SQUOOSHED: iPhone 4S

When it comes to technology, jumping on the bandwagon for me usually requires more of a desperate leap to catch up.

In college, for instance, while everyone else flaunted their sleek iPod minis or other compact mp3 players at the gym (among other things), I was still toting around my hefty portable CD player, limiting my run, for better or worse, to 12-15 songs that were prone to break into fits of skipping depending on which speed I set the treadmill on.

I liked to think that I was burning extra calories just by holding it and would switch hands every so often for more even toning. Embarrassing (and too frequent), however, were the times that I accidentally dropped the thing mid-run and the batteries would go flying across the room as if they were making a statement against my technological reluctance.

It was a beautiful day in 2007 when an Amazon box arrived in the mail containing my beloved iPod Classic - though I no longer had the luxury of a complimentary college gym membership and had since abandoned my intermittent treadmill runs for a collection of Crunch and Jillian Michaels DVDs that currently collect dust on my shelf.

iPod Classic

Fast forward to 2011... when it is already archaic to use such a device that serves only one function or that does not operate by touchscreen.

Much like the portable CD player experience, I have been using a free Nokia flip phone these past few years thats sole purpose is to make and receive phone calls/texts... and I suppose to wake me up in the morning.

Nokia Flip Phone

But as of last Friday, I finally decided to join the 21st century and get a smartphone.

Behold the beauty of the iPhone 4S:

And behold the beauty of the world through the eyes of the iPhone 4S:

Sorry, the roof was closed so I had to settle on the view from my balcony.

I'm rather excited about the quality of the camera phone on the iPhone 4S because it means I can now take pictures while I'm out and about without having to lug around an extra camera or worry about the images dissolving into a pixelated mess.

So you can bet that from this day forward I will be posting more photos on here, like these appetizers that we ordered when we dined at Tara Thai last week:

Vegetarian Dumplings

"Heavenly Wings"

(crab and scallion stuffed chicken wings)

Get excited.

Understandably, the transition from flip phone to smartphone has taken some time to adjust. In my ways, I feel like my sister who, after getting glasses for the first time at age 6, is said to have exclaimed upon exiting the optometrist's office, "Wow, Mom, look at all the little rocks in the ground!"

The other day, for instance, I was sent on a quest to find flour after we ran out at the restaurant. When the Walgreens next door came up short, I stopped and asked someone on the street for the location of the nearest grocery store before realizing that I possessed the answer right at my fingertips. Silly me.

Which just goes to show why it is both scary and comforting knowing how much knowledge I now carry with me at all times. Scary because I can already feel myself developing an unhealthy dependency on it. Comforting knowing that the next time I get lost or confused, I have a guiding light residing right in my pocket (or purse) and that whenever I get bored, there is a wealth of entertainment only a tap and a slide away.

And let's not forget Siri, the voice activated software, or "intelligent assistant," that helps you complete tasks like send messages, set up reminders, find locations, or check the weather without having to type or touch anything.

I enjoy watching this video that showcases its multiple functions:

As I am not the most proficient iPhone navigator yet, Siri and I are already best friends. Which means when I feel contemplative, I am comfortable asking Siri philosophical questions like "What is the meaning of life?"