I started writing this almost a year ago I think. Mobile phones with Internet and Apps has become the memetic device of choice and soon necessity. It will be our bank, passport, memories, camera, everything. I’m going to publish it now. No more writing. Maybe a bit late if anything.
When I wrote my book on memetic evolution in 2002/2003 (from of my website), I kept thinking for a long time that all the electronic devices and gadgets will eventually be replaced by one universal device one day; that they will somehow merge into one, and I think that has finally happened now with the smart phone and Apps. It could have been the smart TV’s, or personal computers, but they were not mobile. (See note a bit later. The Smart TV tries to fight back.) We see once again that the fittest or most superior meme or memeplex (information spreading device in this case) wins in the evolution of and for information. To most of you it probably does not sound that amazing but it is to me. The ‘how’ and ‘why’ part, especially. No more cameras, no more video cameras, VCR players, DVD’s, stereo systems, landline phones, etc.. Soon even the television will be replaced too. People will just project movies from their phones onto the wall or to a monitor.
It is all about which spreads the most memes, most efficiently, lots of them, is fastest, and is best adapted for (lazy and ‘busy’) humans.
In all of what I say, a meme is defined, as per Richard Dawkins, as an idea that is transmitted between humans. Memes evolve, just like genes do, but much faster. This explains our technological evolution and the increasing rate of this evolution too.
Not only has the smart phone won the race to replace all other electronic devices, it is also of the status that everyone has to have one now, or will have to have one soon, and maybe soon must have one and have it registered as well. Did anyone notice how they got rid of burner SIM cards? Your phone will become part of your identity as it has already done so in China. It will be in essence an extension of you, a passport of you, if you like. This is what the world’s elite, like the WEF (World Economic Forum) wanted to do with “vaccine passports” with the covid pandemic, but a weaker version of covid came along, called Omicron, and ruined their plans. They haven’t given up though and will eventually make it inevitable, or it will happen on its own. Climate change is the new driving force to digitize/track you. A CEO from a large Dutch bank even suggested we could have our individual carbon credits stored on the phone. By the way, the rich will be able to buy credits from peasants if they want an extended holiday or carbon footprint. I think this is called Neo-Feudalism.
What has the smart phone (mobile phone with Internet) replaced?
The house phone has practically vanished in the last 5 years. We did keep the house phone for awhile, but it has practically disappeared from most homes now. Here is what one looks like in case you forget.
And to think, at one time, the house phone was so important that people had furniture like a telephone table and seat next to a table, where they would sit and talk.
Telephone booths have vanished as well, as everyone has a smart phone.
Phone booths started vanishing in Perth Western Australia about 10 years ago, as this is when I visited Tasmania and noticed some quaint old telephone booths in some small townships as we passed through. At one time telephone booth had some style even, as shown below.
There is now practically no need for the white pages and yellow pages. The books used to be so large in cities like London that the white pages were something like 4 giant books. I know they have moved onto the Internet now, but people do not use them much at all now, as they can save phone numbers in their phone or ask google for a phone number. Gone are the days when Marty McFly had to rip out a page from the white pages.
There is no need for personal phone number/addresses booklets at well, and those hilarious old spring loaded cases with cards. They were such a popular gift not that long ago.
There is no need for a modem, on your phone anyhow. The smart phone just connects to the nearest router or modem by WIFI or via satellites, with 4G or 5G. The days of dialing up have long gone. 5G also makes it easier for signals to penetrate inside and around buildings, although the Faraday effect still exists.
The television, as we knew it, has largely disappeared too.
Most TV stations would be struggling to stay in business these days, and may soon all go under as well. TV has been replaced by online news and videos like Youtube, Tiktok, and in general. The shite on TV or MSM (main stream media) was all politically charged and biased in any case, and people were getting sick of that, especially with what happened with covid vaccines and the pandemic in and around 2020.
I have just found out that LG have now made a portable TV, but I doubt that will be of much competition to a smart phone. I have personally turned my TV into a computer screen and I watch whatever I want when I want to even if it is on conventional TV by going online to the TV station. I then get to control the advertisement breaks. The thing that was a TV is basically dying, dead, or will be dead soon.
There are ways to wirelessly project things (like movies or whatever) from your phone to the TV nowadays, and even ways to use your smart phone (using the flashlight app, with another app) to project straight onto a wall and watch TV on the wall, or ceiling if you want to watch in bed. People also use laptops and notebooks to watch movies etc but they are at a disadvantage to the smart phone, which fits into my pocket and is easily portable. As noted earlier, we soon may all need to have a smart phone as our ID or passport.
