WEEK 2: Mixed feelings on Ubiquitous Media

My first week in Auckland seems to be a little bit puzzling: moving from a developing country to a developed one, with no metro at all (Sorry, I love NZ for sure). On weekdays, I had to spend at least 3 hours on my way from Glenfield to the City, then back. Every time when I was wandering at bus stop on another endless waiting, I just took out of my phone playing stupid games or reading stupid social timelines. Admittedly, the modern mobile Internet saves me from turning into a statue in the wind, I still wonder what I could do without it. Could I just read a novel instead? I’m not sure, since this era has just passed.

A: Line 1, Beijing Metro, 05/JULY/2012  (Caixin News, China, 2012)

Mobile media have changed my lifestyle entirely. When talking about reading, I prefer talking about devices rather than books. I do love the Kindles (I just bought Everyware on it, it has a 40% discount compared with the paper books), the new Paperwhite possesses a strong sense of style. However, since I move from China to NZ, I had to change my ID from Chinese to American. Amazon told me they invented the great Cloud Reader, but I just cannot own two ID at the same time. Does it pervasive enough? I’m still not sure.

Nowadays, the use of PC has been limited, at least for me. When I decide to write, I still prefer computers. I reckon the reason is to retain a kind of sense of ritual. But I hate to use Microsoft Word! It’s the year of 2014 now, how can you imagine a writing software exists without an auto-save feature? On writing issues, the ubiquitous media is far more satisfied to me. This week, I really hope to use beautiful and convenient writing App to write something on the bus stops.

B: 小冰, the voice-driven personal assistant by Microsoft China

 (Screenshot from its official website, 2014)

Seriously, I am starting to write poems on bus stops next week. So is there any wonderful writing App to recommend? Maybe I could just ask 小冰(A voice-driven personal assistant made by Microsoft China). It is said be much more humanized than Siri. But if she knows me more than myself, it could be horrible to imagine. Just like Truman, everything is settled to be prepared for me, giant database will control my entire life. By the way, is Truman a metaphor of “Trueman”? He is a “true” man, while everything around him is just faked .

Works cited: 

Pic A: Caixin News, China, 2012, http://photos.caixin.com/2012-07-05/100407573_2.html

Pic B: Msxiaoice, China, 2014, http://www.msxiaoice.com/v2/DesktopLanding