Image: ‘thats why they call it work‘ taken by cactusbones

I was talking to some undergrad students recently about all the uses we had for our mobile phones. Actually making phone calls was way down on most lists – right up the top were alarm clock, calendar (synced with online or desktop calendar), texting, taking and sharing pictures, and filming and watching clips. Checking email, going online, and using sat-nav to get home after drunken parties were all there too. Listening to music showed up.

So I was interested to read this 27 year-olds day-with-the-phone in Japan. Posted over at electro-plankton in reply to the recent US iPhone-fever, the post puts the additional features (mainly Mobile digital TV and increased consumerism ops) down to Japanese phone developers working with the countries only two network providers:

"Claude’s typical day starts with him checking his email on his phone. He gets all his daily tasks and calendaring events this way. He then syncs it with his computer. He pays for the subway by placing the phone on a kiosk granting him access past the gates. The commute is spent watching TV on his phone by rotating the screen. A small antenna extends up and catches the wireless digital TV signals (something we will never have here in America). About 45 minutes later, he’s in Tokyo and heads to a vending machine to buy fresh fruit and water. He places the phone up against a pad. The vending machine reads his bank information which is tied into his phone. He then places his thumb on the phone’s tiny thumbprint reader to verify his identity. As he makes his way to the office, he waves the phone near the door handle to unlock it. During a 10 minute break, he’s flips thru a magazine and sees something he wants to buy. The item has a tiny stamp size barcode pictogram next to it. He scans the pictogram with his phone. A receipt and shipping confirmation hits his email minutes later. As the day ends, he syncs with his work computer and goes grocery shopping paying for items with his phone. Before heading home, he heads to a bar his friend has invited him too. He uses the phone to give him step-by-step directions. The day is finally over and his phone’s battery is nearing the end of its life. He plugs it in and goes about the rest of the evening relaxing before bed."