By Whitney Spencer
It is 10 a.m. on a Friday morning, and the room holds no sound other than that of the professor, speaking of litigations and black letter law. Keeping focused becomes increasingly difficult, and my four hours of sleep isn’t helping. What to do? My phone vibrates – it’s a push notification. I try to ignore it as I stare at my notebook, fighting to find some of the lecture material to use to decorate the page. Another vibration – it is my second notification. I slip my phone onto my otherwise lifeless desk, leaving the screen idle as my professor passes. Once he makes his way back to his podium at the front of the room, I unlock my phone.
Those two vibrations I felt were notifications that the Boston Red Sox were going to play the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore that night. I check the standings and see that Boston is seven games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East race, but look to be solid at the top of the American League Wild Card race, ahead by six games. The Red Sox are favored to win this game tonight, which is good since they just dropped a close one to the Angels at Fenway. I set an alert so I will get updates once the game begins. How many cell phones do you know that give you such capabilities in the palm of your hand, as your professor lectures not even five feet away? Only with the iPhone.
Class is dragging by as slowly as ever. I have no big plans for the weekend, so I have to look forward to the moment he releases me back to freedom. What to do? I feel my eyes falling, and he will surely notice me sleeping. My phone vibrates again – it’s a text message. I need something more to hold my attention, or at least what is left of it. I swipe my finger across my screen to go to the next page of my apps, and begin to browse the page. As I scan the last page, I see my most recent purchase: EA Sports’ Madden NFL 2010. I haven’t yet played it, so I decide to give it a try.
As I sit there staring at my phone, I can just begin to imagine the time it will take to load. Madden is no longer just a game franchise, it is a full-blown dynasty. Bringing such a loaded game to something as small as the iPhone seems impossible. By the time I complete that two-second thought, the game is prompting me to begin. I’m overwhelmed at the amount of choices I have. Included are all the NFL players, teams and stadiums. Around 2,000 players and 200 free agents are included in the game.
I am pleased to see the quality of the graphics on Madden ‘10. I decide to play the default game, which just happens to be the Super Bowl rematch between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. I am defaulted to the home team, which is the Steelers, and just like that I am entering game play. I glance at my watch and see I have enough time to really get serious about this game, or as serious as I can get in the middle of my class.
The coin toss is complete and the play begins. I start on defense. I touch my screen to make strong safety Troy Polamalu my default player. The controls are smooth, but of course it takes some time to get used to them when I’m accustomed to the Playstation 3 console. Polamalu intercepts the ball and the Steelers take over on offense. Now it gets fun.
The professor passes through my aisle. So I touch the screen to pause the game momentarily. He seems to concentrate on my desk as he makes his way back to the front of the room, but never ceases his explanation of the case study at hand.
I decide to explore more advanced controls. I enter action control mode and what was at first an action-oriented affair turns into a more tactical experience, as I am able to avoid tackles exactly when I want, and clear a path to the end zone. It is quite an experience for what began as just another Friday morning in class.
As I finish halftime, I realize the time has quickly flown by and the room no longer sits without sound. Backpacks are rustling, as the professor throws in his final thoughts on today’s lecture. As I go to close my notebook, I realize the page is no longer blank, as I have scribbled plays and formations that were successful. With a smirk on my face, I jot down my homework for the weekend. My game rests on the start screen, waiting for me to receive the kickoff.
My phone vibrates – it is a text message. My weekend has officially begun. With that message, my game pauses and I begin to think. It is now 11 a.m. on a Friday morning, and I’m about to leave a room that once held no sound but that of a professor giving a lecture. Though my exhaustion still looms, I am perfectly content with this piece of technology that gives me so many capabilities in the palm of my hand. How many cell phones can do so much in so little time? Only on the iPhone.
