Gadgets and Me

I recently went on an interview at a publication that shall remain nameless. I don’t think it went that well, partially because it was roughly 100 degrees inside the office so I had to take off my blazer (BTW, I look SO weird in professional apparel, like I’m dressing up as a lawyer for Halloween. Maybe it’s because my usual attire consists of ripped black tights, a large t-shirt, and unintentional dreads) but also because the first question they asked me was, “What are your favorite gadgets that you currently own?”

Well. I have no money, so I don’t have very many gadgets. I also have this theory that I have some sort of weird electromagnetic force field inside my body, because I eventually break every single gadget that I buy. My ipod, which is not even an ipod touch, looks like it had a severe case of acne in its youth because once I took it to the beach and sand got into the screen, leaving it with tons of tiny pockmarks that make it very difficult to watch TV shows on. I just got a new Backberry about a month ago, and it’s already scratched in at least five places. My MacBook seems to be doing well, but that’s because it’s sealed in an intense plastic case that is meant to save it from myself. I think those are all the gadgets I currently possess. Oh, I have a printer, but I don’t know where the cords for it went. And a curling iron.

So, I brilliantly counteracted with, “Could I answer by telling you all of the gadgets I WOULD own if I had enough money?”

“Sure,” they said. “Imagine you have 1,000 dollars. What gadgets would you buy?”

First I said a Kindle. We talked about book reader devices for awhile, but then I had to move on. I told them I had iphone envy, which I kind of do, but that I found it hard to part with BBM, after which they asked me if I had a lot of friends in the hip hop industry (”No,” I wanted to reply, “Just a lot of friends from LA”). Then, I said any phone that had Android on it. Next, I tried the fabled Mac tablets, but they said those didn’t count since they didn’t actually exist. “A portable espresso machine?” I tried. After that, I was at a loss.

I usually ace interviews, so I’m still stinging, and have been obsessed with looking at gadgets for the last few days. Here are some you may be interested in/will give you brownie points if you find yourself stuck in the same interview situation/will impress those around you…

This camera was initially developed to help people with Alzheimer’s disease, but I can already see (and fear) the potential for everyone from the twitter obsessed to C-list Reality TV stars to Balloon Boy’s father. You wear it around your neck, and it “takes pictures automatically as often as once every 30 seconds.” EEK.

This box is a GPS puzzle that only opens when it’s in a specific location. Annoying, or awesome? Both?

Ooh, pretty. I want this one. And it runs Android!

Why not charge your gadgets in a grassy field?

Everything on this site. Open ended peanut butter jars! Plates that allow you to eat over the sink! A waffle maze! Etc!

So when you see me next, ask me what my favorite gadgets are, I’ll ramble on for an hour and then cook you a waffle that you have to find your way out of.