A social phenomenon maybe in the making due in part to the deployment of intelligent cellular devices. The death of the wrist watch. Connect the dots. This going on for the last 3 weeks on Amazon vs this observation over at Instapundit –

YESTERDAY’S POST on the ongoing phenomenon of watch markdowns led some readers to wonder if it’s driven by a change in behavior. Reader Chris Arfaa writes:

I suspect the frequency of watch sales is a result of a decline in watch wearing. I rarely use a watch, relying on the clock on my mobile phone. While I seem to be an exception in my age group (45), younger generations – those who grew up with mobile phones – seem not to wear watches. Wrist watches qua wrist watches may go the way of day planners and non-wireless PDAs (other items of personal technology whose functions are now built into the mobile phone).

And another reader emails: “I asked my son about a possible watch as a gift for his girlfriend. Both are late teens while I’m from the age of dinosaurs. He said no one wears them anymore because they just rely on their cellphones. Perhaps that might be one reason for the big watch sale?”

Yeah, my daughter is in the same boat. I try not to carry my cellphone with me all the time — not because I’m worried about infertility (at this point, I’m not sure if that’s a bug, or a feature), but because I don’t like the interruptions that come with carrying a cellphone that’s turned on. But when you’re texting your friends 24/7, the attitude’s different. Of course, once cellphones are small enough to go on your wrist, we may come full circle . . . .

Both my son (26) and step-daughter (20) are sans wristwatch. I know for a fact that my daughter does not even care for a watch as she admits to using the cellphone clock exclusively. Back in the late 70’s, then 80’s as technology changed the nature of timekeeping intially the swiss were taken back and had to retool. But that was a metaphor of improved time keeping. This time it is a case of outright replacement of one form subsumed as a sub-function in a larger context of wireless communications. I have to admit not having to change your clock settings as you march across times zones is a nice little benefit.

The watchmakers revenge? How about a cellular on a key fob with Bulova stamped on it? Use is via a Bluetooth earpiece and it announces the hour thru a text to speech dsp on the ‘watch’.

Linky.

Consumerist, a website I thoroughly enjoy and occasionally highlight, is having their annual ‘Golden Poo’ award nominations. The only reason I mention it here is that the semifinalists are CountryWide Mortgage and Comcast. Yes, that broadband carrier we love to rib. I believe that the voting starts Monday. You might want to go over and laydown your vote.

What would be interesting is that any company that receives the Poo award ought to have their CEO and board discharged. I think the stockholders would support that idea.

Consumerist.

Well if you own an iPhone you can, at least for the battery. First thing go buy this kit for $8 then stash it away. When you iPhone battery gives up the ghost whip this sucker out and have at it. Considering that its $90 for Apple to do the same thing that is $82 in savings.

One caveat. If your iPhone is still under warranty when the battery dies then send it in. Using this kit will most likely void the warranty in their eyes. Once the warranty period expires its fair game.

HT: Coolest Gadgets.

Excuse me Verizon but I thought you had a green initiative going on? So what’s a Hummer doing in your fleet line up?

Photo by Connumerist.

it looks like they need to get a heavier gauge of aluminum for the tin-foil hats down in Santa Fe. Yes folks there is a group of people in that town that are filing a complaint against the deployment of WiFi i public places. They are considering a ADA attack. –

A group in Santa Fe says the city is discriminating against them because they say that they’re allergic to the wireless Internet signal. And now they want Wi-Fi banned from public buildings.

Arthur Firstenberg says he is highly sensitive to certain types of electric fields, including wireless Internet and cell phones.

“I get chest pain and it doesn’t go away right away,” he said.

Firstenberg and dozens of other electro-sensitive people in Santa Fe claim that putting up Wi-Fi in public places is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Time for Alcoa to send down another shipment.

Linky.

The life we lead in this country was not born without sacrifice. For all Veterans a hearty thanks; this is Your Weekend.

Thank You.

Thanks to Harlan Reynolds, Instapundit for the picture.

As you may or may not know, the FCC is currently on the lookout for firms not telling customers that the device being sold to them is an analog only set an d will not work after Feb, ‘09. So the FCC snags — Sears, WalMart, Best Buy, et. al. for not doing so. Another words big fines for not sticking a .20c label on a box. Details here.

Now of all these firms, WalMart has the least excuse. They have the most modern logistics system on the planet. They can tell you what bag of rice you bought on Sept 6, 2007. So it is not a stretch that they would be capable of cranking out a list of analog sets in inventory and slapping the label on it. Shame. Personally I think some heads are going to roll over this.

One word — Nomophobia. Yes friends a new word to add to the lexicon. Nomophobia is the fear of NOT being connected either by cell phone or some other form of wireless. The researchers that did the study say over 50% of the users may have the phobia. Take it with a grain of salt, but here it is –

Getting married, starting a job or going to the dentist have long been recognised as sources of great stress.

But it seems they are now matched by a new, peculiarly 21st century affliction - the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

Millions apparently suffer from “no mobile phobia” which has been given the name nomophobia.

They have become so dependent on their mobile that discovering it is out of charge or simply misplacing it sends stress levels soaring.

Personally I believe them. I have several times seen people I know go blotto when the phone goes dead.

Linky.

This is in the darn cute, great way to close out the week dept here at ThirdPipe. Watch the subtitles, it tells it all. They must be a Comcast subscriber.

Microsoft slightly trumped again. Usually when they do a RTM release of code that want to know who has it thru registration. Well that plan is sunk. Versions of the software are now all over multiple boards. –

Interestingly, the groups which tend to be responsible for distributing Microsoft product code ahead of time – WinBeta and BetaInsiders – are actually drawing this code from legitimate Microsoft resources. Although neither Windows Server 2008 nor Vista SP1 are available for general release yet, they are available to TechNet and Microsoft Connect subscribers, and the product code doing the rounds is exactly the same as that available on these sources.

Bear in mind that these releases aren’t true warez as neither group has published product keys or any other sort of activation bypass. However this doesn’t make their release any less piratical, as software available from these sources is explicitly forbidden from being redistributed (so much for that warning).

Be aware these are not ‘cracked’ versions. You still need a key. But it is a minor annoyance to M$.

Linky.