Hello - keeping up with the Gagets vs creating compelling content

Hello - I have so many acquaintances that are concerned with getting the absolute most  up-2-date, full fledged screaming smart phone. I've noticed that the questions I get or the conversations I'm a part of no longer talk about laptops, desktops, monitors or even printers. Everyone is about the Smart phone...and how the smart phone is revolutionizing just about everything. I'm a thrilled. It appears that our gadgetry is moving faster than many of our behaviors.
Have you noticed that when you communicate on a Smart phone; there is really  very little phoning occuring. It's mostly text, twitter, web surfing and perhaps an e-mail or two. For those of us raised with a Blackberry, the habit is thoroughly engrained and we love our hard-keyboards. There is something fabulous about actually pushing a button that assures you that you;re typing. I do believe that you can type at a speed faster than light with your thumbs - not so sure about the virtual keyboard. However, it's a skill I perhaps should master.
What I am finding is the nuance of conversation and/or meaning is lost or diluted. I've firmly established my own form of shorthand that does not include the popular: LOL and OMG....however, not everyone gets the syntax of my messages...
Text has allows you to sneak 'notes' across a virtual room without getting caught (sounds like grade school) - and permits multi-taskers to think that they are being productive. But, this isn't a rant over texting, ADD (that's truly the Attention Def Disorder flock), people who THINK they are actually productive with a smart phone, teleconference, instant messaging and e-mail all in full flight at the same time.
It's about - -just because we can, should we ?
Smart phones are intriguing devices...they are giving us e-commerce and communications capabilities that we never imagined. These innovations are giving us the impetus to push ourselves and the technology further than every anticipated. It gives us instant access, allows us to work anywhere and give the impression that we're hard at work, breaking rocks - -when in fact, you can be (as I am --sitting in the Florida sunshine on a winter's day, crunching numbers and giving lip services to people living in colder climes...).
I just caution that perhaps - we don't have to do everything that we have capabilities for - and perhaps rather than emphasize the speed and features of the smart phones that we focus on how we are going to better as a result. What will we drive..in the way of creativity or new thought as a result of having the smart phone...? Will we be able to further collapse current ways of doing things so we can focus on the bigger issues at hand ? Don't you finding it fairly interesting that we now have stellar individual technology - and yet, our problems as a society (especially economic) are sheerly daunting ? Perhaps we can collectively put our brain trust against these and be more human...again...or morph being human into being Human in the 2.0 world. There is room to grow.
Just promise me that you'll pay attention to your environment while you engage in Smart Phoning. I hate to think about how many chance meetings (like romantic ones) are lost because someone was more plugged into their Smart phone than the people around them...And please - to paraphrase any mother of a teenager...Don't Smart Phone and Drive....ever... or in bed.. (another conversation)...OY !

Memo to Mr. Mustang....

Dear Mr. Baby Blue Mustang...

I have to tell you I have envy. Every day I drive past where you have parked your beautiful car in our workplace garage and I think to myself..."How can you just abandon such a beautiful car ?'...'How can you leave it perpendicular to the edge of the vertical lines ?' Essentially, sir...why do you hog 5 spaces ? Parking spaces in a communal lot are precisely that, for the extended community. I know you love your car, but is this really necessary?
Pardon me for leaping immediately to the conclusion that you are a space-hog...I did then try to briefly analyze this: perhaps he (yes, I know who you are) is from someplace where leaving your car anywhere you want to is acceptable...perhaps India, somewhere exotic...nope...you're from here...next, I choose to think that you were not feeling well and needed the extra berth that your parking position affords...nope...ah, you aren't even disabled, or require handicap parking. I do applaud you for not faking a need for the few handicap spaces we do have.
Would it be a stretch to say that you are just clueless ? I'm thinking that if you work at a place that has offices, that you may work with people, in social settings and require decent communication and/or technical skills. Is that correct ? If yes - -your wishes just may be that your car remain untouched ? If yes, you just may be sending the type of energy that creates maladies...ever think that if you send a physical barrier that says "don't touch me"...that the average person wants to touch, mess it up ???
I just wish that you would think about the community your in...perhaps there are four fabulous parking spaces that could be used by others...humm...yes, My dear Mr. Mustang...we really don't care about your car...it's how you wield it. It's not all about you...and by the way...the guy that have the new Lexus parks between the lines...
With love, Your workmates....

Kudos to Groupon

Just saw Groupon CEO interviewed on CBS' 60 Minutes last night...There are so many exciting aspects to this (not that we should all become marketing brokers...), here are a few observations:

1. The CEO's personality infuses the company. In the case of Groupon...this is fun, uplifting and pushing people and technology along together. He's a bit quirky. I love this. I'm surrounded by stuffed shirts that were born in stripped ties. He embraces who he is and just runs with it. 
2. I love how Groupon uses creativity in concert with technology. The actual write-ups are works of art. Who says you can't be an English major and work in technology. It also demonstrates that technology is a medium that requires kick-ass content to sing. Double-congrats on this level. 
3. The persuasiveness of Groupon illustrates clearly that if you have an idea that fits the economic times, you can fly - -and fly high. To all the nay-savers...you can if you try to match what you have to the market, make a go and make a brilliant go of it.
4. I like that they are hiring. I like that I saw rows of young people, working and working hard. This helps disspell many of the myths that today's American youth are entitled and are not hard working. I'm starting to believe that we are all hard-wired to want to succeed, work hard ...or just let the circumstances overtake us. 

This firm is about dreams, guts, perhaps luck and just hard work. It would be cliche...but this is quintessential American. They are humbled by their meteoric rise and are using base liberal arts skills of problem solving and creativity to create a new business model while using technology as a conduit.  This model is not for everyone, but it does show that there is room for others

I encourage you to look at what you do daily - -is there room for creativity, for a different angle - can you operationalize some aspect of what you have in your domain to make it resonate with just one more person, market segment...Let's bring our game on...