ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿ ಕ್ರಶ್ ಎಂಬ ಮಾಯಾಸಾಗ!

ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿ ಕ್ರಶ್ ಎಂಬ ಮಾಯಾಸಾಗ!

ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿ ಕ್ರಶ್! ಈ ಆಟದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಜನ ಮಾತಾಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ರೂ ನಾನು ಆಕಡೆ ತಲೆ ಹಾಕಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾಕೋ ಏನೋ, ಯಾವಾಗ್ಲು ಅದನ್ನ ಆಡಬೇಕು ಅಂತ ನಂಗೆ ಅನಿಸಿರಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅದೇನಾಯಿತೋ ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನ ಯಜಮಾನರು ಹೊಸಾ ಫೋನ್ ಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದೇ, ತಾನು ’ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿ ಕ್ರಶ್’ ಡೌನ್ಲೋಡ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ತಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ, ’ನನ್ನ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ನಲ್ಲೂ ಈ ಆಟ ಇದ್ದರೆ ಹೇಗೆ’? ಎಂಬ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಹುಳವನ್ನ ನಾನೇ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡು, ಆಮೇಲೆ ಈ ಹುಳದ ಕಾಟ ತಾಳಲಾರದೆ ಡೌನ್ಲೋಡ್ ಮಾಡಿದೆ ನೋಡಿ, ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಶುರುವಾಗಿದ್ದು.

ಮೇಲ್ನೋಟಕ್ಕೆ ಸುಲಭಕ್ಕೆ ತುದಿಗಾಣದ ಹಾವಿನಂತೆ ಕಾಣುವ ಈ ಆಟ, ನಾವು ಒಂದೊಂದೇ ಲೆವಲ್ ದಾಟುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ತುದಿಗೆ ಹತ್ತಿರವಾಗುತ್ತಾ ಸಾಗುತ್ತೇವೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಫ಼ೇಸ್ಬುಕ್ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರು ಯಾರ್ಯಾರು ಎಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ, ಯಾವ ಲೆವಲ್ ಮುಗಿಸಿ, ಯಾವ ಲೆವಲ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಆಟ ಆಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನೂ ತೋರಿಸಿ, ನೀನೊಬ್ಬಳೇ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಇಡೀ ಜಗತ್ತೇ ಈ ಆಟ ಆಡ್ತಾ ಇದೆ, ನೀನೇ ಸ್ಲೋ ಅಂತನೂ ತೋರಿಸಿಕೊಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಎಷ್ಟೆಷ್ಟೋ ಲೆವಲ್ಗಳನ್ನು ದಾಟಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೋದವರು ನನಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಿರೀಕರಂತೆ ಭಾಸವಾಗುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಹಿರೀಕರು ಎಂದರೆ ನಮಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಅನುಭವ ಉಳ್ಳವರು ಎಂದಲ್ಲವೇ? ಇಲ್ಲು ಅದೇ ಲಾಜಿಕ್ಕು. ಆದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಆಟ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವನ.  

ನಿಮಗೀ ಆಟ ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಕೂಡಲೇ ಐದು ಜೀವ ದೊರಕುತ್ತದೆ. ಹಾಂ! ಅದೇ... ಪಂಚಪ್ರಾಣ! ಈ ಪ್ರಾಣ ಮುಗಿಯೋವರೆಗೂ ನೀವು ಆಡುತ್ತಲೇ ಇರಬಹುದು. ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜೀವಗಳು ಮುಗಿದ ಕೂಡಲೇ, ಆಟವೇ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರಲ್ಲಿ ಜೀವಭಿಕ್ಷೆ ಬೇಡಿಕೋ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಆಗ, ನೀವೇನಾದರೂ, "ಸರಿ" ಎಂದು ಬಟ್ಟನ್ ಒತ್ತಿದಿರೋ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಫ಼ೇಸ್ಬುಕ್ ಸ್ನೇಹವಲಯದ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ, ನಿಮ್ಮ ಜೀವ ಭಿಕ್ಷೆಯ ಕೋರಿಕೆಗಳು ವೈರಸ್ನಂತೆ ಸಂಚರಿಸಿಬಿಡುತ್ತವೆ. ಈ ಆಟಕ್ಕಿನ್ನೂ ಮರುಳಾಗದವರಿಗೇನಾದರೂ ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅಹವಾಲು ಹೋಯಿತೋ, ಮರುದಿನ ಅವರ ಯೆಫ಼್ಬಿ ಸ್ಟೇಟಸ್, "ನಾನು ಯಾವ ಆಟವನ್ನು ಆಡುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ನನ್ನ ಬಿಟ್ಟುಬಿಡಿ" ಎಂದಿದ್ದರೂ ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಆಟದ ಸುಖ-ದುಃಖ ತಿಳಿದವರ್ಯಾರಾರು ಜೀವದಾನ ಮಾಡಿದರೆ ನೀವು ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಆಟ ಆಡೇ ಬಿಡಬಹುದು. ಇಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅರ್ಧ ಗಂಟೆಯೋ, ಒಂದು ಗಂಟೆಯೋ ಕಾಯಬೇಕಾಗುವುದು. 

