The mobile web in your pocket

The world has changed rapidly in the mobile sphere - I still remember those first cell phones that came out - bricks - that only the privileged few carried. You had to hold onto those bricks in the hand or use the bag, since it was just not pocketable, what with the large antennas sticking out and the weight of the phones. And then there was the exorbitant charges for calls - that people on receiving a call on the cell, would quickly hang up and then go searching for a pay booth / std booth to make a landline call back to the initial caller to finish the conversation.

Or there was the show-off friend who would hold the phone to the ear with a pretentious call, but could never afford to make a call in fear of the bills that would come. Such were the initial days of mobile phone tech.

Now a few years later, the antenna of the cell phones are history (except still for those Siemens phones, if anybody buys them), and each new model vies for the sleekest and slimmest style not compromising on features in any way. And add tonthat the 3 to 5 megapixel cameras with auto focus and xenon flashes.

Really a wonderous journey.
Such has been my amazement now as I use my new Nokia N95 phone. A small nifty device, albeit not the sleekest in any way - with the best-of-breed 5MP camera that puts my old 3 MP point-and-shoot-er to shame.

And what is striking is not the phone itself, but the underlying software of the S60 platform which allows you to stay connected and be instantly online with the photos you shoot (via Shozu), the thoughts you pen down (rather thumb down) on your blogs, the connections you make, the appts you share with you co-workers (with Google calendar integration) etc.
And all this always-on connectivity and calling at a expense that doesn't strike you down with the monthly bills of yore (still think American data charges are high though).

And this is where mobile tech converges to the pocketable world for me - my N95 along with the equally pocketable N810 playing a one-two in terms of mobile connectivity as I blog away on this very thought without being anywhere near a traditional computer or wired connection.

My N810 is my computer allowing me to compose and create content along wit the N95 and the phone is my connection to the outside world.

Exciting times indeed.