Monday, May 11, 2009

This post has no idea how it got here

I stopped being technologically relevant quite a few years ago. Technology is a tricky thing. You can only keep up to it till a certain point of time. I remember back in the "day" when I all of us who had invitation-only GMail accounts thought we were the über-geek. We used to laugh at all those with just 5 MB (or was it 2 MB?) Hotmail and Yahoo accounts. "You're not using Gmail yet? Really? I don't know how you survive with measly 2 MB of email space. Okay, if you want it that much, I'll send you an invite". For the record, I barely invited less than a dozen people. Why? Because, well, I'm cheap like that.

Anyways, there is a fine line to going from being the only one in your training class to know the difference between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems to one day tuning into a gadget-oriented TV show and going "They can do THAT now? Ama-fucking-zing!". One really does not know when that line is passed. Hell, I went from espousing the benefits of peer-to-peer networks to discovering BiTTorrent just late last year. Yes, I know. Shameful. However, thankfully, I have over compensated for that.

Of course, that doesn't imply that I've turned totally helpless. I'm Indian. Most of us are probably born with an embedded chip in our memory. I've seen little kids who haven't yet said their first words but have coded their own iPhone application.  Go, figure.

So my almost dead inner geek woke up this morning when I read about this:

   [AP Photo]

Screw WiFi and say halo to my little friend. That's right, bitches. It's called MiFi. The Novatel MiFi 2200. (Sounds less like a wireless device and more like a WMD!)

A wireless hotspot in your pocket.

*Obligatory they-can-do-that-now shrug and head shaking*

As you all know, I am kind of obsessed with the internet. And not just check-email-every-half-hour obsessed. No siree Bob. I need to carry it around with me wherever I go, lest the world starts to end and I miss reading about it. If some natural or unnatural event is going to kill me, I would like to either write a post about it beforehand or at least send a tweet. And if I do have some time, update the status on my facebook. Something like "______ is dying of a really strange disease usually only seen in M Night Shyamalan movies".

Currently, my mobile internet requirements are being serviced by my handy GPRS enabled phone. Now GPRS is good and all, but it's only two notches above a late-90's style dial up 56k connection if you're trying to use it on your computer. Although sometimes, it's a lifesaver. Last year, when i had gone to almost-remote hilly town, the only thing connecting me to the virtual world was my trusty GPRS.  Granted, sometimes it was so slow that you would have to combine web surfing with other activities like reading a book/watching a sitcom/shooting at the local population.

The sad news is that the MiFi device can only work on 3G networks, so it will take a couple of years before being launched in India. We are just getting started on 3G networks. And right now MTNL is the only company offering it. No offense, but I pity the fool who uses MTNL. It's like wearing a jockstrap two sizes smaller than your actual size. We still get an MTNL bill sometimes even YEARS after getting that connection disconnected.

Not that the private operators are better. Recently, my mobile service provider has converted my unlimited data plan to a limited data plan. And the broadband providers are going to follow suit. Now they are going to put caps on unlimited broadband plans. So, pretty soon, when you sign up for a plan which promises unlimited, uninterrupted internet, you are in fact signing up for a, rarely fast, limited-usage account. It's like using two condoms and still ending up pregnant.

I don't use a WiFi at home. That's because basically, I really can't figure it out. And since I'm cheap, I don't want someone else piggybacking on my internet. OMFG, that makes me sound like one of those people who wanted to tea-bag Obama.

However, I'm still looking forward to the launch of this card.

Why? For the simple reason that then I can watch You Tube videos while sitting on the can!

Oh, joy!

14 comments:

chandni said...

darn! trechnology is all g(r)eek to me!

I didn't quite understand what that little thing is supposed to do, but I shall do a "yay" when u get it anyway.

Sigh! The things I do for my friends.

Phoenixritu said...

Wireless is good, just get it password enabled and no one will piggy back on your net.

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

You know the book, "Computers for dummies?"
Yeah, well, it was written for me.

So basically, this post of yours went over my head, but I got that you're pretty excited about something. So that's a good thing then.

Sigh, I miss the good ol' days when I was clued. Now I'm so clueless, I should just go pose next to a dinosaur in the Museum of Natural History...

Prash said...

After reading this post, I feel that I belong to the medieval period.

Anonymous said...

OH yayyyyy! You DO have substance to your character!!

I love the post :D
I hate the title :@

But post again soon, some arbit chuntering, for all these Techno-illiterates...

Rambunctious WhipperSnapper said...

@chandni: Well, in a few months, it'll all be greek to me too .... now whenever i get this, i shall call you first so that you can be all "Yay" .... :P ... plus instead of giving an arm and a leg for your friends,,,, try to meet them once in a while ....

@Ritu: Are you sure?

@MMMM: Being clueless is like the story of my life!! You know that, eh?

@Prash: While writing this post, I felt the same ....

@USP: gee, judge much? ... u always hate the title .... :P ... yes, planning to do some frequent posting ....

The Line of Beauty said...

I got rid of lan cord and got myself a WiFi two months back..and I think that's the most technologically advanced things I have done yet...and yes, I have not been able to figure out GPRS yet on my phone..
One thing that I am good at is clearing my browsing history after every session. It has become reflexive ;)

Rashmi said...

I am still wondering why did i land up here at first place? agreed you right good, even exceptionally good but common you can't do this. I feel flabbergasted now, some words eerr or rather some whole sentences went like a MIG over my head.

Anonymous said...

*Ramby
You MAY as well post frequently, since you're neither employed, nor travelling...

closetalk said...

perhaps the post is schizophrenic? :)

Mamma mia! Me a mamma? said...

Since you don't mind the art of shameless self-promotion, I thought I'd share this with you:

http://mammamiameamamma.blogspot.com/2009/05/andamans-again-part-375.html

Thought, maybe you'd like to read it...

Rahul said...

Wow, this is an awesome post...straight from the heart..Just keep moving forward, and enjoy more than ever before :)... Am adding u in my blog list for further reading ur articles!! You can add me in ur blog list too read mine if u want...My blog is http://rahul-bhattacharya.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Post, whore.

Rambunctious WhipperSnapper said...

@LoB: Heh! You figured out the WiFi and you can't figure out GPRS? LoL!
I don't bother cleaning my browser history anymore!

@Rashmi: Heh . . :D . . .

@USP: Hey, cheap shot!!

@ct: Yes, that is correct . . . :) . . .

@M4: Thanks for sharing! I loved it!!

@Rahul: Thanks . . .

@USP: Yeah.