Not "tuning" as in Alex Proyas' DARK CITY
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With a myriad of new products inundating the market every day, any
failure to keep pace with the latest trends can be detrimental to your
image. The recent "tuning" frenzy reflects modern-day consumers'
pursuit of all things novel and original. It also allows consumers to
modify and renovate their belongings at low costs.
Modifying things according to personal preference
A growing number of people these days are modifying their belongings
according to their personal preferences. Such "MacGyver followers" are
increasingly turning their attention not only to mobile phones and cars
but also to computers, bicycles, motorcycles, and audio and DVD
players. Monotonous mass-produced products manufactured in factories
and lacking variety do not catch their eyes anymore. They do not feel
comfortable until they modify all their belongings their own special
way. Tuning fans, who have emerged as future trendsetters, do not
simply change the outward appearance of items, but also make sure to
improve their quality, thus also promoting a recycling culture.
Computer tuning
In this era of widespread computer use, computer tuning has given rise
to a second computer revolution. Computer tuning entails both exterior
embellishment and improvement of interior components. Exterior
embellishment includes spray painting and the use of acryl and cold
cathode fluorescent boards to make computers look "more charming,"
while interior improvement includes cooling techniques using water
circulation and overclocking techniques that enhance CPU performance.
Various Web sites introducing tuning products have sprung up on the
Internet recently. Examples of such products include personal computers
for car interiors utilizing 12.1-inch liquid crystal displays that are
usually used in laptops, CD players made of translucent acryl boards
and used CD-ROMs, recycled personal computers made of old audio-tape
cases, and computers in the form of Teddy bears, cars, planes and even
Christmas gifts. Tuning experts cite practicality as the top priority
in computer tuning, because even the most sophisticated-looking
computers are useless if they are inconvenient and offer no advantages
in terms of use.
Mobile phone tuning
Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of everyday life. But
that also means that consumers easily get bored with and annoyed by
these handy gadgets, and typically get tired of their phones just a
year after purchase. But given their lofty prices, changing mobile
phones often is not easy. Recently, mobile phones have emerged as
fashion accessories and a means to express consumers' unique individual
quirks. That is the reason mobile phone tuning is so popular among
young people these days. One by one, firms specializing in phone tuning
have recently begun opening their offices in Seoul's thoroughfares
frequented by young people, such as Gangnam and Daehakno. Aside from
phone-case painting, phone tuning also includes the use of
light-emitting diodes in buttons and decorative stones to make a phone
sparkle every time it rings.
Middle and high school students are particularly interested in tuning
involving stationery, such as pens and pen cases, and have even set up
online communities to share information about tuning techniques.
Downsides of tuning
Just as plastic surgery can cause serious side-effects in patients,
reckless tuning of mobile phones can fatally damage their functionality
or simply spoil their appearance. Receiving after-sales service is also
problematic, as the majority of phone makers avoid providing
after-sales services for tuned products for fear of further damaging
the phones. Selling a used tuned phone for a good price is also
difficult, as its value diminishes every time you modify it according
to your taste.
The tuning boom has affected virtually all products we use in our
everyday lives -- from cars to phones, bicycles, audio players, LCD
monitors, MP3 players, watches, and inline skates to even online
messengers. Tuning has emerged as a way to minimize inconvenience,
upgrade product functionality and express owners' unique personalities.