In other news...

I got a new blackberry* - CURVE (w/ GPS)


* for testing only :)

Wired-Me[at]Connected[dot]com

Yesterday, I went to Walmart with my parents. We had just left home, and were at closest major intersection, I realized it then - I had forgotten my phone/blackberry/pda/clock/gps - my "everything" - at home. I didn't feel like asking my dad to take me back.

We went to Walmart, and another stop on our way, and we were home in less than an hour. All through the trip I kept missing my phone - wondering who might have called me, emailed me. And I wondered what H would think if I didn't reply to her immediately. Anytime my best friends calls, they know I'll answer - no matter where I am. Once H emailed me, and asking me to call her. I didn't see the email for 10 minutes or so. When I called her, she was like, "woah, Hafsa, 10 minutes delay? What's wrong?"

That's how connected I am - at all times.

This brings me to the point of the post. Early in July, I found a new friend (HD). And this friend asked me something very interesting. The question that kept echoing in my mind for a while was, whether my tech craze represented my love for the dunya?

I don't know if I have an answer yet, but I understand the question better now.

And there are people out there who can live without Email or Cellphone:

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Alan Moore, 53, a writer in Northampton, England, has no e-mail, no Web access, no cellphone. His PC is a "glorified typewriter."

He knows all about blogs and Google and MySpace; an imposter even put up a MySpace page in his name. He understands the convenience of cellphones and knows that people can have hundreds of channels on their TVs rather than his few broadcast ones.

Despite this, "I don't think I'm missing out."

Instead of Googling every question, he refers to books. Instead of toting a cellphone on a walk, he just walks. "Not being able to be phoned when I'm out: that is blissful," he says.

"We live in a culture where we are completely swamped with information. It's like some invisible fluid. I try to control the flow of information through my life."

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Source: No cellphone? No BlackBerry? No e-mail? No way? (It's true.) or link

The floor's open to my readers**. How connected are you? Ever had the thoughts of cutting it down?

Edit: **Readers: three of 'em to be exact :D

RIM Announces Wi-Fi Enabled BlackBerry 8820

rimarkable has the inside news:

A day that BlackBerry users have been waiting for what seems like years has finally arrived… Research in Motion has officially announced the BlackBerry 8820, the first Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry Device.

“The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity. It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features, including cellular, Wi-Fi and built-in GPS,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at RIM. “The BlackBerry 8820 complements our carrier partners’ cellular networks with the added ability to stay connected via Wi-Fi at home, through hotspots and corporate campuses.”

Read the full press release here…