I took the boat out for a nice little sail across Santa Monica Bay yesterday, and I used my fancy new iPhone to Skype some friends who are spending a year in Japan. As it turns out, the house they are renting has a distant view of Mt. Fuji from the balcony. So, we're video chatting and I can see Mt. Fuji over their shoulders, and they can see Palos Verdes and Catalina Island over my shoulder as I sailed back into King Harbor. And, of course, all in real time.
OK, I realize that for the generation who were essentially born with a smart phone in their hands this is no big deal. But for an old guy who refuses to completely grow up (but can remember actually dialing a phone, and what a gas it was to see myself on a little black and white CCTV image for the first time in a display at the Oakland Airport), video phoning someone 5000 miles away while I was sailing my little 27 foot boat was pretty cool.
OK, I realize that for the generation who were essentially born with a smart phone in their hands this is no big deal. But for an old guy who refuses to completely grow up (but can remember actually dialing a phone, and what a gas it was to see myself on a little black and white CCTV image for the first time in a display at the Oakland Airport), video phoning someone 5000 miles away while I was sailing my little 27 foot boat was pretty cool.