|
|
Why Are We Still Calling the Things in Our Pockets 'Cell Phones'?
07-10-2017, 07:26 AM
|
#1
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,303
|
Why Are We Still Calling the Things in Our Pockets 'Cell Phones'?
Why Are We Still Calling the Things in Our Pockets ‘Cell Phones’?
Quote:
Today, when I get a call, I think: Who died? Who’s trapped on a mountain? What awful global calamity is unfolding? I use apps and text messages for everything – ordering dinner, hailing cabs, telling friends I’m running late – and I rarely check my voice mail. I don’t have any friends who regularly call me; even my parents have switched to texts.
|
Quote:
Regardless of its implications on wireless carriers, it’s odd to refer to these vast, all-encompassing gadgets merely as “phones.” It would be like calling a car a “radio box,” or a microwave a “popcorn maker.” All smartphones can make calls, sure, but what makes one device different from another is how well it can do everything else.
So let’s call these devices something that more accurately reflects how we use them. One idea would be to take a cue from the British and start referring to them simply as “mobiles.”
All of these words sound more awkward to our unaccustomed American ears than “phone” or “cell phone.” But they’re better descriptors of what these devices are.
|
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57
Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
07-10-2017, 07:32 AM
|
#2
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 8,418
|
A lot of concern this week on this forum in what is in people's pockets, IMO.
__________________
Living well is the best revenge!
Retired @ 52 in 2005
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 07:33 AM
|
#3
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 11,401
|
So true!
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 07:37 AM
|
#4
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,328
|
for me, it's still mostly used as phone (and some as text device). I may be the exception, but I use very little data (I share 100MB/month with DW and we hardly ever come close to reaching 50)
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:26 AM
|
#5
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: GTA
Posts: 1,728
|
""Today, when I get a call, I think: Who died? Who’s trapped on a mountain? What awful global calamity is unfolding?""
To true. I haven't talked to my brother on the telephone in years (I do see him face to face infrequently).
He has called me twice in the last two months. First time, to tell me our sister had a heart attack (she is fine now). Second time, to tell me our aunt passed away.
I hope he doesn't call me again for many more years.
__________________
Family Motto: "Every penny's a prisoner"
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:32 AM
|
#6
|
gone traveling
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 3,508
|
I call the thing in my pocket, My Expensive Pocket Computer/Newspaper/GPS/Text/Video Player/Weather/Calendar/Clock/Camera/Phone Machine That Sits Next To My Handkerchief.
My sons laugh at me. That makes me sad. Maybe I should put my handkerchief in another pocket...
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:41 AM
|
#7
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: City
Posts: 10,351
|
Because they are cell phones?
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:49 AM
|
#8
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,126
|
I live in England where they have always been called mobiles. The UK usually calls a new device after what it does rather than the technology it currently uses. Over here a "GPS" is called a "Sat Nav". Way back in the 70's when computers started having electronic monitors and keyboards we called them VDUs (Visual Display Units) rather than CRTs which is what our US collegues called them.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:54 AM
|
#9
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: New York City
Posts: 2,838
|
Yeah , When the house phone rings late at night, Ive been know to say many times : "Oh God who died". It seems to always be bad news. Yeah my 10 cent a minute phone that I sometimes carry I call a cell phone. OK Ill bite, what should I be calling it?
__________________
Withdrawal Rate currently zero, Pension 137 % of our spending, Wasted 5 years of my prime working extra for a safe withdrawal rate. I can live like a King for a year, or a Prince for the rest of my life. I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic, I will stay on topic
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:57 AM
|
#10
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 783
|
That device in my pocket can do a lot of things, but I only use it for it's namesake
__________________
***********
My motto is.... "a dollar saved is better than a dollar earned. I don't pay tax on the dollar I saved."
