BTM August 2012 89 The right sound These aren’t your average headphones! The Parrot Zik Bluetooth headphones are touch sensitive, include automatic muting and have four integrated microphones for active noise-reduction and hands-free calls. On the move When you can’t manage to text with only one hand, there’s FlyGrip. It fits onto the back of any smartphone and provides support for your fingers; alternatively, use it as a kickstand to view media. Also this month Keerthana Louis We all secretly want to be cool, even if we never admit it to anyone else. But what does this four-letter word really mean? The irritating thing is that when we walk by someone who is cool, we know it! Often, we can’t explain why either; you may never be able to pinpoint exactly what it is, but it’s there. Thankfully there are people in this world who spend their lives trying to figure out an answer to the query — what does it take to be cool? Psychologists in New York have sat down with this very question and come up with rather surprising results. I, for one, knew exactly what it took to be part of the in-crowd when I was growing up. I was the height of cool in the first week of fifth grade, when I arrived at school wearing a brand new pair of Nike running shoes. Obviously the hype did not last, and soon enough I was the nerdy girl in scuffed-up trainers once again. Which makes me wonder, would a pair of designer running shoes still hold the same kind of sway they once did? Let’s face it, nowadays a kid would probably be more likely to turn up at school with an iPad in addition to their Nike shoes and Adidas backpack. Even classic definitions of cool have changed. For instance, researcher Ilan Dar-Nimrod points out society no longer views James Dean as the epitome of cool. The idea of being detached from society raises more eyebrows now than it might have before. Instead of acquiring a gaggle of supporters, you’d be more likely to find yourself trapped in a room with a guidance counsellor. Does this mean we’ve moved away from the notion that being rebellious is cool? Not exactly; the idea that bug-eyed actor Steve Buscemi, of Boardwalk Empire fame, is cool means we still haven’t completely gotten over our love of ambitious rebels. Johnny Depp’s outrageous clothing and the characters that he chooses to portray defends this theory of going against the norm to win the crowd. Yet, the tide is definitely turning. While some of us still can’t resist the notion of a bad-boy or girl, others find that people like Cory Monteith’s character in Glee are cool by default. We are beginning to put more emphasis on positive characteristics; desirable traits include being friendly and competent as well as trendy and attractive. Being social is now cool. Being passionate about a cause is cool. And perhaps most telling of all, being nice is cool. Next time, when you wake up one morning with that urgent desire to purchase a Gucci suit or Prada pumps, remember this; society no longer hinges the idea of cool to material things. Instead of promoting merchandise around the office water cooler, try to be friendly, competent and warm individuals. If that doesn’t work, remember that with six billion plus people on this Earth, someone somewhere will think you are cool. 90 Gadgets x 92 Music x 94 Computer games x 95 Websites x 96 Apps x 97 Movies Secrets to Social Success downtimethismonth Johnny Depp
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