Technology & Our Changing Daily Lives

David Kirkpatrick writes,as technology becomes more pervasive in our lives, we seek out other less obtrusive gadgets to protect us from all the noise.Excerpts with heavy edits and my comments added:

In this device centric age, technology is increasingly defining usage of time.The amazingly small and light iPod is giving new insights into how technology is changing our daily lives. With the iPod shuffle, it's infinitely easier to live in a world of music. Subway riders are quieter than they once were. David thinks that as many as 25% of all the commuters either in the cars or on the platforms are listening to music, an audio book, or a Podcast in NYC. In the Tokyo subway, almost all the commuters pull out cellphones or other electronic devices and peck at their miniature keyboards, sending messages or playing games. In Korea,Taiwan,Singapore, Hongkong - things are not far different.

David thinks that this is something the music industry needs to fully appreciate We can now simply listen to more music. That's why downloading music has got to be an unalloyed good for the industry. The music companies probably have to figure out different pricing models, but there's no question that the industry's opportunities are growing, not diminishing, as people have easier access to music and listen to it more often. David reckons one reason that music could be becoming more centric to us in digital lifestyle has to do our exasperation with the other technologies -cellphones, PCs, BlackBerries, laptops, etc. With all these devices, we're wired and ready to receive telephone calls, e-mails, IMs, and instant everything all the time. The email is particularly annoying– with each passing day its more and more debilitating. David writes, email is becoming a curse, not a blessing.with increasing numbers and too time consuming. Music soothes the frazzled beast,helping to sooth frayed nerves!! David’ further goes on to discuss about the cellphones and playstations – well reflected thoughts and quite insightful. So more technnology and more innovation is clearly the answer to the ills of technology.

My Take: Mobile in its present form may also become as unpopular as today's email.It is clear that over the next five years with more and more digital devices integrating into our daily lifes and more and more digital infrastructure getting installed - life is never going to be the same- it is as if a new world, true in its physical sense as well - is getting created. Huge opportunities await those who sense and take steps to leverage this massive emerging tecchnology and applications