Here are the features of the g-phone (grandmother phone):

• Basic contact list (name and phone)
• Call people in my contacts
• Text people in my contacts
• Take the occasional quick snapshot when I’m not carrying my camera

Contact List

After I put a new friend in my phone, I don’t want to ever worry about their phone number again. I don’t think “call 555-1212.” I think “call Steve.”

This phone would put an end to those “I dropped my phone in the toilet. Can I have your number?” Facebook groups. My contacts should be backed up instantly to the cloud¹.

Calling

The most important part of my phone. I hit the contacts button on the phone (a hardware button) and it brings up a list of people I can scroll through on a responsive touch screen. I tap the person to call them. Done.

To end the call, I hit the red button. That’s really all there is to it. No fancy conference calling or in-call texting here.

Texting

Probably the trickiest part of the phone, or at least the hardest for older generations to understand.

To open texting, I hit the envelope button (a hardware button) on the phone. This brings up a list of the recent people I’ve been texting with the most recent message for each. Tapping on one of their names brings up the conversation ordered by when it was sent. This shows the back and forth nature of a real conversation rather than having an “inbox” and a “sent” folder.

I just start typing and it creates a new message. I hit the green button to send it.

Camera

Fairly self explanatory. I hit the camera button the side of the device and it brings up a preview. I hit the green button or tap the screen to snap that action shot. The phone automatically backs it up to that magical cloud again and I get an email with the picture on my computer.

The iPhone

It sounds a lot like I just described the iPhone, but I’m imagining something much simpler than that. The iPhone exists to people who want a phone + computer. The g-phone will be a phone + a few other things, but not too much to overwhelm a non-nerd.

That said, the iPhone is a huge step in the right direction. I’ve seen computer-illiterate people use an iPhone with no problem at all. That is a huge achievement for a smart phone packed with features.

However, the g-phone will address a different market. The market of people who just want to keep in touch with their close friends, whether that means calling them or texting them. The g-phone wouldn’t serve the people who already have an iPhone or Android phone because of it’s lack of features².

Another Make It Better Monday post.

1. Little known fact: the cloud is actually of the Cumulus variety
2. I would argue that this lack of features would actually make for a better user too. It would encourage you to use more personal means of staying in touch. When was the last time you actually called someone to say hi?

It got me thinking:

Who has done more to create jobs and improve the economy? Barack Obama or Steve Jobs.

Barack Obama has an $800,000,000,000 stimulus package to hire workers. This creates “work” but it doesn’t create “jobs.” As soon as that money disappears, so do the jobs. Should the government really be worrying about creating jobs, or should they be governing in such a way that they allow entrepreneurs to do the creating?

Steve Jobs has iTunes, Mac computers, the iPhone and the new iPad on his resumé. These products create jobs for the sellers and distributors of these electronics. As a byproduct, they’ve also created an ecosystem of job opportunities behind it. How many people have created their own jobs making iPhone apps? How many independent musicians make a comfortable living selling their songs on iTunes? How many designers are more creative and effective because of what is possible with web apps for the iPhone and iPad?

It’s not the government’s duty to “create” jobs. The taxpaying masses shouldn’t be the ones paying the bill for these few government workers. The government should get its hands out of the pie and let innovators like Steve Jobs do the job creating by making kick ass products that people actually want to buy. The government does a good job of providing a common defense and law enforcement, but it’s horribly inefficient at creating jobs.