Cell Phone Heaven - and Hell

A must read article on electronic waste in the New York Times Magazine describes the hell that is the relentless flow of thrown away mobile phones - which a recycling company calls "aboveground mining"

and ends with

"It (Cell Heaven) is an image in our heads — not of a place where we can send a used phone but one where we imagine each device when it’s brand-new, right before we first get our hands on it. That illusion of perfection, no matter how many times we see it spoiled, will always lure us into buying the next new phone and sending the last one careering on its way."

The article does not touch on the impact cell phones have on our individual and business budgets. While few of us calculate mobile TCO over multiple years, for many of us it is now the 3rd biggest purchase decision - after a house or a car. More of  short term heaven followed by long term hell.