ನೇರಾವಾಗಿ, ಅಥ್ವ ಅಡ್ಡವಾಗಿ, ಮೂರು, ನಾಲ್ಕು, ಐದು ಒಂದೇ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಬೇಕು. ಮೂರು ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ "ಗುಡ್" ಅಂದರೆ ನೀವು ಒಂದು ’ಮೂವ್’ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು, ಅಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜಲ್ಲಿಯನ್ನು ಒಡೆಯುವಿರಿ. ನಾಲ್ಕು ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ, "ಬೆಟರ್" ಅಂದರೆ ಇದರಿಂದ ಒಂದಿಡೀ ಸಾಲಿನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜಲ್ಲಿಯನ್ನು ನೀವು ಸಲೀಸಾಗಿ ಒಡೆಯುವಿರಿ. ಒಂದು ’ಮೂವ್’ ಕಳೆದುಕೊಂಡು, ಬಹಳ ಲಾಭ ಮಾಡುವಿರಿ. ಇನ್ನು ಈ ತರಹದ ಎರಡು ಬಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿ, ಒಂದಕ್ಕೊಂದು ಹೊಡಿಸಿದಿರೋ, ಎರಡು ಸಾಲುಗಳನ್ನು ಒಟ್ಟಿಗೇ ಒಡೆದುಬಿಡಬಹುದು, ಅಡ್ಡಡ್ಡ ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ ಆರು ಸಾಲು, ಅಡ್ಡ-ಉದ್ದ ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ ಎರಡು ಸಾಲು ಹೀಗೆ. ಇನ್ನು ಒಂದೇ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಐದು ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿಗಳನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸುವುದು, ದ "ಬೆಸ್ಟ್". ಇದು ಒಂದು ಬಾಂಬಿನಂತೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೇನಾದರೂ ನೀವು, "ಬೆಟರ್" ಎಂದಿದ್ದೆನಲ್ಲ, ಆತರಹದ ಬಿಲ್ಲೆಗೆ ತಾಗಿಸಿದಿರೋ,  ಬಂಪರ್ ಲಾಟರಿ ಬಂದಹಾಗೇ ಲೆಕ್ಕ! ನಿಮ್ಮ ಅಷ್ಟೂ ಜಲ್ಲಿ ನಿರ್ಣಾಮವಾಗಿ, ನೀವು ಲೆವಲ್ ದಾಟುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಶಂಕ್ಯೆಯೇ ಇಲ್ಲ! ಇನ್ನುಳಿದಂತೆ ನೀವು ಹೇಗೆ ಆಟ ಬೇಗನೇ ಮುಗಿಸುತ್ತೀರೋ ಹಾಗೆ ನಿಮಗೆ ಆಟವನ್ನು ವೇಗವಾಗಿಸೋ ಅವಾರ್ಡುಗಳು ಬರುತ್ತಾ ಹೋಗುತ್ತವೆ. 

