March 28, 2001

8:07 PM

Your phone is youBefore we let cellphones handle everything from opening our medical records to buying a house, we'll need to make sure people can't steal our identities.
posted by semmi (5 comments total)

surely we just need to stick a chip in our hands and/or foreheads.

this may or may not signal the fulfillment of the prophecies of the book of revelations. should be a laff either way.
posted by stuporJIX at 8:24 PM on March 28, 2001

Let's see, if the phone became the center of everyone's identity, then what happens when I forget to pay my phone bill. Do I cease to exist? Is it all about "I'm paid up, therefore, I am".

Seriously though, if this happened, there would be a massive movement (more than there is today) to do everything over the phone. Email, calenders, contacts, notes, everything. All of the focus would accelerate the R&D on extensible screens, color screens, voice automation, etc (which would alleviate the whining of the "but the screens too small" crowd--SURE it's small TODAY!!!). Clothesmakers would probably be tripping over themselves to make a "phone pocket" in just the same manner as the wallet made the back pocket a necessity.

I would be able to rid myself of a wallet, a palm pilot, and perhaps a digital camera and -- gasp -- even keys! Hey for all of that, I'd do it. Furthermore, when you only have one single thing to keep track of, it's much more doubtful that you'll lose it...
posted by fooljay at 9:21 PM on March 28, 2001

> we'll need to make sure people can't steal our identities

The presumes you've got one worth taking.
posted by pracowity at 11:29 PM on March 28, 2001

I just want to know why in the hell they decided to put the wallet pocket in the back of the pants. I really hate sitting on the thing all day long.
posted by howa2396 at 11:43 PM on March 28, 2001

Imagine what a cell phone would feel like...
posted by fooljay at 3:37 AM on March 29, 2001