March 8, 2001

Gotta Have It!

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10110101011001010101. This is what a digital signal looks like.

In today’s age, almost everything around us looks like this, it’s the subtext of what our eyes see. From cell-phone calls to the digital photos taken on that new camera of yours, everything is in 0’s and 1’s. The world is turning into a “matrix”-like pattern of seemingly unintelligible signals merged with “Orwellian” cold steel items. Not that I’m complaining or anything, since these digital devices are some of my favorite toys and the objects of my fascination. Thus, this week I’m going to focus on the least expensive opportunities to “digitize” your life-style.

Seeing Digital

College is full of great moments: drunken nights at Mama T’s, waiting in line to get into Bibi’s, and that “last call” shot of whiskey you take before the bar closes — unfortunately most people can’t remember these great nuggets of time the next morning. That is why it is of utmost importance that you start your digital lifestyle with a digital camera to relive those great moments from the previous evening. But who wants to drop hundreds of dollars on a camera that will have to withstand the abuse of a night in Collegetown and possible after-hours debauchery? Not me. Enter the Agfa ePhoto Smile Digital Camera. Although not the most versatile item on the market, for as low as $70 you can’t beat this bargain. With its basic digital capabilities, the chances of your mug ending up on some Internet chain-mail somewhere increases by tenfold, but at least you’ll be able to figure out where you were last night.

Listen To The Music

The world of music changes quickly. Then why should you invest $500 on an MP3 player that will be out-of-date in a year? If all you want is the ability to bring your music along with you for your walk to school (20 minutes from C-Town, 10 minutes from the dorms) or for your jog in Helen Newman then the Soulmate Portable MP3 Player is the key. For $89.95 you get 48 MBs of music — which is roughly one hour of playing time. Not only is the Soulmate inexpensive compared to other MP3 alternatives, but it has all the features of more expensive MP3 players — including its small size and lack of trouble-causing moving parts. Perfect for the mad sprint to your Bio 101 exam.

Get Organized

I don’t think I even need to give this section an introduction. Everyone knows what a PalmPilot and a Handspring Visor look like and what they do. However, you probably also realize that you can’t get one of these items for less than $100. So the question you have to ask yourself is, how organized do you need to be, and can you really afford disarray? My suggestion to you would be to go to the campus store and buy a Cornell Planner ($8). Here you not only get some nifty information about Cornell, but also a user-friendly interface with familiar pen and paper. As the man says, “High Tech — High Touch.” And let’s face it, papyrus does have seniority over binary code.

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