The 47th Precinct

I nominate “beautiful feedback” as an obsession of the year.

The iPhone, the Wii (the Wii Fitness, too), Nike+ : I am impressed that there are gadgets out there that keep me coming back. I like paper lists, pocket calendars, and rotary phones. But I am now fixated on a few simple gadgets simply for the beautiful feedback they give me in my everyday life.

Nike+ has made a regular runner out of me again, which I haven’t been since highschool cross-country. Even more so, my behavior is changed: even at the sweaty fishbowl of the gym, I never wanted to wear headphones on the machines. Now I wear headphones when I run, hooked on the pleasant voice that tells me, anytime I ask: “time: twenty-two minutes, pace: seven-minutes and forty-seven seconds” (my sensor might be a little out of whack, as I am doubtful that I run that fast, but a lying report always gives me a happy boost and a speed increase, so maybe it is also useful? Or, maybe it is the music).

Likewise, a little data tool (called, appropriately, Daytum) is now allowing me to find correlations between mood, activity, and my non-consumption of coffee (this is a big shift for me). Surprise, surprise, as my “yoga” trips increase, I seem to report an upturn in “cheery” disposition. Other things I am tracking: where I walk most often, drinks, weather report on the day. Just wait til the end of the year: I have every belief that the ordinary moments of the day will prove to be remarkable.

This entry was posted Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 9:00 pm and is filed under Fixation. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.