New York Times, Monday, February 14, 2022

This, of course, is a very simple theme. Spoiler Alert: I listed 30 items that have essentially been obsoleted by 63-Across and went to town with the best 5. Since this was my first ever submission to The NYT, I was blown away when Tracy Bennett replied that "this hits a sweet spot for charm and interest." Two minor word changes later, and tightening up of the clues by the team and here I am!

About me: I live in Rancho Palos Verdes, California and am a soccer referee. In the off season, I volunteer at the local community center with the AARP Tax-Aide program preparing tax returns. I've been a long-time crossword solver and was inspired by a lecture given at the local library by David Steinberg. A high school student at the time, David explained the history of crosswords and the terminology used, what a rebus was, and also served Oreos — the favorite cookie of Cruciverbalists, owing to their colors. I tucked away the idea of creating puzzles until time permitted — which came during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I'm indebted to the mentors I met on the Facebook groups Cruciverb and Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory, especially Mark McClain and Andrea Carla Michaels for their sage advice.

When the iPhone was about to debut in 2007, my brother shook his head, clucking his tongue. Raising his trusty flip-phone, he declared that so-called "SMART" PHONEs would never catch on. Too bulky! Too easy to smudge! Too expensive!

Too bad. Apple stock has gone up just a smidge since then.

I held onto my Razr until four years ago, when the AT&T guy burst into laughter when I took it in. "Does this thing even make calls?" he snorted.

Yes!

(If you yell into it loudly enough.)

Thank goodness I finally joined the herd. Thank goodness for my trusty Samsung Galaxy 4!

(sounds of AT&T tech support people cackling at me)

Amazing to think of what our phones do these days. Say bye-bye to the COMPASS I carried when I traveled to Japan, since I couldn't read the street signs. No need to wear a PEDOMETER anymore!

(Except that I don't know how to turn on the pedometer in my phone. Ahem.)

I enjoyed much of the debut gridwork, a tough challenge to work around so many not-too-short but not-too-long themers. It often gets tricky when themers pile up, like in the middle with the potentially newb-unfriendly DINAR / NAS crossing. Working in some PIE CHART, STILETTO, YOO HOO helped soothe that pain point.

This theme didn't charm me, but it is thought-provoking, making me wonder what tech innovations will make the SMARTPHONE feel antiquated 20 years from now. (When they pry the Galaxy 4 out of my cold, dead hands.)