ನಾನೇನೋ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ನೋಡೋಣ ಎಂದು ಶುರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಆಟ ಆಮೇಲಾಮೇಲೆ ಒಂಥರ ನಶೆ ಏರತೊಡಗಿದಂತಾಗಿಹೋಯಿತು. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಸಮಯ ಪುರುಸೊತ್ತು ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಗ ಹಿಡಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಮೊಬೈಲನ್ನ, ಈಗ ಸಮಯ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಹೊಂದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಅಥ್ವ ಯಾವುದೋ ಕೆಲ್ಸ ಮುಂದೂಡಿಕೊಂಡು ’ಆಟವನ್ನೇ ಆಡುತ್ತಿರುವ’ ಅನ್ನುವ ಮಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಲೈಟಾಗಿ ಹಾಳಗಿ ಹೋದೆ. ಊಟ ಮಾಡುವಾಗಲೂ ಇದನ್ನೇ ಆಟ ಆಡುತ್ತಿರೋದನ್ನ ಕಂಡು ಅಮ್ಮ ಉಗಿದಿದ್ದೂ ಆಯಿತು. ಆದರೂ ನನಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಆಡೋದನ್ನ ನಿಲ್ಸೋಕೆ ಆಗಲೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ನಾನು ಏನಾದ್ರು ಸುದ್ದಿನೋ/ಕಥೆನೋ ನಮ್ಮೆಜಮಾನ್ರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿ ಮುಗಿದ ಬಳಿಕ, ’ನಾ ಎನ್ ಹೇಳ್ದೆ ಹೇಳಿ’ ಅನ್ನೋ ವಾಡಿಕೆ, ಈಗ ಉಲ್ಟ, ಇದೇ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆ ನನ್ ಯಜ್ಮಾನ್ರು ಕೇಳೋ ಹಾಗಾಗೋಯ್ತು.(ನೋಡಿ ಕಾಲ ಹೇಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ಆಟಾಡಿಸುತ್ತೆ). ಆಡಿದ್ದೇ ಆಟ ಆಡೀ-ಆಡೀ ಅಮೇಲೆ ಸಮಯ ಬರಿದೇ ನಷ್ಟ ಆಗುವಾಗ, ಕಪಾಟಿನೊಳಗಿನ ಪುಸ್ತಕ, ಸಿನೆಮ ಸೀಡಿ ನೋಡ್ತಾ ಇಣುಕು ನೋಟ. ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಮೇಲೆ ಆಸೆ, ಆಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ಪ್ರೀತಿ!

ಹೀಗೇ ನಡಿತಾ ಒಂದೆರಡು ತಿಂಗಳು ಸರಿದವು. ಇನ್ನೊಂದ್ ವಿಷ್ಯ ಏನು ಅಂದರೆ, ಜೀವ ಮುಗಿದ ಕೂಡಲೇ, ನಾವು ಸ್ನೇಹಿತರಿಗೆ ಜೀವದಾನದ ವಿನಂತಿ ಕಳಿಸಿದರೆ, ತಕ್ಷಣ ಜೀವ ಕೊಡೋದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವರಿಗೆಲ್ಲ ಪುರುಸೊತ್ತಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ, ಅಥ್ವ ಕೊಡೋಕೇ ಮನಸಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ಜೀವ ಬರುವವರೆಗೂ ಆಡುವ ಹಾಗಿಲ್ಲ. ಅದಕ್ಕೇನು ಮಾಡಬಹುದು? ಎಂದು ಸುಮಾರು ತಲೆಕೆಡಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಗೂಗಲ್ ಮೊರೆ ಹೋಗ್ ನೋಡ್ತೀನಿ, ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೂರಾರು ವಿಡಿಯೋಗಳು, ಸಲಹೆಗಳು! ಉಪಾಯ ಏನು ಅಂದರೆ, ನಮ್ಮ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಸಮಯವನ್ನ ಮೂರು ತಾಸಿಗೆ ಮುಂದೂಡುವುದು. ಅಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ನನಗಿದ್ದ ಸಣ್ಣ ತೊಡಕೂ ಮಾಯವಾಗಿ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಸುಗಮ, ಸರಳ! ಇದೇ ಪ್ರಯೋಗ ಇನ್ನೂರನೇ ಲೆವಲ್ವರೆಗೂ ಯಾವುದೇ ಅಡೆತಡೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೇ ಸಾಗಿತು.

