Everything is vying for our attention. EVERYTHING.

And in time, maybe we’ll train ourselves to become better at managing the hierarchy of distractions (infographic shoutout!) but in today’s world, the expectations are increasingly becoming that we’ll repond to everything, from wherever we are and whatever we are doing.

We bring our smart phones to bed. People use them in the bathroom (ew, but true). We hate turning them off when the plane is about to take off, and rush to turn them back on when we’ve landed.

Often it’s “too much to ask” to have someone turn off their phone when you’re spending time with them. There’s always the e-mail from work you’re expecting, that text message from a friend you’re meeting up with later,  or an update email from a family member who’s going through a rough time. Now add in the mobile apps, status updates, comments, and checking in.

Bottom line: there’s a lot going on out there.

So when it comes down to giving a gift – there’s nothing more thoughtful or romantic than giving the gift of your full attention (that’s right- phone off).

Can you do it?

//Purchase The “Phonekerchief” via Uncommon Goods for $15

BONUS: how it works –

The Phonekerchief fabric is conductive (conducts electricity) because it is partially made up of silver fibers. When the fabric creates an unbroken enclosure (when it is wrapped tightly around a phone without any gaps), it creates a phenomenon that is known in science as a “Faraday Cage”. This means that any external static electrical field, such as a phone signal, will cause the electrical charges within the conducting fabric to redistribute themselves so as to cancel the field’s effects on what is inside. In order for the Phonekerchief to work effectively, the fabric must be wrapped tightly around the phone and create an unbroken enclosure.

Relief: The New Smartphone has been chosen!!

THE POLLS ARE CLOSED.

The people of the blogosphere have spoken.

Yes, all 102 of you – and THANK YOU so much for your comments, thoughts, and votes.

As promised in my previous post, I will be purchasing an Apple iPhone when my contract with Verizon is over – in January (just a few short months away).

If you’re interested in the final breakdown of the votes, it was a close call throughout the voting process.

Originally, the iPhone was in the lead, but the droid caught up, time after time, and it was tied for quite some time.

I have a few favorite lines from my expert commenters:

Myrna: “many of my fellow bloggers were effectively tweeting and live-blogging on the Iphones in a way I could NOT on my Blackberry. I don’t think it would have been worth it before the 3G..but now, it’s been great.” [thanks Myrna for looking out for us bloggers! this is great advice]

Will K: “Disclosure: My bias is that I want to have you waiting in line with me to get the new iPhone come summer time.” [fellow disclosure: lets do it!]

George Smith: “I’m tweeting, foursquaring, flickring – all the time. That’s why the battery stinks. I use my phone. When I had a blackberry, outside of checking mail or texting, I wouldn’t use it.” [My blackberry battery lasts forever. But I want more from it!]

Maurice: “I mentioned how they [Motorola]  must hate Apple for taking their long-lasting market place as ‘communication kings’ along with their market share. He said that he’s been with Motorola for a little over 3 years… and never – until now – could he actually tell people “go get a Motorola phone”.”

You Voted. I listened. iPhone wins!

Humm... How much longer for an iPhone!?

Yes, I’m one of those. 

[people who are counting down to the true end of their cellular phone contract]

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved my lanesberry (blackberry 8830 world edition)- she’s been good to me. But, it’s a fact of life. Sometimes something good must move aside for something that could be much better. 

It’s so easy to give in and renew your contract with a new phone model (in my case the blackberry tour)… but if I can last the full 90-something days until my contract is up… well… I’m up for doing something crazy (crazier than buying the iPhone, which actually isn’t crazy at all). 

You can check the progress via the widget on the right hand side of the blog. 

I’ll be taking ideas. It can be a blogger/reader bet, even.

This picture was taken in Italy, where I was also sunburned.

First off, my apologies for the delay in posting to the Techyness. Instead of researching fun techy things for you readers, I was laying on a beach.

And of course, I got sunburned. Which made me think of what types of gadgets I wish I had with me since I couldn’t spend any additional time at the beach.

