The Low-Tech Times

Earlier today, Arbie left a great comment on the Low-Tech Times’ Cable/Satellite vs Free TV article. Here’s an excerpt from the comment:

When someone making $12/hour (or less) has a $120/month cable bill and $180 cell phone bill, I think they need to recheck their priorities.

Somehow we all survived without it all 20 years ago. I’m not saying a basic cell phone and internet is not a must now, but 350 premium channels, Tivo, fancy ringtones, internet phones, etc. can nickel and dime a basic income person to bankruptcy.

The comment is especially interesting because Arbie is a low-tech guy like myself who acknowledges that owning a cell phone may make sense in today’s world. While I do have some friends that still do not own cell phones (hi Stacey and Sean), many people find that cell phones make sense to have for emergencies or other special circumstances.

The problem is that most people do not use their cell phones occasionally, they use them habitually. This unnecessary use of cell phones can create huge cell phone bills, such as the $180/month bill that some of Arbie’s acquaintances receive.

For those of you who choose to own cell phones, the solution is to opt for a pay-as-you-go plan, such as this one offered by AT&T (formerly Cingular). You can pay as little as $100 per year for service. The key is to keep your phone in your glove box turned off, except when you need it.

The Low-Tech Times recently reported that texting while driving is a bad idea. Now, it appears that texting excessively can be harmful to your health.

Last night, I saw an interesting segment on WBFF FOX 45. The segment mentioned the following possible health risks for those people who are addicted to text messaging:

1. Soreness
2. Tendinitis
3. Symptoms of Arthritis
4. Unknown Long Term Health Effects

Click here to watch the WBFF FOX 45 segment by Melinda Roeder.

I like blackberries. We have some growing in our yard during the summer.

However, I cannot say the same for the handheld wireless email devices called by the same name. I just cannot think of a single good reason for buying one. Most of us with office jobs do work that can typically wait for several hours when we’re not there. And for those who absolutely must be available at all times when off duty, can’t they be contacted by phone rather than email?

The devices themselves seem unreliable anyway. Darren Murph, of Engadget, reported yesterday that Blackberry services went down again. Here’s an excerpt from Darren’s article:

BlackBerry addicts everywhere have reason to panic this afternoon, as their beloved network is indeed experiencing technical difficulties — and it’s certainly not the first time that this has happened in the past year.

I’m thinking many folks fork over the money for a blackberry mainly so they can feel important.  What do you think?