Now here is something thought-provoking with ends limited only by your own imagination. Check out this article where the author postulates on the aesthetic future of the cell phone. The look of the mobile phone today has not only changed significantly since they first hit the market, but it is changing at lightning speed almost on a daily basis. Whenever I am in the mall I stop into my carrier's outlet just to see what is the latest out there. Way back when people started carrying phones around, outside of the home, the need was for a communication device - for emergency purposes, or traveling reasons. The focus then as the author indicates was on the need of the product, not on what it looked like or for that matter, how carrying it around affected our lives.

In fact, the concept of the mobile phone was so innovative in and of itself, that aesthetic appeal was not even considered. The important questions were: can I make calls, receive calls, and hear the person I am talking to? My sister and I were laughing about this just the other day when she remembered how my car phone was formerly physically installed in my car, cord and all. This was much less convenient for me, than was her cellular phone that she carried around in its messenger style handbag that conveniently came with the phone. In those days, no one ever thought of accidentally sitting on their phone, or if they did, it was more a cause of personal pain than injurious to the phone itself. And even fumbling around looking for your phone was not an option.

Let's take it a step further, the aesthetic appeal of the phone has changed so much, but so has what a phone offers. How about ring tones for example? These are a huge industry today. But have you ever heard a song playing and wondered - is that my phone, or does someone have the radio on? So while I understand that needs are being met for new and improved uses of the cellular phone as well as for advancements in its aesthetic appeal, I almost wonder if we are taking a step back by doing so. I love the author's suggestions on making them so tiny they are wearable - phones in bracelets for example. You will agree that it is an interesting thought.

However, this will not improve my life from a practical standpoint, but aggravate it. I much prefer to hear my phone actually ringing, and in the good old attached to my console days I never had to worry about my cell phone falling out and being flushed down the toilet. You know I am saying that because that has actually happened to me. I am not saying that I need a grotesquely bigger phone. However I am wondering if we can leave the aesthetic issues alone just for a little while and keep pumping up these gadgets with really cool stuff. What the cell phone will look like in the future remains to be seen, but it definitely will be interesting.