Networking: It’s important to have the ability to set up an adhoc wireless network at the drop of the hat. That’s where the MiFi Wireless Internet hub comes into play. Plus you’ll get really popular with the geekettes at the beachfront bar/pool/etc. $100 for the device, ~$60/month from verizon for service according to my man d.pogue

Charging Station: Nothing’s worse than being a guest at someone’s residence and taking up their entire surge protector with your gadgets (plus a hairdryer and straightener!). Save yourself some drained batteries and buy something like the Chargepod from callpod- which allows you to remain charged while also not taking up too much room. (~$40 + fees for connectors).

Entertainment: Not everyone has cable. And not all cable channels are awesome enough to have sweet content (lets face it, unless you’re running hulu desktop…) So, the only answer is a slingbox, which allows you to access your home TV. (~$180)

Reading: You’re either a kindle person or a book person. I believe both are perfectly acceptable forms of reading.

Additionally… make sure you have appropriate cases for your gadgets if you bring them to the beach. Blackberries DO NOT Like sand. Especially the trackwheel (it’s not a fan).

Sign Banning Electronics in Saratoga Coffee Shop

Coffee shops are filled with tech- students doing homework and on their laptops, people checking their blackberries… I’ve never heard of a coffee shop where all of this is banned.

This “Tech Free Oasis,” Virgil’s house in Saratoga Springs, NY (15 minutes away from where I live now) has instated a policy that reads:

“This is a place to laugh, relax, read, play a game, chat with friends, bring the kids, or work on a puzzle! A few things to remember about Virgil’s … It is a place away from the frantic pace of technology .. SSSSSSoooo ……. Please do not use your cellphone, PDA, laptop Blackberry or pager … this includes talking, listening, texting, reading, emails and now apparently watching!!! If you really, really need to use your phone, please step outside or sneak in the bathroom. Our office is always available as well!”

BUT, what’s most interesting about Virgil’s house is not that electronic devices are banned… but that the owner, Kathleen Quartararo, used to SELL them.  The owner was sales representative and manager for Wireless from AT&T until she resigned in July 2008.

In a recent interview with the Times Union, Quartararo said, “I love technology. I just don’t believe it should be when you’re eating and drinking and laughing. It’s got a great place in our lives, but, it stops things.”

In a few weeks, I will be making the big move to Atlanta, GA. Sure, Google maps says it will take me exactly 10 hours to reach my destination (647 miles) but I came to the realization that my bad sense of direction needs a life coach.

So, after hours of research at the coffee shop while my car was being repaired for some odd exhaust problem that ended up costing me over $300, I made a choice that will ultimately shape my experience in adapting to the southern way of life.

And that choice was the Garmin Nuvi 260w. (of course I wouldn’t settle for anything less than widescreen- hence the “w”).

Maybe it also answers questions like, “Garmin, what should I wear tonight?” “Should I go out with that guy?” or the ever-critical, “what is the meaning of life? Tell me, Garmin.” Once I get it I will do an engadget-like “unpacking party” complete with photos of me clutching my new friend. Maybe I should introduce the Garmin to my LanesBerry (my BlackBerry)? Sure, some may call it personification, but I call it probable truth.

This one’s for all you BlackBerry users out there.

My favorite part is at the end when he has the blackberry in one hand and a bottle of beer and a kid’s bottle in the other.

Check out my blog at: http://techyness.com

I found this video on YouTube after doing a random search for “crackberry.” I’m a new user (I purchased the new 8830 world edition over Thanksgiving break and I love it.

Due to my newfound addiction, I have started to run into things while walking. This could become a problem.

Anyway- back to the video. This video features Dennis Neal, managing editor of Forbes Magazine. He volunteered to “go without” email, cell phones, and his blackberry for a week.

Is it possible? Could you do it? I couldn’t.

I love that he could “hear” the cell phone ringing- and also that he went through withdrawl. Another reason why it’s a “crack” berry.

He brought up some interesting points though- in Today’s society we are very demanding and expect instantaneous communication. Cutting off our “connection” (literally) may be liberating at first but I don’t think I could do it. Similar to Dennis Neal, I’m living a “wired” existence in a “wireless world.”

Dennis lasted 40 hours.