ಒಂದು ಮಾತು ನಿಜ ನೋಡಿ, ಯಾರು ಏನೇ ಬೈಯಲಿ, ಬುದ್ದಿ ಹೇಳಲಿ, ನಮಗೇ ಏನೋ ಒಂದು ಅನ್ನಿಸೋವರೆಗೂ ಅವರ್ಯಾವ್ ಮಾತೂ ತಲೆ ಒಳಗೆ ಹೋಗುವುದೇ ಇಲ್ಲ! ಇನ್ನೂರನೇ ಲೆವಲ್ಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ದೇ, ಯಾಕೆ ಈ ಆಟ, ಏನುಪಯೋಗ? ಎಂಬೆಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳು ತಲೆಕೊರೆಯ ತೊಡಗಿದವು. ಕಪಾಟಿನೊಳಗಿರುವ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು, ಅರ್ಧ ಬಿಟ್ಟ ಪೈಂಟಿಂಗಳು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ನನ್ನೆದುರಿಗೆ ಒಟ್ಟೊಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ, ಭರತನಾಟ್ಯ ಮಾಡತೊಡಗಿದವು. ಗಡಿಯಾರ ಹಿನ್ನೆಲೆ ಧ್ವನಿಯಾಯಿತು. ’ನೀನು ಹೀಗೇ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸಿದರೆ ಈ ಕ್ಷಣವೇ ನಿನ್ನ ಮನೆಯಿಂದ ಹೋಗುತ್ತೇವೆ. ಯಾರಿಂದ ಒಂದು ಪೈಸೆ ಉಪಯೋಗವಿಲ್ಲವೋ, ಅಂಥವರನ್ನು ಮಾತ್ರ ಪೋಷಿಸುವ ಜಾಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಖಂಡಿತಾ ನಾವಿರುವುದಿಲ್ಲ’ ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಅಂದಂತೆ ಭ್ರಮೆಯಲ್ಲೂ, ಜ್ನಾನೋದಯವಾಯಿತು. ಅವರನ್ನೆಲ್ಲ ಅಲ್ಲೆ ತಡೆದುನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ, ಅವರೆದುರಿಗೇ "ಕ್ಯಾಂಡೀ ಕ್ರಶ್" ಎಂಬ ಮರೀಚಿಕಯನ್ನು ಕಸದ ಬುಟ್ಟಿಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸಿದೆ. ತಡೆದು ನಿಂತವರು, ನನ್ನ ಕೆನ್ನೆ ಸವರಿ, ಮುಗುಳ್ನಗೆ ಬೀರಿ ತಮ್ಮ ತಮ್ಮ ಸ್ಥಾನಕ್ಕೆ ತೆರಳಿದವು.

ಯಜ್ಮಾನ್ರು ಆಪಿಸ್ ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದರು. ಬಹಳ ದಿನಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬೋಂಡ, ಜಾಮೂನು. ಮೊದಲೇ ಹಸಿವೆಯಾಗಿದ್ದ ಯಜಮಾನರು, ಬೋಂಡ ಕರಿದು ತಟ್ಟೆಗೆ ಹಾಕುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ, ತಿನ್ನುತ್ತಾ ಬಂದರು. ಕಾಫಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು, ಅವರಿಗೊಂದು ಕಪ್ಪು ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಇಡುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಇವರು, "ಹೇ, ಕ್ಯಾಂಡಿ ಕ್ರಶ್ ನಂದು ಇವತ್ತು ನೂರನೇ ಲೆವಲ್ ಕ್ಲಿಯರ್ ಆಯಿತು, ನಿಂದು?" ಎಂದು ಖುಶಿಯಿಂದ ಕೇಳಲು, ಗೋಡೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೇತು ಹಾಕಿದ ಗಡಿಯಾರ, ಕಪಾಟಿನೊಳಗಿನ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ನನ್ನನ್ನೇ ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಭಾಸವಾಯಿತು! 

