jchrisobrien ([personal profile] jchrisobrien) wrote2007-09-13 12:12 pm

Technology, that annoying little buzz in your ear

There's an amusing scene in The Fifth Element where Gary Oldman is talking about how technology and industry grows from destruction, and then chokes on something he eats.  Ian Holm wryly observes that all of his technology can't save him from choking, and smacks him on the back to save his life.  I'm reminded of this because sometime technology gives us new innovations, that are not improvements over the original.  As an example I give you cell phone ring tones.  People love to have songs as their ring tones, yet more often than  not are embarrassed when "When Doves Cry" or "Sweet Child of Mine" blasts out at high volume in the middle of a conversation, or meeting.  Why would you pick a song as a ring tone if it embarrasses you?  Your daughter singing "You are my sunshine" may be cute to you, but I assure you it's not cute to the rest of us.  Especially at that volume.

The closest I had to a singing ringtone was that generic salsa beat you get on Verizon phones.  If I were to get a song as my ringtone, it would be some thing like Queen's "Princes of the Universe".  Just to see people reaction when were talking about the weather or a computer problem, and they hear Freddie Mercury scream out "HEEEEEEEEEERE WE ARE.  BORN TO BE KINGS, WE'RE THE PRINCES OF THE UUUUUNIVERSE." 

That would be awesome.

[identity profile] spriggan.livejournal.com 2007-09-13 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I fucking hate ringtones.

[identity profile] silas7.livejournal.com 2007-09-13 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I say we do away with them. Cell phones too. All messages should go out via carrie pigeon!

[identity profile] spriggan.livejournal.com 2007-09-13 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Nah, we should just all have subcutaneous cell phones. That way the noise is _inside_ us.

[identity profile] silas7.livejournal.com 2007-09-13 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Fat lot of good that did Aegis!

Still, a cool idea.

[identity profile] spriggan.livejournal.com 2007-09-13 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sure it was very useful for him in all his previous campaigns.