It’s hard to imagine a life before the smart phone, much less life before the Internet. In the 15 or so years since the Web’s world debut, it has evolved beyond a point that few of even the most clairvoyant minds could speculate. The Web has become so essential in day to day life that it would be hard to withdraw even if we wanted to; that is, there is definitely an addictive quality in the fiber optic lines that feed our ever-increasing demand for current, relevant information.

I am part of the last few generations that can even remember a time before the Web, and part of the first few that do not remember a time before PCs. In fact, my father was writing software in the 70s – the decade before I was born. So, the birth of the Web is almost contemporaneous with my own. I grew up learning to read, write, and type; and while I (thankfully) took to reading as a hobby, I was highly enamored by the computer and the (seemingly) limitless possibilities it offered. Like it or not, the fact of the matter is that much of my childhood was spent behind a computer screen, and that trend has steadily increased into adulthood.

Now it’s 2010, and the Web is basically a mainstay of society. Google, whose stated goal is to “organize the world’s information and make it accessible to everyone,” has already succeeded with a large portion of the world’s information, and adds to its index every day. Not only has the Web taken over the way we share information, but the way we share our lives: it has moved beyond the informative and into the social realm. Services such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter have already woven themselves into the fabric of our social world in a way that makes them almost indispensable. And it doesn’t stop there.

The Web is unique as a technology in the sense that it is assimilating other technologies. We are spending less time watching our TVs and more time watching the same programs online. Do we even listen to radio anymore? Not usually by choice – and if we do, half the time that’s online too. When’s the last time you wrote a letter? For that matter, when’s the last time you wrote with a pen? (rent checks or grocery lists don’t count.) Now books are going online, and even elementary schools are starting to make the switch from paper to internet-enabled digital reading devices. Not to mention clocks, maps, telephone… the list goes on.

I love the conveniences of the Internet as much as (and maybe more than…) the next person, and maybe that’s why I’ve also begun to worry about the effect that it is having on my mind. For the past couple years I’ve been having increasing trouble concentrating, formulating complex logic, comprehending reading, and even simply thinking, be it creatively or contemplatively. I’ve noticed a decrease in patience (not that I had much to begin with) and an increase in scattered, disorganized thinking. I used to love to write creatively, but have not had the attention span or the imagination. Even my sleep has suffered; I rarely dream anymore, and fantasy is all but lost in my dreams. I often wake with the feeling that I spent the night in routine (but mentally taxing) thought patterns; sometimes my dreams are just continuations of the inner monologue that narrates my data-collecting during the day.

I know I’m not the only one experiencing this. It has been a somewhat discussed issue in the media as of late. Microsoft even lampooned it in their advertising campaign for their Bing search engine, depicting victims of “Search overload” and touting Bing as the cure. But is the cure to “Search overload” really smarter search?

This is basically what had been running through my mind (nebulously) for the past year when I came across an article about an upcoming book titled, “The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains” by Nicholas Carr. While I am admittedly part of the dwindling few who still go out of their way to read books on paper, this was the first time in a while that I can remember being excited about buying a new release. Carr expertly describes the phenomena of the Information Age without resorting to whistle blowing or finger pointing. Beginning with a history of information-technology, he goes on to show scientifically how our brains adapt to the tools that we use, and while this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (without it we wouldn’t be able to evolve¹), there are always pros and cons. As our brains compensate to increase performance of new abilities, there will always be old ones that are lost.

Carr’s overall premise and final warning is that while computers and the Internet have given us many advantages, including improved productivity and resourcefulness, they also have changed the way we absorb information, and in turn are literally changing the way our brains behave on the neurological level. We may be gaining a wealth of knowledge and the skills to access it, but in turn we’re losing our ability for deep, contemplative thinking (among other things). In effect, computers are making us more like themselves.

I also tend to wonder how valuable this “wealth” of online information really is, when I consider the complex makeup of the human brain. We have designed our technological systems to treat our brains and memory as if they were also digital, when in reality nothing is further from the truth. With all the knowledge in the world at our fingertips, is it possible that we are simply deluding the knowledge that we actually possess? After a heavy session of online searching, sometimes I feel almost more disconnected from the subject than when I started.

All that being said, I love the Internet. I think it’s great to have so much information available in one place. I don’t think it would be possible or even plausible to change the technology or boycott it… After all many of us make our living directly or indirectly online, myself included (maybe I should title this “Bitchings of a computer programmer”). I do however think that we should regularly evaluate the tools that we use, and be aware of their effects on our lives. With so many different information sources, services, and devices, I would propose that we are entering an age of “Distraction Management”, where our productivity and well being are largely dependent on whether we can harness the power of these tools without them driving us mad.

