Monday, February 22, 2016

Do We Really Need to Take Our Phones Out?

            We live in a technological age where everything is getting clearer and smarter. It has become easier and faster to connect with those all around the world, but there’s also a claim that it’s becoming harder for us to connect with those physically around us. We’re constantly pulling out our phones to check ESPN updates, Instagram, Twitter, or other apps; disconnecting ourselves from the world around us. The influx of smartphones in society is to blame for the claim that people don’t know how to talk to the person sitting next to them while they’re having dinner. Sony’s newest earpiece is trying to change that.
            Sony is one of today’s giants in technology and their newest creation, the Xperia Earpiece is taking the next step in smartphone technology. The Xperia is “an earpiece that puts a virtual assistant in one of its owner's ears” (BBC News). The earpiece was announced in Barcelona on the first day of the Mobile World Congress technology show. This earpiece is supposed to reconnect people to the world around them by allowing them to use their phone through voice controls while keeping it in their pocket. “The idea is to free users from having to handle their phone so often” (BBC News). Owners will be able to call, message, check calendar events, weather, traffic and news reports, search the internet, and access apps without taking out their phone.
            But will the Xperia Ear be beneficial to businesses as well? It has the capabilities to be the next step in multitasking by allowing people a new hands-free          system, and theoretically it will be. But we won’t know if the concept of not having to take your phone out of your pocket will be advantageous until this product is out on the market. “Sony hopes that by removing the need to pull out their phones altogether, and instead reach for the Ear, people will won't be quite as shut out from the outside world” (arstechnica.com). There’s a curtsey of not taking your phone out while you’re having a conversation with someone or during a business meeting. It’s viewed as rude. But the Xperia Ear is just a Bluetooth earpiece ­­– less conspicuous and there are less opinions on whether or not it’s rude to have in your ear. The Xperia Ear is said to be released this summer with the price unknown. Whether or not the Ear is actually going to reconnect people is unknown, but Sony is trying to create a world that at least looks less technologically dependent.

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1 comment:

  1. UnknownFebruary 26, 2016 at 5:59 PM

    Cora made many valid points throughout her blog. As stated in the blog, Sony plans to release an earpiece, called the Xperia, that will "put a virtual assistant" in its owner's ear. This "virtual assistant" will be able to send text messages, make phone calls, check calendar events, check the weather, traffic, and news reports, search the internet, and access applications. Since people are constantly on their cell phones nowadays, many people have made the claim that people today do not know how to physically connect and interact with others. The goal of the Xperia is to reconnect people with the physical, outside world. Even though this is a good idea and could be useful in many ways, I do not think it will ultimately fix the problem that cell phones present today. Just because people will soon have an earpiece to listen into and speak into instead of a screen to look at, does not mean that they will be less addicted to the applications and text messaging. I believe that people will just be constantly speaking into their earpiece and listening for new text messages and updates on their applications. This to me is certainly rude, maybe even ruder than looking at their screen constantly. However, I may be completely wrong and this product could change the world back to the way it was before cell phones existed. Only time will tell!

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