When Apple and BlackBerry were just fruits!

Though I had heard before that people could give an eye or an arm to grab the latest version of an iPhone, this Chinese boy went ahead and bartered his kidney for a piece of that forbidden fruit. Somewhere Satan must be very happy because this Apple has created a stir among teenyboppers who eagerly bite the bait and how.

I must admit that many a times I have myself run into doors almost losing my nose, totally oblivious of the world whizzing by, with my eyes dug deep into my BlackBerry. There have been instances when I have chuckled at crazy chat threads during melancholic events. Almost every morning, even before the right eye cracks open, I have this sudden urge to read news, check mails or just browse. No, I do not tweet what colored dal I had the previous night. No, thank you!

While, I admit that I use a lot of How To videos to learn to fix a bulb or make paper-mache craft for my little one, the fact that Google answers every damn question has made me an indolent individual. Now, I hardly want to exert to reach out to the books. The charm of getting wide-eyed listening to anecdotes shared by elders, seeking guidance from seasoned teachers or simply making birthdays cards with cursive writing for friends is so fading away. All the information is just a click away and greetings can always be scribbled on walls!

The fact is that these smartphones have smartly and cheekily taken over our lives. The constant fiddling with the phones, the intant uploading of instagram-ed pics on Facebook, Twitter and minute-by-minute account of private lives have laid bare everyone's personality for public scrutiny. Now, who else a decade back would painstakingly use Aperture to capture food served in their airline and upload it on social networking sites? Trust me, Mr amateur photographer, the sight of your spinach stew with a mound of sticky rice does nothing for my sore eyes.

Infact, blogosphere is abuzz with iPad fatigue experiences, yet there are many who follow the pack and bring their sleeping bags to the stores, just a day before the launch. Even the kid at home is addicted to Talking Tom and Tic Tac Toe. she clearly has a cavalier attitude towards Ludo and other toys do not pique her interest as much as an iPhone does. She is three and Gina the Giraffe is her favorite. She doesn't even want to know who Mowgli is! In other parts of the world, dangerously enough, kids continue to make virtual cupcakes, no matter if they fall prey to poorly designed apps.

Though, in this wired world, you actually need to have one, the avaricious desire doesn't really stop at one. There are several apps to be downloaded and latest versions kicking off the old ones from the podium. While I am dying to go on a vacation without the prying 'I' of the phone, I know, the dependency is too much to let go.

Some days I wish that Apple and BlackBerry had just remained fruits and not a necessity for modern life.