Nomads at last | Economist.com

Wireless communication is changing the way people work, live, love and relate to places—and each other, says Andreas Kluth.

Illustration by Bell Mellor

AT THE Nomad Café in Oakland, California, Tia Katrina Canlas, a law student at the nearby university in Berkeley, places her double Americano next to her mobile phone and iPod, opens her MacBook laptop computer and logs on to the café’s wireless internet connection to study for her class on the legal treatment of sexual orientation. She is a regular here but doesn’t usually bring cash, so her credit-card statement reads “Nomad, Nomad, Nomad, Nomad”. That says it all, she thinks. Permanently connected, she communicates by text, photo, video or voice throughout the day with her friends and family, and does her “work stuff” at the same time. She roams around town, but often alights at oases that cater to nomads.

Christopher Waters, the owner, opened the Nomad Café in 2003, just as Wi-Fi “hotspots” were mushrooming all around town. His idea was to provide a watering-hole for “techno-Bedouins” such as himself, he says. Since Bedouins, whether in Arabian deserts or American suburbs, are inherently tribal and social creatures, he understood from the outset that a good oasis has to do more than provide Wi-Fi; it must also become a new—or very old—kind of gathering place. He thought of calling his café the “Gypsy Spirit Mission”, which also captures the theme of mobility, but settled for the simpler Nomad.

It’s probably not a great secret that I consider myself to be something of a reluctant nomad. I think a huge part of that stems from how much I moved while I was growing up. Until I started university, I never went to a school for more than 2 years; and generally when I moved, it was mid-year.

So like many people in the generation that succeeded my own, I don’t have a deep-seated sense of place. Depending on my mood, when someone asks me where I’m from, I answer Tennessee, Northern California (Santa Cruz/San Francisco), and increasingly Utah.

Like Ms. Canlas, I seem to be connected constantly throughout the day via email, text, this blog, and now Twitter and Facebook.

Kim (my ex) considers the constant connectivity to be a bad thing … she steadfastly refuses to sign up for any social networks; but I tend to feel like so many of my connections are so tenuous that I need to maintain them in any way I possibly can. I find I’m reconnecting with people from my past though these social networks, and am redeveloping some friendships that I’ve let slip through my fingers in the past.

I’m also trying to disconnect from the Interwebs enough to connect with real live people in face-to-face social situations; I seldom refuse an invitation anymore, whereas, in the past I used to come up with any excuse I could come up with not to go out because I was letting my anxiety control me, rather than controlling my anxiety. When I do find myself in the company of other people, I’m working on being as warm and welcoming as I can be … to listen, to engage, and to forge lasting friendships with people; something which has always been a weak point of mine in the past. It’s still a struggle at times, but it gets easier.

And right now, that’s all I can ask for.

I just love that planned obsolescence … and inventory reductions!

iPhone sold out online

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) — Apple Inc. said Monday its online stores in the U.S. and U.K. are sold out of the iPhone, a sign supplies are being winnowed ahead of the launch of the device’s next generation featuring faster Internet surfing speeds.

The iPhone is out of stock online, but brick-and-mortar stores run by Apple and AT&T might still have units.

The Cupertino-based company confirmed that the iPhone is out of stock online, but added that brick-and-mortar stores run by Apple and iPhone carriers including AT&T Inc. might still have units available.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined to comment on reasons for the shortage and on Apple’s plans for an update to the device, which is widely expected to be unveiled in June at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco.

The paucity of iPhones for sale in some markets comes as Apple is hustling to meet its goal of selling 10 million of the hybrid iPod-cell phone-Internet surfing gadgets by the end of 2008. So far, Apple has sold 5.4 million iPhones, according to the latest data as of the end of March.

One way Apple’s expanding the iPhone’s reach is by inking deals with wireless carriers around the world, even breaking with its pattern of requiring exclusivity to sell in a certain country.

Yeah … I’m an Apple/Mac/iPod geek … but far from being an early adopter, I tend to wait until at least the second generation of a product comes out before buying.

My first computer was an Apple ][+ … my first Mac was the 512K (rather than the original 128K) FatMac … my first iMac was a mid-generation “flavor” … my first iPod was a 3rd gen, and my first Nano was a 2nd gen … and my current MacBook is a late 2007 model.

I’ve been wanting an iPhone since they were first introduced, but as always I know that there will be more features on the 2nd generation. The current inventory reduction (and corresponding “shortages”) will only serve to increase demand in advance of the introduction of the 2nd generation iPhone later this summer.

And at that point, it’ll be time to jump the Verizon ship and head over to AT&T and get me some iPhone action, baby. While I’m tempted to say I can’t wait, obviously I can, since I have to this point … so suffice it to say that I am giddy with anticipation.

… when I pocket dial someone …

Checked my phone when I got home and I pocket dialed at last two people and it looked like I was about to send a garbage video message to Thailand. Looks like I need to make sure my phone is either turned off (or at the very least has a locked keypad) when I go skiing.

I’m sure everyone has their own set of pet peeves … here are some of mine, rearing their ugly little heads today:

• People who ask for my help, but then tell me I’m wrong. If you know the answer, don’t ask me!
• People who don’t listen.
• People who drive 10 mph slower than the speed limit in the fast lane.
• People who don’t turn off their cell phones in a restaurant. Unless you’re a doctor on-call who may need to leave at a minute’s notice, the person you’re with should be your primary focus.
• People who print novels on the department printer, but never pick-up the print-out wasting time and paper.
• People who get hired into management roles, without understanding the jobs or responsibilities of the staff they are supposed to be managing.

I’m sure I’ll come up with more later …