Technology never ceases to amaze us, right? Just 5- 6 years back or maybe a decade back, we were trying to push every possible activity onto the smartphone thinking that it was simplifying our life. Today, even as one part of the technological world is fixated with instant picture uploads, instant messages, instant sharing – we feel all that “instant” is ruining our mental and physical health. ‘Digital detox‘ is playing a vital role in our lives today, there are plenty of apps that are helping us find a digitally healthy and happy life.
In order to help world citizens maintain a balance between life between and technology, Google has launched an app called ‘Envelope’.
What is Google ‘Envelope’?
It is an app that is designed to “temporarily transform your phone into a simpler, calmer device, helping you take a break away from your digital world” (Source: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.specialprojects.experiments.envelopecall&hl=en_US )
The app lets you print the pdf, cut the template out, and follow the directions to make the envelope. This envelope can then be used to store your smartphone and hide it from yourself and use it only to make and receive calls. The front of the envelope has the numbers to facilitate this.
The camera envelope has two buttons at the back to take pictures and videos. But these pictures and videos can be viewed only at the end of the day when you take the phone out of the envelope.
The only catch of this? At present, the Google Envelope is only available for Pixel 3A.
The code for Google Envelope is open source and is available at GitHub at:
https://github.com/specialprojects-experiments/envelope
A video of this has been posted on YouTube. Have a look at this to understand it better:
While products like these are still in their early stages and critics will view it in different ways, every step in the “digital well being” of an individual or an organization is commendable.
Here’s hoping that Google Envelope or similar products are available for enabling one’s digital well being…