Masonry Magazine July 2002 Page. 6
From the Editor
Taking Tech to Work
Tom Inglesby, editor
tom@editor7.com
Are you of the Connected Generation? Do you pilot a Palm around the job site? Does your business card have "I pack an iPaq" on it?
Technology comes in many sizes and shapes these days. As one who has been accused, rightly, of putting too much money into tech toys, I have seen and carried my share of these wonders. But the current fad convergence is still beyond me.
A couple of decades ago, I was looked at strangely because I carried a pager. That was my umbilical cord, connecting me to an answering service that picked up my telephone when I was out. Note I say "answering service." Live people answering the telephone! What will they think of next?
We've come a long way since then. Now when you call me and I'm not in, the call bounces from the office phone to my cell phone-which I never have turned on and then to the voice mail system where you can leave a message of whatever length you want. When you hang up, the system pages me so I turn on the cell phone and pick up the message. Since cell phones are ubiquitous and most have long ago waived long distance and roaming charges, and pagers are nationwide if not international, that umbilical cord is mighty long.
So is the one that ties through the Internet. E-mail catches me anywhere on the planet once I log on to my server through the nearest telephone line and my laptop. I carry a notebook (paper) with hundreds of toll-free access numbers for getting through to that inbox. But the catch is, I have to proactively "go get the mail."
Now convergence threatens to end that. One-unit telecommunications is here: cell phone with e-mail. If the phone is on, the e-mail and calls come through equally well. One of our exchange students, a girl from Finland-home of Nokia cell phones absolutely had to have a full-featured (Nokia, of course) cell phone within days of arriving in this country. She regularly gets e-mail from her parents in Helsinki on that phone; much less expensive than long distance, faster than postal mail, and no delay while waiting for her to dial up and log on. The next step, I guess, is chat rooms on cell phones. Already the high school prohibits cell phones from being on during class-every student has at least one with them at all times.
The wireless PDA-personal digital assistant that combines the cell phone, e-mail send and receive functions, computerized date book, and, with the right add-ons, video conferencing, MP3 music player, and digital camera in a package with color screen and tiny keyboard is just around the corner. The "on the bleeding edge" tech types are running around with them out here in the Silicon Valley, clogging up the airwaves.
Software companies are porting their wares to these "Super Palms" and you can get most of the functionality of your desktop computer on one. Need a take-off list in the field? No problem, you can order a set over the Internet, download them on your Palm, and upload the results to the server in your office. Time and attendance? Project management? CAD drawings? All available.
What Dick Tracy's author imagined, people think of as common today. The communicator that Star Trek introduced is anticipated next week or next month. Will we ever be "away from the phone" again? Makes you want to buy stock in the Eveready Bunny.
So you do have one of these modern day miracles, right?
No?
Don't worry, neither do I. But my wife just bought one and....
MASONRY
The Voice of the Mason Contracto
MASONRY Magazine
Official Publication of the
Mason Contractors Association of America and the
Canadian Masonry Contractors Association
MASON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Regional Vice Presidents
Rob Greer
Edgar Boettcher
Mackie Bounds
Roy Swindal
William McComell
G. Alan Griff
Frank Campitelli
Tom Daniel
John Spencer
Mike Sutter
Bob Barkshee
Mark Kemp
Michael Adel
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Director of Marketing and Membership
Director of Engineering
Director of Meetings and Cventions
Controller
Administrative Assistant
Administrative Assistant
Jeff Buczkiewicz
Rashod Johnson
Rachel A Young, C
Liz Fidonk
Lann Kane
Renee Stevens
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Robert L. Nebion (Robert L. Nebion & Associates Inc. Jeff Gree
David Joillay (01. kollay, Inc.), John Chrysler (MA) Metander (PCA
Hill (Petit Construction Co.), Paul Odom (Pand S Masonry, John Smith
1. Smith Masonry Co., Brian Grant Grant/Jack's Masonry, Jerry Pater P
Masonry, Inc.), Doug Nichols (Doug Nichols Enterprises), G. Alan Griffin(
Contracting, Inc.), Tom Daniel (GBC Concrete and Masonry Construction, ne
Executive Office
33 South Roselle Road
Schaumburg, IL 60033
Phone 630.705.4200
Fax 630.705.4209
MASONRY is the official publication of the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCA) and the Canadian Masonry Contractors Association (CMCA). The magazine acts as a sounding board without approving, disapproving, or guaranteeing the validity or accuracy of any data, claim or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted from an acknowledged source. Opinions expressed by officers do not necessarily reflect the official views of MCAA or CMICA. The appearance of advertising or new product information doesn't constitute an endorsement by MCAA or CMCA of product featured.
MASONRY ADVERTISING AND EDITORIAL OFFICE
Send all advertising and editorial submissions for Masonry
Lionheart Publishing Inc.
506 Roswell Street, Suite 220, Marietta, GA 30060 USA
tet: 770.431.0867 Fax: 770.432.6968 E-mail potpu
Publisher
Editor
Managing Editor
Art Director
John Llewellyn (lewellynnpub.co
Ton Inglesbytomeditor.com
Tracy Jean Benn (racy@tonttu
Alan Brubaker (albrubakken@lionhtpub.c
Production Designer
Donna Mazal (donna.com
Online Projects Manager
Patton McGinley patton@ortpub.co
Advertising Sales Manager
Roberta Shahda robertsontpub.c
Advertising Sales
Marvin Diamond (marvinnu.co
Reprints
Marnie Wenn (mcuren@op.co
206.624.2224
www.masonryshowcase.com