Sine Qua Non

Without which, nothing. It certainly seemed that way for poor Mr H a few weeks ago, when one of his school mates dropped his mobile phone from a height onto concrete. He had some time before bought a really robust case. Being generous to the other boy, he may have thought the phone would survive the drop. Indeed it did; almost. The next day (being a Friday) I took it in to Ubertec, who diagnosed a broken screen. Apparently all else was fine, and a replacement screen would allow access again. Except that there was a major bend in some of the metal surround, meaning that a new screen could not be sealed on and would therefore not work. And iPhones cannot function at all without the screen.

His aunt (daughter J) had not too long ago upgraded her phone, and still had the previous one. After a couple more days of tension and distress, the phone was available, and because (unlike his Grandpa) he had backed up all his important things on the iCloud, it all magically reappeared on the "new" phone. Distress all gone and he is more careful now.

Paul Walsh painted this utility box, and has titled it Status Update. Even nonhuman primates use an iPhone it seems and need one to feel complete.