PM Modi to Hard Sell India Story to Fortune 500 CEOs in US Visi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet CEOs of several Fortune 500 companies during his visit to the US later this week. The visitors' list will comprise of top bosses from global bigwigs such as Google, Boeing, IBM, Goldman Sachs, MasterCard and Pepsi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.

In all, the Prime Minister is expected to meet heads of 17 large global corporations. A group of 11 CEOs - including Google's Eric Schmidt, Citigroup's Michael Corbat, Carlyle Group co-CEO David Rubenstein, Cargill CEO David MacLennan, Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, Caterpillar CEO Dough Oberhelman, MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga and Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi - will meet PM Modi over breakfast on September 29.

Six others have a one-on-one appointment with PM Modi. These include Goldman Sachs's Lloyd Blankfein, Boeing's James McNerney, BlackRock's Laurence Fink, IBM's Ginni Rometty, General Electric's Jeff Immelt and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) co-Chairmen and CEOs Henry Kravis and George Roberts, said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akaruddin.

These high-profile meetings come at a time when the new government is trying to hard sell India as a global manufacturing hub. PM Modi's "Make in India" campaign, which will be launched on Thursday, aims to promote export-oriented manufacturing, heavy infrastructure building and urbanisation.

The ambitious plan aims to push manufacturing growth to 10 per cent per year, but needs massive investment, part of which is likely to come from global corporates willing to set up factories in the country.

Over the past decade, gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have averaged less than 2 per cent of GDP. The new government has liberalised defense manufacturing and insurance sectors to attract FDI, but analysts say the government needs to do much more to attract foreign capital.

In all, India's gross investment rate will have to go up from 31 per cent of GDP in 2013-14 to 38-40 per cent of GDP for tangible results over the next five years, Deutsche Bank estimates.

Press Release Watch: #Idea and #IOCL join hands to service over 82 mill...

Press Release Watch: #Idea and #IOCL join hands to service over 82 mill...: Idea Cellular, India’s 3rd largest mobile operator and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), the largest Oil Marketing Company in the countr...

Sharia Police Smash 240,000 Bottles Of Beer In Kano! (Photos)

In their latest move to put a stop to behaviour deemed 'immoral', the Police enforcing Islamic law in Kano state on Wednesday, destroyed 240,000 bottles of beer they had confiscated from trucks coming into the city.

According to AFP, the Sharia law enforcers called Hisbah, launched sweeping crackdowns in Kano since September, following a state government directive to cleanse the commercial state of “immoral” practices.

So, on Wednesday, a large bulldozer smashed the confiscated bottles to shouts of  “Allahu Ahkbar” (God is great) from supporters outside the Hisbah headquarters in Kano.
Kegs containing more than 8,000 litres of a local alcoholic brew called burukutu and 320,000 cigarettes were also destroyed.

Kano’s Hisbah chief, Aminu Daurawa, at the bottle-breaking ceremony,  said he had the ardent hope this will bring an end to the consumption of such prohibited substances. We hope this measure will help restore the tarnished image of Kano,” said Daurawa.

The 9,000-strong moral police force works alongside the civilian police but also has other duties, including community development work and dispute resolution.
Alcohol is typically easy to find in Kano, including at hotels and bars in neighbourhoods like Sabon Gari, inhabited by the city’s sizeable Christian minority. But the Hisbah boss vowed that this was set to change.

“We hereby send warning to unrepentant offenders that Hisbah personnel will soon embark on an operation into every nook and cranny of the state to put an end to the sale and consumption of alcohol and all other intoxicants,” Daurawa said.

Phablets: Should Your Next Phone Be Bigger Than Your Hand or Face?

They can be about the same size as a 6-inch Subway sandwich, pickles and honey mustard included, of course. Samsung's Galaxy Mega, in particular, is the same length as a Grande Iced Coffee from Starbucks, straw not included. They can be longer than the length of your face, your hand or your pocket.

I'm talking about big phones. Really, really big phones. In just the past few weeks, Nokia, HTC and LG have released phones with 5.5- to 6-inch displays, and more are on the way, as Microsoft and Android have the software features to support the longer and wider displays.

Because these phones look as big as tablets, some have started to call them phablets – a portmanteau of the words phone and tablet. But what's the purpose of these mammoth handsets, and should you start buying pants with bigger pockets?

