For years, they’ve been making things smaller – and now, all of the sudden, they pull a “biggening” on us. Home stereos begat boomboxes, which begat Walkmans – which eventually evolved into teeny-tiny iPods. Similarly, desktop computers begat laptops, which turned into netbooks – and eventually, iPhones and other touchscreen smartphones, which owe more to computers than to cellphones.
But instead of taking the next logical step forward and making something even smaller, they decided to chuck miniaturization – and come out with something bigger. Now, the new “in” device is …

Not too long ago, “sending someone a short message” entailed writing a note and sticking it on the refrigerator door – and all it cost you to send was the time to jot down a couple of sentences on a piece of scrap paper. Nowadays, of course, no respectable note-writer would bother with pen and paper; instead, they would send an e-mail, or, better, a short phone message, using their cellphone’s SMS feature. SMS, of course, has a great advantage over the old system, in that you don’t have to …

D’ja ever notice that somehow, some way, no matter what you do, you always end up spending more on your cell phone bills than you expect to? No, this is not the opening to a Seinfeld routine (although I bet he has one on the subject!). But it’s a situation we’ve all become familiar with: The cell phone companies present us with “plans” that include free minutes, free chat, free internet – free! – but we somehow end up paying the same, or more, with each subsequent plan!
How could this …

Once there were “boomboxes,” those quaint suitcase-sized stereos that turned heads – and created headaches – whenever they were in the vicinity. Then music went “private,” as Walkmans and iPods provided walkers, runners, and bus and train riders with hours of musical enjoyment.
And now that we’re in the age of the “digital device,” the music player of choice for a new generation is – the cellphone! It’s all about “convergence,” using a single device for data, messaging, internet use, and of course, playing music and video. And because they’re …

If you’re in the market for a new phone, don’t buy anything – yet. Try to hold out with your old phone for a couple of months or so; super-glue the pieces of your old phone that are falling apart, or something. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. Why? Because in a couple of months you’ll be able to get your Modu, the super-cool “modular” cellphone that will be the newest, coolest phone you ever had – guaranteed to make even iPhone owners jealous! Cellphones have long …