Radio stations got moved to the TV a few years ago, but were still useful to listen to while driving you car, but podcasts are coming and I cannot see radio stations lasting that long either. I doubt radio will be a a feature in future cars. Songs are also readily available on the Internet.
The good old TAB (Totalisator Agency Board), where Australians use to gamble has all but gone too. Most pubs in Australia use to have a TAB office in them at one time. Most offices will be closing as there as so many ways to bet on a mobile phone, with your mates as well. Ha ha.
Cassette video players, or VCRs, vanished a few year ago, and it is very difficult to get an old video transferred into digital format already.
Even DVD players, which essentially replaced VCRs, and use a digital format are dying.
CD players have largely gone as well. Most music is nowadays listened to in digital form like mp3. CDs are cumbersome and when CD players stop being installed into cars, people will listen to music directly from the Internet of from their saved files on their smart phone via bluetooth.
Cameras and video cameras have essentially gone. Video cameras are interesting in the way they evolved. At first you could not see what you were filming, then a little screen was added at the back, then that screen moved to the side, and now that screen is the smart phone. Camera lens have advanced significantly so they fit on a mobile phone, plus we have software that aids they usability. Software can focus automatically, and extrapolate details away from what is actually seen.
While I remember, let me say how important all the advances were from various directions. Not only were we able to put a computer into the smart phone, but connect it to the internet AND also the develop, among many other things, the smart touch screen and the insane resolution (visual and touch), and the incredible Leica et al micro-camera lens, incredible microphones, software, etc. All truly amazing. All came together on their journey towards the greater solution, the smart phone.
The home computer is not redundant as yet but more and more things are now doable on a smart phone, and some only on a smart phone.
Lots of other things have gone too, like;
Clocks. Town Hall clocks railway clocks, alarm clocks, and watches (wrist and pocket) are fast becoming redundant. It is crazy to think that alarm clock radios were a favourite at one time. There is probably an app that imitates this already.
Calendars. Remember the calendars with beautiful scenery, beautiful women or strong firefighters. They have all vanished.
Notebooks. You can now write notes, like appointments and shopping lists, directly in your phone, or even store them on Apps for a particular store, for example, Coles (grocery shopping) or Bunnings (handyman shopping).
Flashlights and torches (to certain extent). The battery in a phone is not that powerful and long lasting but torches have largely disappeared too. .
Newspapers (these look like dinosaurs already). I miss not having that spare paper to use to light the fire or clean up my paint brushes. Newspaper companies went online too late and are don’t really know how to charge for their services. Information is free everywhere now and everyone is a reporter. Most of them will vanish soon, replaced by websites and platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok, etc..
Magazines. TV week. Antiques &Collectables, Beauty, Cars, pornography. These have largely vanished because of the Internet but smart phones have accelerated their extinction.
I use to buy Carter’s Guide to antiques and collectables. They have been innovative by setting up a website that charges to see “sold for” prices, but they are on the back stretch for a hiding as information becomes more available. This also applies other websites like auction prices and artwork prices.
Books. Physical copies of book are starting to vanish, as more and more go online, and now your can even get the phone to read the book for you, eg with Audible.
Mirrors. Not all, but you can use the phone as a mirror ( I shave with mine).
Magnifying glass or reading glasses (not all) but you can read the menu in a restaurant using camera a zoom or take a photo and zoom in on photo.
Video games (some). people still like the fancy control sticks
Road maps (“ok google, take me to the physio in Darch.) An old road map book looks like a fossil now.
GPS. Not that long ago you had to buy a “tom tom”
White pages/ yellow pages/ other printed business directories. This and many are more because of the internet but the internet is being consumed by smart phones now as the means of connection and finding people and businesses.
business searches (just ask google, eg what are the main tool shops in Belmont).shopping stores (quite a few now). or just shop online even. on phone.
receipts
wallet/ credit cards/ cash/ bank transfers. store them in my wallet. or pay anybody with your phone by a bank transfer to an email or phone number. more advance banking system eg crypto, and universal pay. X?
not just vredit cards but loyalty cards can be stored of phone, or your phone number is used to identify you. When i got to Dan Murphy I am asked if I have a card. Never on me, but I can give them my phone number to find me. Same as when I by something from a store. I can use my phone number passpoert to identify myself and help them find me. How did we manage before? seriously?
Emails, use to just be on pc, now on phone and also instead of use email to authenticate you or send message can use phone number on smart phone.
sms…..soon be obsolete tecnology, like black and white photos. that shows how fast snart phones have advanced
camera (photographs)
hard copies of photos. why would you want them these days except to hang on wall. not sure why people do that anyhow.
