Article Surfing Archive

Remember those cheesy futuristic movies where everyone was a little android-like? Their daily tasks a mindless charade of pushing buttons and having their needs and wants met by machines or gadgets--a place where human interaction was purely optional? Was it a stretch of the imagination or are we getting closer to the line between virtual and reality becoming a blurry line in a "surreal" world? You tell me. The next time you're stuck in traffic, look at the cars around you. Drivers without passengers engaging heated conversations with unseen conversants; minivans equipped with DVD players with miniature androids transfixed on cartoon animals and animated humans; teenagers anxiously flipping their thumbs over handheld devices, blasting out messages to their friends in one transmission. And so it goes.

It started with the toaster, then came the microwave and then the VCR (you remember them, don't you? Those rectangular looking machines where you inserted a video?). We couldn't get enough of instant satiation, and so we've catapulted into 'ber instant gratification mode'where anything and everything, in theory, should be available at the click of a mouse or the push of a button. And if it's not, well, then it's not deserving of our attention until it is. We can record our favorite shows with TeVo or DVR and watch them whenever it suits us'heck, we don't even have to be at home when we watch TV. Pop in a DVD in the car or in your personal DVD player while flying cross country, or flip open your phone or whip out your Sidekick while waiting in line at the bank. A moment of silence? Are you from outer space?

And while it may seem intuitive that videos may have gone the way of cassette tapes, they've persevered in a new form. With streaming video, anxious music fans and news hounds can get their daily fix online'without having to end their instant message conversations. Or for those who find reading too cumbersome'all they have to do is sit back and watch. Check out the latest music videos like Jesse McCartney's 'Because You Live' and Cream 'Deserted Cities of the Heart' or movie trailers for hot new flicks like 'Running Scared' starring Billy Crystal. Want to watch a video with more substance? Stay on top of political scandals with world news videos or keep up with fashion trends regardless of where you live with fashion videos. Be the first to find out where to buy a heated bra and see what's on the runways'all from your living room (or coffee shop or anywhere else for that matter).

Let's face it, there's no turning back so we might as well enjoy the constantly evolving technology spurred by our inability to wait for more than a nanosecond.