Essential Features

Today in our tute Kevin was discussing how technology such as mobile phones have become these kind of essential items that most people own and how the big corporations are producing all these gimmicks that we apparently 'need'. Such as with the new G3 and its 'transmitting video in real time' quality - not really necessary, a phone call or text would suffice, but it has the potential that it could become a fun kind of toy.
With the new G3, the marketing is targeted so that when enough people have them its seen as a common place item and therefore needed - sort of like the way txting and pxting was introduced into mobile phones. Kevin also mentioned the egg ad screening on tv at the moment, in which the teenage egg (yes, they're actual eggs) is using an ipod. As the advertisement is for a completely different product, the ipod is being unintentionally advertised because it is seen as standard now.
Being the poor student that I am my phone somewhat resembles the original bricks that began the evolution of the mobile, but I often have a look at the market of phones available hoping to find one that will entice me to dig deep. A number of my friends have purchased the recently advertised 'walkie talkie' phones, and when I first saw them I thought they would be a wicked way to communicate around uni. However, a few months down the track and I have yet to see any of them use this function - (it could be due to the fee that you incur when you use it), and I personally cant see how features such as video messaging or even the walkie talkie idea will really catch on in the near future. (However, I do think that incorporating an mp3 player into a mobile phone is a great idea). I'd be keen to know if many people do use the walkie talkie feature frequently, and if so, is it very useful??