David Miller / ABC News

A What? What Is a Phablet?

You can think of these devices as the product of a one-night stand between your phone and your tablet. Thus, that word Phablet.

While tablets range in size from 7 to 10 inches, phones have started to span from 3.5 to 5 inches. Phablets come in right between those two categories, with 5- to 6.5-inch screens.

Samsung's Galaxy Mega, with its 6.3-inch screen, is currently the largest of the phablets for sale.HTC's One Max, which was announced last week, has a 5.9-inch screen and Nokia's Lumia 1520has a 6-inch display. Samsung's Galaxy Note, which is by far the most popular of these new big-screen phones, has a 5.5-inch screen. Most of those displays have a 1080p or 1920 x 1080 resolution, meaning that you get a very crisp and high-quality picture on the expanded display.

But while some of these phablets might look like tablets, they are phones through and through. They are sold as phones at carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon with two-year contracts, and they have all the same phone capabilities as other smartphones -- they can make phone calls, send texts, receive voicemail. Good luck, though, hitting the call button with one hand.

David Miller / ABC News

Why in the World Would I Want One?

The obvious answer to "Why would I want one of these?" is "the bigger screen." While the sheer size may seem ridiculous to some, the idea is that instead of carrying around a phone and a tablet, you carry just one device.

The big screen does have some clear advantages though, especially if there is software to take advantage of the increased resolution.

Better for watching movies, looking at photos – The 1080p resolution is not only great for watching videos and looking at photos but also for showing them to others. That might seem like a funny reason to get one of these, but you could say that a bunch of people gathering around a 4-inch screen to see the hilarious YouTube video of a man dressed as a dinosaur looks funny.

More real estate for browsing and typing – That higher resolution also means more screen space for browsing the web or seeing more of an app. And for those with big mits or fingers, the keyboard is wider and more spacious.

Samsung's App and Pen tricks – Samsung does a really good job of adding features that take advantage of the roomy display. With its Galaxy Note, it has added a stylus so you can take handwritten notes in a number of apps. It adds an entirely new dimension to the phone, one that is enabled by having more touchscreen space.

Its Galaxy Mega and its Galaxy Note 3 also have a Multi Windows feature that allows you to look at two apps side by side on the screen. For instance, you can look at a webpage on the left hand side of the screen while you take notes or write an email on the right.

David Miller / ABC News

Who Are They Really For?

But do I need a phone that's the same size as a small pony? Certainly, if you've got large hands the phone will seem like a good fit, but for those with smaller hands it can be a stretch. Literally -- it is very hard for me to reach the call button on the Mega with one hand.

Companies such as HTC say I shouldn't assume that the One Max will be more popular with men. They claim women are attracted to the bigger screens and portability is less of an issue, since most women carry purses or bags.

Still, many women – eh hem, me – put their phones in their pockets, and the Galaxy Mega and HTC One Max don't easily fit. Most men can fit the 6-inch phones in their jeans, though Dockers recently said that the average pocket size is 4 x 4 inches.

Luckily, you don't necessarily need to have deep pockets in the figurative sense for these phones. They cost about the same as other smartphones. The Galaxy Mega costs $150 at AT&T with a two-year contract, the Galaxy Note is $299 and the HTC One Max will likely be priced somewhere in between those when it arrives at Sprint and Verizon later this year.

Ultimately, carrying a phone that's bigger than your face might not be for you -- phones in the 4.5- to 5-inch range are likely better for most. But it's very clear that the days of phones getting smaller and smaller are over. Bigger screens mean more capabilities -- you and your pockets should prepare.

Gogo Wants You to Text and Make Calls at 30,000 Feet

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are among the airlines that recently adopted the FAA's more relaxed rules on the use of personal electronics throughout the duration of flights.

Getty Images

The FAA announced last week that it was finally going to loosen restrictions on the rules of using gadgets on planes. Now, on many flights you no longer have to turn off your phone, iPad or e-reader before takeoff. However, you do have to set those devices in airplane mode so your cellular network is powered off.

That means no text messages or cell phone calls in the air. However, Gogo, the company that provides the in-flight Wi-Fi network on many flights, is looking to change that. The company announced today its Text and Talk feature, which allows passengers to send texts and make phone calls over its in-flight network using their own smartphones.