Encyclopedia Britannia or any other
Atlas.
Dictionary. go to dictionary.com etc., when required. Most Apps have autocorrect
translating between languages. in most apps and platforms now. also voice to voice translation. hello i am from australia in spanish german, russian, etc. do some. even visual images are translataable now. what next? Samsung S24 now translates live in an actual phone call.
dating apps
photographic skills (iso film type, focus, aperture, shutter speed)
acts as photo album and video storgae device with instant replay
video camera (can also now do video editing on phone)
note pads (to do lists, things to take camping, shopping lists)
face to face video chat in real-time. messenger, signal.
cables to transfer data from pc to phone and vice versa or to other people.
express oneself live or near live, on tiktok, facebook, twitter, etc. Or if Musk gets his way, do everything with ‘X”.
typewriter
auctions, garage sales, item sales
corrupt governements wanted to use your phone as a vaccine passport.
They wanted to use the smart phone as a vaccine passport and in the process to digitaise everyone like they did in china. would love to uee the smart phone as a tracking system
It is an extension of us and it is AI so is our first integration with AI
in china it is sue as a social credit sysrtem. WEF loves that idea. klaus schwab admires china, fw.
taking over advertising. money talks
propagnada machine
remote control, security, cameras, printers
scam mobile
smart phone can connect to other things like security cameras on Wifi, printers, tv (can send info/watch on tv, or act as remote control too with an App.)
in fuutre samrt phine will connecty to your garage doors, lights in house, your Elon Musk neuralink chip, your georeg Christos dream replay chip too.
i recently saw, an app to measure your blood pressure using the flashlight. say what? what next? link to a website that measures noise so replacing a noise meter. use an app to act as a level, although i like the real thing here.
no more shopping lists required. for groceries, the hardware store, or even thinks to do. no more reminder notes of appointments. use calendar on phone.
torch
link to security cameras etc with Apps.
gambling was always online but gambling from the phone (with mates if you do not mind) is a whole new ball game. TAB shops have onl;ine cpompetition and thye have to play the new game in town.
the same goes with retaiers. although lots of people shop in stiores, more do so onmline. i was tajen aback as to how poor Myers website was. There were so mnay issues I was thinking of referring my son to help them. it was ridicvulous to say the least.
biggest is surveilance, cause unique. no burner phoes antmore. the inevitable new world order
phone is ecyension of self. first intehration of man and machine
at start stuff on computer was not same as on phone and it was difficult to tarnsfer from phone to computer that problem got solved by tarnsferring data thru apps or wifi direct without the need for cable. so dont need to back up photos onto computer, for example. can alos be done my clouds. the pc is being cut loose.
The mobile phone has even replaced a mirror. video me shaving.
A magnify glass. use phone. zoom in. or take photo.
people use their phone video cameras like crazy now, eg tiktok. we have too many photos and videos now. a few years ago we were backing them up. not now.
phones are replacing credit cards. money is vanishing. ATMs are closing. Bnak branches are closing. not all is on phone by internet too.
the smart phone unfortunately has a dark side as it sets us all up for digitization. “that phone in your pocket is a tracking device” tom mcdonald 2021
another time taht is changing fast is the need to have all the gadgets, eg SEO on website, keywords, etc., be on all platforms, eg facebook, youtube, spotify, twitter, tiktok, etc., and have them connected as much as is allowed. everything is changing really quickly. i am interested in the propagation of memes (you know the how why what what the fuck?). u have to be if you are famous singer, pretender, or whatever, etc. . We are all searching for you “niche” in the world. Where do we fit it, how, what are we special at. That to me is searching for the self. Forget the spiritual shit. The self is an illusion in the virtual thinking space. It has an ego (a model within the model) that strives to know what it really is.
projectors have gone, but they went with the coming of TV and video players DVD players, but all of this may be going with the mobile phone. computer monitors are going, and desk top computers with them not far behind. the key will be to get internet speed up to land speeds. how fast is skylink?
no need for watch clock alarm clock, only for show for the rich.
voice recorders, dictaphoines, notebooks, notes on paper
I tend to agree with Elon Musk that the phone is already an extension of humans now already integrated with technology. we are seeing the first cyber humanoids. more integration will follow.
home security, cameras, accessss to house. appliances.
credit cards etc will vanish. all money will vanish.
we will be id’d, tracked, observed, recorded and scrutinized.
our social media will become part of the reality of what we are allowed to do. social credit score.