For once I am thankful for modern technology (smartphones).

[Kaido]

Ehh, I've gotten by in the bathroom with a Game Boy (Color). When I was 7, I even had spare AAs kept in the drawer.

That's some next-level thinking right there

 

[destrekor]

Or you go to a theme park during a not-peak day so there is a chance that some rides don't have long lines. Using an app that tells me updated line times I have run through a few theme parks best rides with almost no waiting.

They... have that?! Genius! What rock have I been living under?

 

[Kaido]

I despise hipsters, but if loving my smartphone makes me a hipster... then I'm a hipster. You do understand that most of us aren't tied to a PC all day long, nor would we ever want to be. Having the Internet at your fingertips while out and about is glorious..

I don't even know how I would function without one...I would be so bored & so disconnected Just scrolling through my first couple pages of apps:

1. Shazam to ID that catchy song I'm listening to, so that I can add it to my Spotify playlist

2. Spotify for music (20 million songs, available instantly, for ten bucks a month - less than the price of a single CD)

3. Traffic View to let me see if there's a backup on the drive to or from work so I can take an alternate route & save 30 minutes of sitting in a traffic jam

4. Various monitoring apps for keeping tabs on work (temperatures, visuals, status alerts, etc.)

5. Wink for remote-controlling my house (doorlock, lights, etc.)

6. Games for when I'm bored waiting in line or whatever

7. All of my communication tools (SMS, email, phone, social media)

8. All of my efficiency & action management tools (Vesper for notes, Todoist for lists, Google Calendar, etc.)

9. Downcast for podcasts for listening to during workouts & commutes

10. Camera+ for photos & editing (this is probably the primary use of my smartphone, honestly)

And like a dozen more...Yelp for finding restaurants & reading reviews, Jawbone for looking at my step & sleep tracker from my Up24 fitness band, etc. etc. etc. Removes boredom, keeps you on top of things, gives you instant access to whatever information you're looking for - bank account balance, restaurant menus, how to spell words, etc.

 

[nageov3t]

any-time access to news is hard to beat.

had an incident a couple weeks ago where it was announced that the train I was on was being delayed from leaving the station indefinitely... tons of people got up and walked out, to walk to another train line a few blocks away.

I pulled out my phone, looked up the news, and discovered that there was a brushfire along the tracks that all trains going from NYC -> NJ travel past, so any train I'd take would have the same delay. made it an easy decision to sit tight and watch a movie on my tablet while waiting.

also nice to be able to email the office if I'm unexpectedly delayed on my commute for whatever reason (miss my train, train delays, roads closed, etc)

 

[Aikouka]

Forget that, I never understood why males love to hang out in the bathroom, for me it's in and out of that stink as fast as fuggin possible.

Are you sure you didn't accidentally venture into the women's bathroom?

Haha. I've had one type of smartphone or the other since 2009 and I like them a lot.

Yeah, I've had one since 2008 with my AT&T Tilt (HTC TyTn II), which was running the wonderful Windows Mobile. Now, don't confuse that with Windows Phone! Windows Mobile was pretty much Windows CE with modem support. I find it incredibly handy to do certain things, and unlike some people, while I'm always "connected", I don't feel like I'm stuck.

Although, this one guy I know is one of those weird people that prefers to call, and ugh... that makes me feel stuck. If I'm watching a video, I have to pause it, sit there, and talk. It's just so damn inefficient when you're just trying to ask me a simple question!

I could keep going and going, suffice to say that I couldn't imagine going back to a time when the internet wasn't in my pocket. I waste way too much of this capability on social media and posting on here, but when you really need it the right answer from Google can sometimes be a life saver.

Can't argue with you here. It's definitely nice to have quick access to data when you need it. The push for decent cameras have also helped us use our smartphones as UPC readers, and that lets us do quite a bit! For example, I catalog all of my movies using the UPC. I can use Target's Cartwheel app and simply scan the UPC to find deals.

 

[pete6032]

I despise hipsters, but if loving my smartphone makes me a hipster... then I'm a hipster.

Have you not been keeping track of hipster trends? The current trend is flip phones.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I am mostly indifferent towards "smartphones"

I dislike talking on the phone, and prefer email or talking in person, but texting or instant messaging are OK ... yes, the interface on the phone sucks compared to my model M, but, it is useful for short messages like "picking up chicken on my way home from work" or "please pick up some beer at the store."

Also, smart phones can be handy when traveling. Sure, a Lan party rig is better, faster, etc, but if you just want to find a cheap motel when your on the road for a place to sleep for a night or something, its a lot easier and faster than dealing with a phone book or looking for a roadside motel with vacancies.

Also, smart phones make good mp3 players, I added a 64gb drive to mine, so I can play anything online, or anything on my small collection on the local device ...

And furthermore, I can use usb to hdmi converter, and output 1080p stereo to a TV, so, if I am at my uncles house or somehting and im bored, I can just plug the phone into the TV and watch some netflix.

its a phone yes, but its also a walkman, a vcr, a camera, a compass, an atlas, and travel agent. It does all the jobs decently as well.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Forget that, I never understood why males love to hang out in the bathroom, for me it's in and out of that stink as fast as fuggin possible.

Simple answer for a simple question - because the wife and kids are out there. Bathroom is the only place I can have peace in my house.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Simple answer for a simple question - because the wife and kids are out there. Bathroom is the only place I can have peace in my house.

You don't have like, a home office, or some other room all to your self where nobody bothers you?