BLUE MEDIA EDIT

Happy Birthday to the SMS

December 3rd was the ‘SMS’ birthday and this year the SMS is 25 years old! Happy birthday to the SMS.

25 years ago, the first SMS was sent from Vodafone Test Engineer Neil Papworth from his computer to the phone of the then CEO of Vodafone, Richard Jarvis.

I was watching the clip on Sky News this morning where they were interviewing Neil Papworth and he said that in all this time he has never even received so much as a pint as thanks for sending the very first SMS.

Fast Forward 25 years.

Can you imagine a world without being able to use your SmartPhone to send text messages? I know many people, myself included, who have evolved to the point where having to actually speak on the phone instead of texting, WhatsApping or emailing actually causes them a certain degree of anxiety and dare I say it, physical pain! I mean, is voice communication really necessary anymore? #askingforafriend!

My first cell-phone was a Nokia 3210. I had done well in school and it was a gift from my mom. I think I was around 16 at the time. It was cool for about 3 years, and the battery lasted for a week at a time, at least!!

20 years down the line and I wouldn’t be without my iPhone. Currently I’m on an iPhone 6s and I’m hanging in there waiting for an affordable (don’t laugh) upgrade to be available! *Hint hint to my hubby! Christmas is coming!*

I use my phone for everything! Who doesn’t? The answer to that: Technophobes!!!

So What Do You Do On Your Smartphone?

The top 10 functions (in no particular order) that I use my SmartPhone for are:

1. Whatsapping my family around the globe! Thanks Bob!!! (#Imazimbo)
2. Taking photos, and sharing the photos with my global family as a way of trying to stay connected!
3. Texting (when Whatsapp doesn’t work … I know, I’m confused too); also useful for keeping track of your bank balance!
4. Calling people – weird, I know. More useful for angry ranting; just plain uncomfortable for enquiries!
5. Emailing – obvs!
6. Blogging: WordPress, Canva, StumbleUpon, taking pics, sharing content etc.
7. Tweeting and Instagramming! (#SocialMediaFan!)
8. Facebook
9. Internet Banking – cos ain’t nobody got time for queuing!
10. Tracking my husband – he’s a biker so we activated family sharing so we can use the Find My iPhone app to track each other’s location when necessary. Yes, it’s border line creepy/obsessive, but it’s a reality I wouldn’t be without as the wife of someone who travels a lot! It’s not about ‘keeping track’, it’s about making sure he’s safe.

So I would just like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Neil Papworth. I would love to buy you a pint for the part you played in putting the technology of the modern world on the right track!

I can’t imagine a modern world without Smartphones, can you?

Happy Birthday to the SMS!