Off Topic, But Kind of Related

A telephone book arrived in my mailbox today. It got me to thinking: Do people still use telephone books? I don't. I just throw them in the trash (or the recycle bin to be more accurate). So, I decided to look inside one. To my astonishment, it contained basically the same information that it has always contained. Most interesting to me, it still contained paid advertisements. Seriously, people are paying to be included inside the paper phone book....in 2013.

I know this is off topic from my usual posts about iPhone repair and fixing liquid damage, but I have a question to ask: Am I missing something? Are there still enough people that read the telephone book to justify buying an ad inside of one? I doubt it. In fact, our business is not even in the yellow pages of the paper telephone book. We just assume people will do a Google search and find us. I hope we're not missing the boat.

I am thinking now that it would be helpful to be in the yellow pages. They would have to create a whole new category for us. Maybe it can be called "Smart Device Repair Centers" or "Cell Phone Problem Solvers". We could think of something (though it's a lot harder to describe than just saying "Pizza"). So, we apologize if you looked in the paper phone book six months ago trying to find us and you came up empty. We just assumed that everyone looks for phone numbers online these days. Therefore, this post is still kind of related and on topic because if you can't find us we can't fix your phone. Sorry. Maybe we'll make the 2014 edition.

When is New Technology Too Much?

Before the end of 2013, Google Glass headgear will be available for purchase at retail outlets. This futuristic product consists of a small display situated on a frame that resembles eyeglasses. Google Glass, though, is much more than eyeglasses. You will be able to videotape, audiotape, conduct Google searches and do other cool things.  In short, it is going to rock.

The question that Google Glass poses is for the people that don't use it. Will it be too much? Should you be allowed to film and record people without their knowledge or consent? Will this tool be used by creepy people for bad things? Probably.

What limits should we place on technology? Maybe x-ray vision is the point of no return. We're way beyond iPhones that record rock concerts and children's birthdays. We are talking about Matrix-like technology that will be in wide use before we know it. Our opinion is that Google Glass will not cross any new boundaries. It is basically just a more sly way to do things that are already legal and mostly acceptable. There is already a process to handle people that tape things they are not allowed to tape. We can handle this new product but it will require people to pay more attention to what they say and do around people that they don't know well. That is a good practice regardless.

Google Glass is not a bridge too far - yet. But someday there will be a technology that is going to raise some serious ethical and legal concerns. And that day might be sooner than you think.