquette problems be solved.

According to Microsoft.

But let's backtrack a little:
Back within the bubble of what is also known as high school, was a habit that churned ever so slowly (due to high prices) from the popular kids, trickling down the hierarchy, then to the masses. Walking with your nose pointing down seemed to be the new cool thing to do-- contrary to what mother and father said about body language and displaying (a lack of) confidence.

The new Sidekick, complete with all its buttons and appealing "flip" of the screen was the main buzz. Slowly a few of my friends were less talkative at the lunch tables, texting and checking their myspace. Who could they possibly be talking to, when all their friends were right in front of them?

It seemed my friends were maintaining constant contact with people in front of them, a few feet away from them, a few blocks away from them and a billiongazillion miles away through the virtual world. Unless they were following Mark Granovetter's theory on the importance of having weak social ties to find new opportunities (i.e. getting a job), which I highly doubt, my friends in high school were more concerned about maintaining their virtual connections than being engaged in their right-in-front-of-you, physical ones.

Interesting.

Then towards the end of high school, this phenomenon shall I say, escalated. Students were smuggling in their phones during graduation to text and update their myspace statuses. As important was the graduation ceremony, it seemed like every other student had their cellphones out. Same in college, during our convocation in our new university. No event seemed worthy of our full attention.

A cellphone does more than just send and receive calls. It has become a carrier of applications. New cellphone marketers emphasize all of a phone's qualities-- yet none mention its basic abilities: calling and receiving phone calls. This would be redundant; we expect phones to do this. We want to know what else it can do. These applications are supposed to make our lives easier. With less time researching about the best restaurants, we can simply yelp it on our cellphones. UCSD students no longer have to wait outside for the bus. There is an application that tracks the bus route and where the bus currently is. We are promised to be given more free time with the use of these phones.

Yeah right. People are more consumed with their phones to have time to be efficient. But my view is biased.

Microsoft does an interesting way of saying that it does the exact same thing all phones do, but with a better interface. It's not the people's fault. It's the cellphone's fault. People are too busy trying to figure out how to best use their phones. Applications are great, checking your email incessantly is great, and constantly receiving facebook notifications is great. You can finally have the time and the ability to be a fully engaged human being while constantly being alert for notifications and updates.

Use of Bottled Water May Result in Disqualification

Toyota- Glass of Water Campaign.

Just about anything can be an iPhone app. I am still as fascinated with iPhones as I was with the Nokia 3360 in middle school.

Growing concerns about the environment encourages individuals to do their part in any small or big way possible. Of course black is the new black and will forever and always be the new black, but the concept holds merit when applied to being green. There is a growing demand for greener products and corporations are responding by scrambling around to meet this demand without sacrificing aesthetics.

Whereas many other businesses have resorted to a kind of "revolutionary backtracking" (I only call it that because it's a backtrack from our "convenient, on-the-go, disposable, yet elaborate-packaging" lifestyle, to a "(in)convenient, reusable, made out of corn, feels like banana paper, simple" way of life.
But this market assures consumers that these materials are better for the earth. It has even been heavily marketed to parents, mostly mothers who foster customer loyalty in their families and extended networks.

But such marketing is geared towards the higher end clientele on the spectrum of potential buyers. Research and development related to sustainability is kicking off, but still in its infant stages compared to the desperate state of the planet. Technology embracing the green ideology tends to be more expensive and less available. Let's also not forget about the common (mis)perception of eco-friendly products as compromising quality and/or practicality. It would be unreasonable to push "compromising" products to a lower-income market. But green is everywhere. Grocery store patrons are soon expected to provide for their own bags, use of bottled water is slowly becoming frowned upon, and consumers are being pushed to buy organic products rather than cheaper goods from who-knows-where. In the short run, these practices are a hassle to individuals; the promise of a better planet in the long run, is where the diamond lies.

But diamonds are expensive. Even if everyone wants a sustainable planet, not everyone could afford these changes-- say, hybrid cars (cough, debatable). With low resale value and a price that can put an extra dent or two in consumers' pockets, the typical customer may find another vehicle to be of better value and well worth their penny. Yep, diamonds are nice, but they're pricey and generally for the wealthy. ...like the iPhone.

Soon companies will need to find ways other than reusable bags to incorporate low income individuals in being sustainable too.