To get the service working, passengers have to download the Gogo Text & Talk app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store when they are on the ground and then when they are up in the clouds they can connect to the service. The app connects the phone to a network, which then allows the phone to access the device's phone and texting capabilities. It's a fairly technical implementation, but basically it routes your calls or texts over Gogo's wireless network, letting you communicate with people on the ground. Gogo says the texting and calling service will cost less to use than the full wireless networks.

But whether this is actually implemented on flights remains a big question. Gogo says it knows that most passengers on U.S. commercial flights don't want to hear their neighbors gabbing on the phones. So instead it is focused on bringing the texting piece to flights.

"We know U.S. carriers don't want the talk piece," Gogo's Steve Nolan told ABC News. "But we know someone might not want to pay for the full connectivity or wireless option. We think that a texting option would allow people to connect on the ground and be a more affordable option."

Nolan said that the company is working with U.S. airlines to launch the texting service in the first quarter of 2014. The voice and texting service is already being used in business aviation for private jets.

Is Twitter Way Over-Valued?

A banner adorns the facade of the New York Stock Exchange in advance of Twiiter's initial public offering, Nov. 7, 2013, in New York. (Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

The big excitement on Wall Street has been all about Twitter.

The social media company had a very strong start but analysts warn trading may be choppy in the days ahead. Twitter’s stock jumped 73% on its first day of trading on Thursday, closing at $44.90.

“I think it’s clear that more investors like this IPO than we anticipated,” said Doreen Mogavero, president and CEO of the investment firm Mogavero & Lee.

Twitter’s hot start may prompt a wave of investor interest in new share issues, especially from Internet companies. But in the days ahead, Twitter will be under a lot of pressure to keep the enthusiasm going.

“Twitter really has to make sure they perform well,” said Brian Blau, consumer research director at Gartner. “Quarter by quarter they’re going to have show increases in user engagement and user growth. Twitter is going to have to show a move toward profitability and a reduction in the expenditures that they have.”

There’s room for caution, according to Steve Cortes, managing director at brokerage firm Lazard Capital Markets. “There are some signs that this could be a hashtag bubble.”

Twitter a great company, Cortes said, but advises investors to be cautious. “Let’s say your son is an excellent high school quarterback. It would be like buying a mansion for him now on the prospect that he’s gonna be a first-round draft pick ,” Cortes said. “That’s kind of where Twitter is.”

The stock market pulled back from the record high reached on Wednesday. Analysts say investors are worried that stronger-than-expected economic results could result in an early pullback by the Federal Reserve from its economic stimulus. The Dow Jones index dropped 153 points. The Nasdaq fell more than 74 — nearly 2%.

The first estimate of 3rd quarter U.S. economic growth by the Commerce Department came in at an annual rate of 2.8% — well above expectations. The market has had a terrific year, said Chris Bertelsen, chief investment officer at Global Financial Private Capital. “You blow me over with a feather if 2014 is up as much as this year.”

Disney reported strong 4th-quarter profit growth, with a 12% earnings increase compared to last year. Revenue rose 7%. The strong results got a lift from Disney’s parks division, which includes Disney Cruise Line. The company says higher ticket prices at Walt Disney World and Disneyland contributed to a rise in per-capita guest spending. Operating income rose 30% at Disney Consumer Products.

An eight-day trial to determine Detroit’s path in bankruptcy is closing with final arguments from the city, retiree groups, unions and pension funds. Detroit filed for Chapter 9 protection in July, but a judge must determine whether the city is eligible to be in bankruptcy court. Critics say that emergency manager Kevyn Orr wanted bankruptcy for months and didn’t want to try good-faith negotiations before filing. The last witness was the president of the Detroit police union. Closing arguments could last all day today.

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded France’s credit rating by one notch to “AA.” In a statement today, S&P said it feared the French government will struggle to reduce its deficit and debt and make the necessary reforms to make its economy more competitive. The firm also said it thinks unemployment in France is likely to remain high until 2016 and that this will make reforms politically difficult. In addition, S&P said France has little room to raise taxes further to plug budget holes.