My Saturday and My Connection To Technology

On the way to get coffee this morning I began to think of how technology is touching my life. I find it fascinating the changes in how I connect and what my daily processes are now.

Before 1993 email was not something that I was concerned with. And after 1993 it was a very seldom used tool. I did not have friends or business connections that even knew what email was. A very limited universe. The same was true from my first web page in 1994.

In the early days I always carried books, magazines, and a leather binder with yellow legal pads to write on. I have always been a prolific note taker and doodler. If I can’t write I feel imprisoned. It is my connection with myself. My car was my office and there was always something to read and something to write on.

How times have changed in just 20 of my 70 years. Actually 74 but who is counting.

This morning, after showering and dressing, before taking the morning medications or doing anything else, I picked up my phone to see if there were any important email or messages from all those out in the world, in different time zones, that I am connected to.  I first checked notifications and then went to email to see what was there. Quickly scanning subject matter and senders I thought “OK later” and then went on to what I needed to do personally. Time spent about 30 seconds at most (more likely 10 seconds).

After getting the newspaper for my wife I grabbed the computer bag and my coat (and after starting the coffee for my wife) I headed out to McDonald’s. All the while wondering why the computer bag? I have my iPad and my new Nexus 7 to read news on and clean up email.

After getting the coffee (and my Breakfast Burrito) I turned on my mobile hotspot (Samsung Galaxy S III via Verizon) and connected  the computer. I needed to update my Windows Essentials so I searched the correct link to verify my requirements and then went to the Windows Essentials page and downloaded the update.

While waiting for the update to download I opened the Nexus 7 and went to email, opened the NY Times newsletter to review today’s headlines and went to a specific article to read; The Line Between ‘Aggressive’ and ‘Evil’. Checked the rest of the news and by that time the download had processed and I am now back on the computer.

When it comes to reading I have the Kindle app on all my tablet’s, my notebook computer, and my desktop, as well as my phone. I can, and do,  read on all of them. I read more now than before, if that is possible. I just lent a Kindle book to someone for the first time; “What The Plus” by Guy Kawasaki.

It is said that technology is my hobby as well as reading, writing, photography and cutting glass. There are days when I wish I could just be a hobbyist all day long, in fact those are most days.

I have often said that I do not use paper and pencil as much as I used to (if at all) and recently I have stopped carrying a pen – only a stylus. I make all my notes on the phone or tablet and can access most via the computer. The only thing that I wish for on the tablet’s is a good word processing app and a Windows Live Writer app for blogging. But that is another post.

Have a Happy Saturday – it has warmed up outside to 33º here in the Cincinnati area.

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