Science & Technology

11, May 2021 - by Jared Brandon-Flande

Smart phones are beyond convenient. They have allowed the average person to basically carry an entire 1990s electronics store in their pocket on a daily basis. Whether it’s an iPhone or a Droid device, they both have many uses. As my annoyed college logic professor once said, “if you need help, you have the sum of all human knowledge in your pocket, so look it up.” In more polite words, the internet and all its wonders are at our fingertips whenever we so desire.

Even though we have a camera at our disposal at anytime, smartphone photos are more utilitarian. The latest in mobile technology allow the everyday user to take quality images, watch entertaining content, and play games to pass the time when there is nothing else to do. Alas, as useful as these devices are, they do have some major limitations. They may be able to do almost everything, but they are not the best at everything.

Even though we have a camera at our disposal at anytime, smartphone photos are more utilitarian than artistic. Phones take great video, but a digital camcorder that uses a large internal hard drive or an SD card is easier and more flexible when one wants to transfer large amounts of video content. The same is with still images. Smartphones are great for snapshots, but a professional DSLR camera is still the way to go if you want to capture exceptional photographs.

Apple changed the digital frontier when they introduced the iPhone in 2007. Since then the iPhone has become the main digital communication device for many of us. However, Apple’s cellphone is not quite enough for an enjoyable digital session. Sitting down in front of Apple’s iMac desktop computer with its powerful operating system, wireless peripherals, and much larger screen can be a more pleasant experience when partaking in screen time.

When it comes to fun, smartphones still have healthy competition. Simple tap games are a great way to pass a little time, but traditional console systems such as those from Nintendo offer the most fulfilling video game experience. Consoles also give you the opportunity to spend time with friends by blowing each other up with turtle shells in “Mario Kart.”

Even though there has been controversy surrounding them, smartphones have profoundly changed our lives since their introduction within the last 15 years. Even though phones are capable of many tasks, tailor made devices to give the best performance possible within their medium are still more powerful and useful than ever.

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