This week, I’ve been experimenting with my Blackberry, exploring its potential to make life simpler. Simpler? Well, maybe not entirely—technology rarely makes things as easy as we hope. But I’m finding that, at least in some ways, it can help offload physical assets (freeing up space) and automate routine tasks (freeing up time), which feels like a win.
Social Mapping
One feature I’ve discovered is how seamlessly Google Maps integrates with my personal Google account. Now, I can access my customized maps on the go, and even tap into geographically relevant updates through Google Buzz. There’s also potential here for sharing my location with others in my circle, so we can follow each other around Sydney. Though, I have to admit, I still need to get over the slight creepiness of that.
Globally Positioned Lifestyles
I also downloaded a QR code scanner, which lets me interact with those quirky little squares in the real world. Plus, a GPS-based car finder app to compensate for my notorious lack of direction, particularly in shopping mall car parks.
It’s fascinating to see the direction mobile tech is heading. I’ve been reading about new apps that let you unlock your home with your phone (so you can ditch your keys) and alternatives to PayPal that allow mobile payments in everyday transactions (so you can ditch your wallet). If we keep going at this rate, soon we’ll be able to run around naked with nothing but our phones. Once these devices get small enough we make be able to wear them, or move to subdermal implants so we’ll be able to access everything without carrying anything.
This all brings me back to a prediction I read in New Scientist about how augmented cities could be our reality within a decade. The way mobile computing is being integrated into every facet of life, we’re quickly moving toward a future where we’re never really offline. Unless, of course, we intentionally disconnect on an “electronic fast.”
Fast Culture Meets Slow Culture
At the same time, though, I’ve been noticing something else. Despite all this technological advancement, I still run into people who get confused by something as simple as using lifts in multistorey buildings or who find automatic doors a novelty. It’s a reminder that, while the world is speeding up in some ways, not everyone is running at the same pace. While physical space is becoming less relevant culturally, how we experience time is becoming more significant.
I think we’re seeing the emergence of two distinct cultures: fast culture and slow culture. Just like we talk about local vs. foreign cultures, I believe we’re heading toward a kind of cultural divide based on how quickly people adopt new technology. Slow adopters and fast adopters are increasingly living in parallel universes, each moving at their own speed, often colliding with one another in moments of culture shock. We live side by side, but we experience the world very differently—different speeds, different rhythms.
It’s fascinating to think about where this will lead. Will we find ways to bridge these divides, or will the gap continue to widen? For now, I’m just trying to keep up, while still carving out space to pause, reflect, and not get completely swept away in the rush of it all.
Curious Christian 
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