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:58 AM
|
#11
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by euro
for me, it's still mostly used as phone (and some as text device). I may be the exception, but I use very little data (I share 100MB/month with DW and we hardly ever come close to reaching 50)
|
Funny, I'm the exact opposite. I ONLY use data. I intentionally disabled the phone and text capability using Ting's device setup page. I still send texts and make calls occasionally, but I use apps like Hangouts on the data network, which is WiFi about 90% of the time.
I haven't used the term "cell phone" in years. I usually refer to it simply as my "phone" or maybe "smartphone." I don't like either word, especially given my usage which is rarely phone-like. But I'm not a linguistics expert... whatever the masses decide to call it, I'll go along. Hopefully we won't revert to some earlier names: "PDA" and "Pocket PC."
__________________
Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
AA: 85/15 WR: 2.7% SI: 2 pensions, SS later
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 08:58 AM
|
#12
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 979
|
I think "brick" would make for good slang.
__________________
I'm free and I like it!
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 09:00 AM
|
#13
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
|
My brother still calls me on my cell phone. He rarely texts me. My sister texts more but still calls me, but not often, once or twice a year.
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 09:06 AM
|
#14
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 1,544
|
We could start a thread similar to this re: Cars, computers's, refrigerators, etc... So many things are muti functional.
__________________
-Big Dawg-FI since 9/2010. Failed ER in 2015. 2/15/2023=DONE! "Blow that dough"-Robbie
" People say I'm lazy, dreaming my life away Well, they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me When I tell them that I'm doing fine watching shadows on the wall "Don't you miss the big time, boy. You're no longer on the ball" -John Lennon-
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 09:21 AM
|
#15
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Coronado
Posts: 3,706
|
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 09:35 AM
|
#16
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 661
|
Maybe because that thing in your pocket relies on a cellular connection to make a phone call. I know almost no one who uses wifi calling on their device unless the reception is really poor...which equates to a small percentage of murica!
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 09:56 AM
|
#17
|
Administrator
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: N. Yorkshire
Posts: 34,126
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ponyboy
Maybe because that thing in your pocket relies on a cellular connection to make a phone call. I know almost no one who uses wifi calling on their device unless the reception is really poor...which equates to a small percentage of murica!
|
My carrier now and when I was living in the USA defaults to calls over wifi whenever I have wifi, and since most of the calls I make and receive are at home then almost all my calls don't use cell towers. ( we don't have a landline at home). It's a great feature to have particularly when traveling overseas.
__________________
Retired in Jan, 2010 at 55, moved to England in May 2016
Enough private pension and SS income to cover all needs
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 10:00 AM
|
#18
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 13,145
|
About the leave the door and didn't read the article yet.
But my hunch of still calling them cell phones is probably similar to saying "I taped the program on TV tonight". Tape jargon from the old days of VHS.
__________________
Have you ever seen a headstone with these words
"If only I had spent more time at work" ... from "Busy Man" sung by Billy Ray Cyrus
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 10:28 AM
|
#19
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 661
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
My carrier now and when I was living in the USA defaults to calls over wifi whenever I have wifi, and since most of the calls I make and receive are at home then almost all my calls don't use cell towers. ( we don't have a landline at home). It's a great feature to have particularly when traveling overseas.
|
My wife uses project fi and she gets no reception at our house...so all of her calls go through wifi. Shes still in the minority group though when it comes with wifi calls vs cellular calls.
|
|
|
07-10-2017, 11:28 AM
|
#20
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,024
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ponyboy
Maybe because that thing in your pocket relies on a cellular connection to make a phone call. I know almost no one who uses wifi calling on their device unless the reception is really poor...which equates to a small percentage of murica!
|
I use WiFi for all calls and text as long as I'm in a WiFi network, which is most of the time. It has nothing to do with the cellular reception. WiFi calling is free, whereas Ting mobile data usage is not. The only time I connect to a cell tower is when I'm actually mobile, i.e. NOT on a WiFi network.
__________________
Retired at 52 in July 2013. On to better things...
AA: 85/15 WR: 2.7% SI: 2 pensions, SS later
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|