Hello! And welcome to our Friday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We hope you enjoy it!
And without further ado:
There is a war brewing in my pants over control of my life. (Wait … that didn’t come out right.)
In one pocket is my wallet, long-time trusted friend and keeper of all the important stuff I typically need on a regular basis.
In the other pocket is my cellphone, a newcomer to the scene, but one that is increasingly gaining my trust.
While this battle has been raging for some time on a small scale, it seems to have gained increased fire following the news this week that a number of mobile operators have formed a partnership with credit card provider Discover Financial Services. These partnerships appear to be an important step in fulfilling the long-promised dream, and keynote video fodder, of being able to make purchases using only a cellphone. Sure, this type of service has been available in places like Japan for what seems like centuries, but they also have to deal with Godzilla on a regular basis, so I think we have come out on the positive end of that discussion.
While these developments have potential for wide-ranging changes to the mobile space, as with most wide-ranging changes, I am only concerned with the impact upon me. And what’s at stake on a personal level? Only a prime location in my life, meaning whoever wins will be granted a permanent pocket position that it will not have to share with my keys.
I must admit that I am entering this battle with a bit of bias. You see, when I was a kid I remember getting my first wallet. It was a cool blue color and was made of some sort of nylon material that made a cool scratching sound when you ran a finger nail across. Most importantly, at least for an eight-year-old boy, was the huge Velcro closure it sported that was probably sufficient enough to hold down a bear, let alone keep secure all the valuables I could stuff into that wallet. (And as an eight-year-old boy, those valuables included about 72 cents in change and for some reason a third-grade class picture of myself. Weird.)
Since that time my wallet tastes have changed, probably not for the better, yet I still instinctively reach for that trusted slab of leather whenever heading out the door. I still don’t have much of real value in my wallet, but having it in my pocket seems to make my clothes fit better, which is nice.
However, no matter how incomplete I may feel without my wallet, I can’t imagine going anywhere without my cellphone. Oh sure, every once in a while I will venture a short distance from my phone, maybe into a shower, or outside to do some yard work, but even in those cases my mind is never at ease as I am always wondering if I am missing some important call from the President, or the lottery. (Of course, I have really never received an important call, but for some reason I keep thinking one of these days I will.)
But, if at some point in the near future I am able to handle financial transactions with my cellphone, well, the true need for my wallet will diminish drastically. Besides carrying around some way to pay for those all important “goods and services,” there is really not much else I need to carry in my wallet. I stopped carrying around change and a third-grade class picture of myself (really?) a few years back, which leaves just a driver’s license and maybe an insurance card or two as the only things of any real significance left for my wallet to tote. And I can only guess it’s a matter of time before the functionality of those items are embedded into my cellphone.
So, perhaps this battle is really over even before it got started. I am more likely to make my wallet share space in my right pocket with my keys when heading out the door than risk any damage to my cellphone, occupying the left pocket.
But, maybe that’s why I should continue to allow my wallet to oversee my financial carrying needs? That durability is an important factor that in our increasingly high-tech world is losing some of its allure. If I happen to be walking down the street in the middle of summer and a neighbor has their sprinklers on, I will have to think twice about running through them with my phone in my pocket, especially if I want to hit up the ice cream truck crawling down the street. But, with my trusty wallet, I can be that eight-year-old again and still have that 72 cents ready for my ice cream lunch.
OK, enough of that.
Thanks for checking out this week’s Worst of the Week column. And now for some extras:
The day after Thanksgiving, once cherished as a time to sit around with family while digesting the previous day’s feast, in more recent times has become a day where families wake up at the crack of dawn, clothe themselves in their finest “Thunder Dome” costumes and make their way to the nearest mega-super-ultra department store to do battle so as to be in a position to snag that 75-inch 3D television for $13.97. This day has taken on the ominous title of “Black Friday,” and I say it’s fitting.
(To this point I refuse to acknowledge the title of “Cyber Monday” that follows the weekend after Black Friday when everyone launches screaming deals for items that are purchased online. Until someone gets trampled buying something online it does not deserve a title that so blatantly copies that holy day of Black Friday.)
For many of these retailers, mobile is becoming an increasing draw for those blood-thirsty Black Friday crowds, and even mobile carriers are getting in on the act. I have always thought this a little strange as most retailers already seem to discount mobile devices to crazy levels. What more can they do? Pay me to buy a phone?
Hmmm … . On second thought, maybe all of that post-Thanksgiving family time is overrated. Now, where is my protective cup and helmet? I have me some shopping to do.
I welcome your comments. Please send me an e-mail at dmeyer@ardenmedia.com.
