Sign of the times

Ryan and I went to Kindermusik tonight. It was our last night of this session and we had been asked to bring flashlights. One of the songs in the curriculum is a lullaby type song about stars and the teacher would turn off the lights and use a flashlight to make stars. Ry loved this.

So we brought our new no batteries needed flashlights. Kids love them. To power them you just shake them and then voila through a process I have no desire to know about the copper coil produces energy.

The look on Ryan's face when Ms. A announced it was time to get out flashlight was worth going. We had two and decided to share with little Jack. Ryan was explaining to a 15mo that he didn't get to take it home. Jack just chewed on the end of it as a response.

Others didn't know/remember to bring one which was not a big deal at all. Then I look across the room and one little boy is laying on the floor next to his mom clutching a blackberry, screen up. Jack's mom and I just about fell over laughing silently at this.

I've seen people get out of places when the power was out by using their cell phones and ipod screen light before. And somewhere in Europe in the last few weeks a couple of lost hikers were found by the helicopters when one turned on their ipod.

But then Dad who appeared to be the proper owner of the blackberry took it back and turned on some feature that made it into a real flashlight? What an idea! I think but can't confirm that is was there is a what to turn on the flash from the camera feature.

Here is the real question - what can an iphone do in this situation?