iPhone = iGod

The best invention in the last 100 years

I'm back in North America. I needed a cell phone. So I walked into the AT&T store, and instead of just getting a standard run-of-the-mill communication device, I instead purchased the best freakin' invention in the history of mankind: the iPhone.

I'm sure you've seen it and probably have held one in your hands - that is if you aren't one of the 21 million strong already owning one. (Yes, Claudio, I'm sure this is the point in class where you would want to raise your hand and tell everyone that even though you live in Sicily, you have one too. SAC!) However, I'm here to tell you that the Tsunami of Hype given to the iPhone barely scratches the surface. It's a phone. It's an iPod. It's a power-packed computer that allows you to simultaneously surf the internet while piloting the space shuttle around the moon (remotely.) It's that awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I am finding myself doing a number of silly things. Like carrying all of Shakespeare's works and 2,000 pictures with me all day long - can you imagine how heavy that would have been 5 years ago?

TOP 10 SIGNS YOU ARE ADDICTED TO YOUR IPHONE

1. You find yourself using the Google Map feature to find your way home... from around the corner. The maps feature blows my mind, as in 3 seconds you can search a specific place, or a category like COFFEE, and pins will drop on your map listing all the local coffee shops (along with their online menus and whether they have wifi.) You click on a store and the screen shows you the street in front of it, in case you aren't familiar.

The Apps are the coolest part

2. You spend all day downloading APPS. There are these things called "Apps" which are applications designed specifically for the iPhone. 75,000 of them. You heard me correct -- 75,000 strong on the iTunes site with more being added every second. Apps can do anything from calculate the tip at a restaurant to tell you the weather in Pamplona (64 and sunny) or Edmonton (28 and snowing). With one touch you are on Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, or TMZ. The games are wicked and realistic.

3. Instead of talking at the dinner table you text each other. Text works like instant messaging with little bubbles that pop out. It has a cool sound. You start to wish opening doors in real life made that same sound.

4. PANDORA. Not the box, the radio station. This app lets you type the name of a music artist or genre you like, and will stream songs that exactly match it or may even be better than it. For example, you type in Jack Johnson and it plays his Banana Pancakes. Then John Mayer's Waiting on the World to Change. Then Dave Mathews Band acoustic live version of #41 from The Gorge. Then Jason Mraz. Then you wonder where all the vowels are missing in the name Mraz and how you pronounce such a silly consonant-combo, leading you to the full:

5. Full Web Browsing experience... at the grocery store. The entire internet is accessible via the iPhone, so you no longer limit your time on the web to the 14 hours you already spent. You stand in the wine aisle trying to decide for the 1,000th time what goes well with fish (it's WHITE, ok, stop asking), but then you get curious about Chateau St. Michele, which leads you to the site to see if they do tastings at their Seattle-area winery. But all of a sudden, you remember that the Patriots were playing the Broncos so you jump to ESPN, and next thing you know an employee is tapping you on the shoulder telling you that the store closed an hour ago.

6. You discover a strange urge to know which direction is magnetic north, because you now are carrying a compass in your pocket.

7. At a concert, instead of busting out a real lighter, you use your ZIPPO APP. It's a fake flame that you open and turn on by moving

The video goes a little long but you get the idea...

8. You start trying to do magic tricks with it. Well, I haven't. But I could... check out the video:

9. SHAZAM!!! No, not the really bad movie starring Shaq - which was actually called KAZAAM. I'm talking about an APP that let's you find out the name of the song that is playing... anywhere. Walking through a store and not sure what the name of that catchy muzak track? Open up Shazam and it will tell you!

10. Final sign you are addicted to your iPhone: you write a blog about it. 'nuff said: I'm a dork.

~ J. Twice