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Have you ever wished you had been born later?
I have. All the time.
New technologies are being invented every day, making me lament the years I’ve had to live without them.
I am serious. I’m not just saying this because it seems a convenient way to start an article.
I really wish I had been born later. And I’ve never felt this more keenly than when I was introduced to this phone.
I wish it had been around back when I first started using mobile phones.
I’ll tell you why.
I’m always getting lost. And I’m always losing places.
Yes. You can bring me to a certain place, let’s say, a famous durian stall, maybe three times, and I’d still not know where it is and how to get there on my own the next time.
I’m really bad at recognising places and remembering roads and stuff.
In fact, I once lost a place I used to frequent with an ex and never found it again until seven years later.
So, what’s really amazing is that the HTC Touch Cruise 2009 seems like it was made for me and my crappy internal radar! Maybe the inventer is also someone who always gets lost and loses places, like me. Hur hur hur.
The two key features of this phone which I find immensely useful (and fun) are Footprints and Papago.
Footprints is a GPS-enabled photo album. Snap a photo (outdoors) and the GPS will save the photo together with the coordinates of your location!
See, I took this photo while I was at Leisure Park Kallang the other day.
The phone detects the location and stamps it onto the photo.
If you tap the photo (this is a touch screen phone, by the way, duh), a photo detail page will appear.
OMG!
See the GPS coordinates? If you tap the middle button, it will give you a map showing the exact spot where you took the photo!
You can also enter reminder notes about the place.
OMG I will never have to lose a durian stall ever again.
Of course, only directional losers like me will rave over using this in Singapore. I think Footprints was meant to be used for worldwide travelling.
Basically, it helps you keep a helpful record of all the places you’ve visited around the world. Use Footprints to invoke fond memories, or use it to find a spot you want to return to, possibly years later.
Very cool, huh?
The other important feature of the phone is Papago, the GPS system that has been pre-installed in the phone. It works in tandem with Footprints to help you find places, but it also works on its own to get you places.
I find most useful the voice that tells you to turn left or right when you’re driving.
The Goonfather, though, was very irritated when I used it while he was driving.
He was, like, “I don’t want to turn left lah, shuddup!” LOLOLOL.
Speaking of driving, the HTC Touch Cruise 2009 comes with a car kit which allows you to dock the phone while you’re driving, all the better to use the GPS navigation as well as charge your phone.
The HTC Touch Cruise 2009 runs on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Well, it’s basically Windows. If you’re a PC user, you can navigate the phone with ease.
The touch screen detects both finger tip and fingernail, so that’s pretty useful. The touch screen sensitivity is pretty good. Stuff on the phone scrolls around fluidly. Comes with a stylus if you like that kinda thing.
There’s also an Internet browser, a 3.2 megapixel camera and an expansion slot that accepts microSD memory cards.
That’s basically everything one could ask for in a phone.
Unless you’re the sort who wants your phone to make your coffee and bring the paper every morning. Then maybe you’ll have to wait a few more centuries.
Haha!
Okay, not very funny.
The HTC Touch Cruise 2009 retails at $858.