Shopping Basket

Behind-The-Books Blog

iPhones (and Apps) – a justifiable extravagance?

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

A reprise from Chiara’s post last week about Apple Macs Vs. PCs: I am currently on the horns of a dilemma. To buy iPhone, or not to buy iPhone?

Can I survive impending family Christmas with not only my brother but my sister-in-law-to-be showing off the latest  apps that they have downloaded? Can I bear to not be one of the people effortlessly switching between phone call, listening to music and, if you’re me, reading on this most covetable object?
Particularly as at a recent gathering at Faber’s offices I got to see some of the incredibly cool stuff the likes of Canongate are pulling out of the hat with Enhanced Editions apps?

Hmmm, all these questions are just begging for someone to share an anecdote about how an iPhone has changed their life, to help me make peace with the extravagance. Can you help?

And on that note I’ll share with you the best app I’ve come across care of my big bro: Fake Conversation.

Picture yourself caught in a conversation you’d really like to avoid. A discreet tap of your iPhone and you have set the app to ‘call’ you back in a moment or two, the display making it look like your mum/sister/boss is on the other end of the line. You then listen to a recording which you repeat out-loud. For example:

“Hello?”

“What? Calm down, calm down.”

“A what?”

“How did get in the kitchen?”

“What’s it doing?”

Etc, etc, providing you with a fantastic excuse (if you can keep a straight face) to leave your companion.

Lesley Crooks, Sales & Marketing Manager

Leave a Comment

  • Currently we are...

  • …Liking

    Lesley: This charming blog by a Penguin book collector, A Prenguin a Week.

  • …Reading

    Going Too Far, by Catherine Alliott. Susie: I rarely read 'girly' books but came across Alliott a few years ago. I've read 3 of her books thus far, and was delighted to spot this one for 30p in a charity shop. I've not opened it as yet but am hoping for another witty, grown-up, middle-class romcom, with lots of 4x4s and country houses!

  • …Tweeting