The Mobile Device: Then and Now

I really had to think hard about this topic.  It amazes me when I think about how far technology has come since the 90's.  One of the biggest changes had been the mobile phone.  In just a matter of years, the entire use of the phone was shifted thanks to companies like Apple and Blackberry.


I didn't receive my first cell phone until I was 16 years old.  That would have been in 2006.  However, the kind of phone I would have used in the 90's?

I legit had this exact same phone.  Mr. Dressup was getting fed up with my excessive calling.

Instead, I settled for toy phones.  I would lug it around by the cheap twine that came attached to the toy and call Mr. Dressup excessively.  He didn't return any of my calls though, so in return I'd throw the phone down the stairs, thinking that it would help.  After all, I'd watch TV and see that the best solution to fixing something was to give it a good smack.  TV not working?  Give it smack.  Fixed.  Computer? Smack. Fixed.

Toy phone only got more and more brittle.  I don't know where he's at now.

In reality this is what a cell phone from the 90's looked like:

A paper weight...errr.....cell phone from the 90's.

These bad boys started in the late 80's and continued into the 90's.  They...uhh...called people?  Hard to believe that people can still actually do that with phones today.  All of the fancy apps and gizmos have seemed to distract us from that fact.  

Now we have smaller and more powerful phones.  Phones that record voices, text, let you play games, surf the Internet (the InterWHAAAAA?!) have face to face conversations, catch up on the news, you can even close and open a virtual zipper on your phone!  If you're into that kind of thing...I won't judge you.

Close and open a virtual zipper, use it as a flashlight or just check your email...you know.

As I said, I have had a cell phone since I was 16.  I've never owned a smart phone, I've always had your basic call, text and SUPER SLOW Internet plan.  I think MTS should consider changing the plan name to that.  

It scares me to think that some children are getting these smartphones, or phones in general, at ages as young as 9 or 10.  What are these parents thinking!?  Your children don't need these phones at this age.  Texting and calling is not necessary when they're likely under the parent's supervision for a large part of the day.  Timmy doesn't need to call Mary to ask her out on a date at the age of nine.  Timmy won't be able to drive her anywhere for another 7 years.  

Regardless, mobile devices have helped improve our world.  Yes, some people rely on these devices, which is too bad, but when used in moderation it's one of the best tools to keep you informed and smart.  Just download the apps you need: news, sports, stocks, weather and anything else relevant.

And Zombie Highway.  Everyone's allowed at least one guilty pleasure.

Do you have Power Ranger gloves? I'd like to borrow them this Halloween

The Power Rangers was based off of a Japanese (who would have guessed?) series called Super Sentai.  It was created by Shotaro Ishinomori in 1975.  However, the show wasn't a huge success until the late 80's where it was aired in countries like Brazil and the U.S.A.

Saban Entertainment saw huge potential in the show and created an American version of it in 1993.  Thus, The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were created.  19 television seasons, 16 different series and 2 theatrical releases later the Power Rangers are still in full function.  The latest series, Power Rangers Samurai, debuted in February of this past year.

I remember Power Rangers as a staple from my childhood.  I'd only be able to watch it on the clearest days of the year since this was the only way our TV could pick up even a snowy version of FOX.

Looking back at some of these clips, I can' help but wonder if the Rangers were heroes or dancers.  Their moves are great, but I think the dance show they but on just after they morph could rival any contemporary dance program out there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1UtsY0uZVk

(My apologies for not embedding this, youtube seems to be giving me some trouble)

This Halloween I'm going as a Red Power Ranger.  I picked up my costume this past week, and it comes with almost everything.  Helmet and a jacked up suit.  All I need are boots and some gloves.

I know for a fact that I had some Power Ranger toy gloves when I was a kid.  Well I didn't have it, they were my sisters, they were pink.  But I wore them.  But that's besides the point.

If you happen to have a pair of red ones, or know a place I could pick some up, let me know!  In the meantime though, feel free to comment and let me know some of your Power Ranger memories.

Furby Toys...Yeah, You Remember Them

I recently got my hands on a Furby doll from the late 90's.  I don't think I could put into words just how excited I was for this!  I was never one of those lucky children who had a Furby doll when I was kid, but when I think back to my childhood, I never really had a strong urge to have one.  Thank god I didn't either.  The thing is demented.

Don't know what I'm talking about?  Let me boost your memory:

Yeah, that little guy.  Furby was a huge craze, especially in 1998 when they were first introduced.  They were THE toy to have that holiday season and prices would range on these little guys from $35 - hundreds of dollars depending on how rare they were.

When your first purchased your Furby doll, he would not be able to speak any English.  He would speak a language called Furbish.  But don't be alarmed! Furby would come with a dictionary so you could understand what he was saying.  Why don't women have one of these!?!  The more time you spent interacting with your toy, the quicker he would learn English.  Soon enough you raised a full fledged and completely fluent psycho path killer in your own home.  But he was cute, so that was all that mattered right?

Anyway, my girlfriend and I  found her old Furby doll in the basement of her mom's home.  We immediately took it home and fuelled it up with 4 AA batteries (that seems like a lot, doesn't it?).  The thing started flapping its ears, blinking its eyes and opening its mouth violently.  The mechanical gears inside the beast were spinning like mad, but there was no sound coming out of his mouth.  We took the batteries out and left the little guy on the top of the bookcase, figuring we would leave him as a creepy token of our childhood.

We had a few friends over and decided to try the thing out again.  This time he decided to speak.  There's nothing more scary than sitting there in silence and then hearing a muffled voice from the corner of the room proclaiming "Furby loooooves you! Heh. Heh. Heh."

Currently Furby is broken because I had fed him too much.  I think he's full.  However, I'm still fascinated by this little devil.  I think it's because I never had one as a child.  I plan to get him back into working condition soon. Although part of me would love to get a brand new one and explore what it's like to develop one of these things from "birth" so-to-speak.

Or maybe I'm just carzy.

Until next time!

Or as Furby would say "Night, night! Heh. Heh. Heh."