1. Evolution by adaptation, not Darwinian theory.

First of all, why backup SMS.db by itself when you can backup your entire iPhone? There are many reasons, but the biggest one will probably be so that you can restore your text messages without moving over other potentially unwanted data that comes with restoring your iPhone from a full backup. Personally, I wanted a fresh start when moving from my 3G to my iPhone4 – except I had 2 years of text messages stored on my 3G that I’d rather not lose. Now that redsn0w (jailbreak) has been released for the 4.0 firmware, it should be no problem to pull the sms.db from the 3G filesystem and copy it over to the iPhone4.

The short-version of the process is as follows:

1. Upgrade to 4.0 (iOS) firmware first, if you’re on a 3G/3Gs.
2. Jailbreak with redsn0w. You can get the latest here.
3. Install OpenSSH in Cydia.
4. SSH or SFTP in to your phone using the IP address listed in your Wifi settings. (Port: 22, username: root, password: alpine)
5. CD to the directory: /private/var/Mobile/Library/sms
6. Copy sms.db to your local computer

If you have any questions, feel free to use the comments below. If there is enough interest, I’ll further explain any of the above steps in case they aren’t clear enough.

This is a technique that has been covered by a few other sites for the 3G, and hasn’t changed very much with the iPhone4 (Really the only difference that I found is that the path of /var changed to /private/var.) I’ll have to do another post on some more creative reasons to get your hands on your SMS.db. If you know your way around SQL Lite (it’s easy to learn), there’s pretty much no limit to how you can use your iPhone’s SMS database!

Update 06/30/10: This post may have been a bit premature since the iPhone4 has not been (officially?) jailbroken yet? I have not gottten around to attempting to restore SMS.db to my iPhone4 (just don’t have the time for it at the moment). If someone can post a solution that would be great, or I will post my findings here once I get around to trying it.

1. Multitasking

Because taking a picture of myself for Twitter while drinking coffee, changing lanes, and listening to “On the Road” on audiobook isn’t enough; I want to be able to check Google Maps while the photo is uploading. Did I mention I drive a 5-speed?

2. iMovie

I suspect the iPhone 4 is going to do for video what the iPhone did for, well, everything else: make it extremely simple for anyone to distribute. I can’t WAIT until every hipster and their brother starts clogging my newsfeed with “art”. Does it come with vintage effects? Does it shoot stop-motion? How whimsical of you.

3. “Facetime”

Finally, I can take portraits of myself without using the mirror. (Also: why didn’t they call it “iChat”?)

4. Folders

This is something that could (and should) have been released as an update after first-generation users realized how many Apps they could download over lunch.

5. New plans from AT&T

Now that I have the best mobile display in the world, I’m looking forward to checking out some HD video on my way home to the cardboard box behind the 7-eleven. (Hey, at least I have 3G.)

6. 5-megapixels

The camera is one thing that I really am looking forward to. Considering I’ve never owned a digital camera over 5-megapixels, I am excited to finally enter the world of digital photography. I even bought a copy of Photoshop mobile to celebrate.

7. Retina Display

It looks glossy, so maybe I didn’t need that front-facing camera after all.

This is how it works: A friend posts a picture of a kitten taking a bath in a bowl of oatmeal on your wall. You find it adorable, but since Facebook doesn’t have an “Adorable” button, the next best thing is to “Like” it. You also leave a comment reaffirming this mixup, and even go so far as to explain why, in your opinion, Facebook MUST create a “Love” button. Naturally all of your friends love your idea, but – because Facebook has not received your suggestion a million times yet – must also settle for “Liking” your comment.

Personally, I’ve been suggesting a feature that allows users to “Like” their friend’s “Likes”. Perhaps some of the more obnoxious Facebookers would get caught in an infinite loop.

Been listening to these guys (and gal) the past week, and I must admit they’ve grown on me. Subtle, percussive, nice composition. I don’t have much more to say than that. Keep it coming.

Check out their upcoming album release titled “Pink Graffiti” at Western Vinyl.

Pink Graffiti pt. 1
Boyfriends

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Hailing from Austin, Texas, Balmorhea (pronounced Bal-moor-ay) is a 5-piece instrumental ensemble that delivers a satisfying blend of classical and post-rock. They’ve released four albums to date; their latest, titled “Constellations”, was released February 23, 2010.

Balmorhea – Bowsprit
Balmorhea – Harm and Boon

The filming isn’t exactly Vincent Moon, but Lisa Hannigan is wonderful nonetheless. Thanks Danny.

If you’re looking for stuff that’s missing, don’t worry, I will restore some elements (my blogroll in particular) once I figure out a user interface I can live with.

What do you think so far?

Painted Grey, Portland OR @ Insomnia Coffee in Hillsboro

Could This Be