Christian Anderson Berger

Christian Anderson Berger

There was a special event in my life this month…. the birth of a grandson, Christian Anderson “Andy” Berger. Being born in 2010 is something special. In fact the year “twenty-ten” sounds pretty futuristic to those of us born in the years prefaced with the number 19. And it is futuristic! Andy will see technological changes in the world that most of us cannot even imagine today.

His health and longevity will certainly be improved because of technology. We may or may not find a cure for cancer during Andy’s lifetime, but we are sure to make huge strides in diagnosing and treating common diseases. Genetic testing will become commonplace uncovering genetic predispositions and allowing for preventative medicine to take the forefront. I envision Andy being able to put his hand on the bathroom mirror every morning and have his customized vitamins and medicine dispensed in the proper doses right on the spot.

After that he may wonder into the kitchen to read the daily newspaper. It will, of course, be in an electronic form, but instead of today’s e-book readers, it may be on a substance that looks and acts much more like real paper. Andy will, no doubt, have some help with the housework. Today we have robotic vacuums, floor scrubbers, and gutter cleaners. While Andy may not have a robotic maid named Rosie, he will most certainly have technological help. It is not too far-fetched to envision his having a robotic helper to pick up and wash the clothes. And certainly, by the time he has his own home, someone will have developed a self-cleaning toilet.

By the time Andy heads off to college, computers and communication devices will be ubiquitous and may, in fact, be rolled into one gadget. His entire life will revolve around whatever device becomes his communication device, e-book reader, information finder, entertainment hub, and payment center. Money may become obsolete as he uses his “lifestyle device” to pay for purchases wherever he goes.

As technology increases in Andy’s life, so will the stresses that come with being always available and with constant multi-tasking. No problem though, society will be well beyond 3-D television. Perhaps Andy will be able to use a device like the Holodeck from Star Trek to take an instant vacation. By then, the entertainment that Andy sees will be so realistic and immersive, that it will make him feel like he is really there. This will be great for a vacation paradise that he will need after being truly immersed in that intense murder thriller.

With technology like that, it may be difficult to tell what is real. Today, we cannot discern when a photo has been digitally manipulated into something illusionary.  For Andy, though, it may be difficult for him to discern if what he has just seen is real or imaginary.

While Andy will benefit from health and entertainment advances, he may find that he has very little privacy. Most of his life will be documented on the Internet. Public cameras will be everywhere. RFID tags as small as a grain of salt may be put into every object that Andy uses, making them totally traceable. No matter though, the benefits will outweigh the drawbacks as they have for us.

These are just a few of the things that Andy will have to look forward to in his lifetime, I’m sure that each of you have your own ideas of what life will be like for him and his generation. While you are thinking about it, be sure to remember that there was a time not long ago when we didn’t have Google to look things up instantly, when a large television had a 24” black-and-white picture, when you had to wait several days for your message to reach a friend by U.S. mail,  and when you couldn’t call the person you were meeting at the coffee shop to tell him that you were running late.

We have come a long way in our lifetime and I am sure that the world will see some outstanding and useful changes in Andy’s lifetime as well. While you are thinking about what some of those changes will be, please join me in welcoming Andy to this Brave New World!!

Internet connectivity is being quickly built into many televisions. Whether it is in the form of Apps or connections with companies like Netflix, the Internet connected TV is here to stay.

Samsung has an amazing a television that is only .3″ thick– about the width of a pencil. They also have a remote that not only is an exceptional remote control, but that also allows you to see the television picture on the screen on the remote. Many of the new Samsung TVs have bezels that change color depending on the light in the room.

Panasonic has improved their plasma technology and the pictures on their new plasma televisions, both 2D and 3D are really impressive.

While all these changes are nice features, they make a strong statement that television is morphing into something more than our current TVs. You can expect your next television to be the center of communications as well as entertainment. But you may want to wait to make your purchase until we see exactly where this all ends up.

Some are calling the decade just past the oh-o’s.  From the beginning of the decade with the introduction of global terrorism to the end of the 00’s with economic tribulations, there were many problems and missteps in the oh-o’s.  But if you look at technology during this decade, rather than troubles and tribulations, you will see a slow evolution of growth and advancement.

In my New Years newspaper column for 2001, I made some predictions. Here are the predictions and the results.

The Internet will be faster for many.

During the past decade, millions of new Internet users were added to the online community. Millions more upgraded their Internet service to the faster broadband service. Some are even using high-speed fiber optics to access the Internet. (Unfortunately, not in our neighborhood.) The Internet has become so much a part of our lives that the word “Google” has been added to the dictionary.

Home networking will make its appearance.

Both Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Apple’s new Snow Leopard operating systems have home networking built-in. Both companies are offering family packs for three home computers. Millions of families now have two or more computers in their homes.

Music will continue to merge with the computer.

The iPod was introduced in 2001 and you know the rest of the story. People everywhere have wires hanging from their ears as they listen to digital music. Millions have digitized their music collections on the computer and download that music to their portable players. It is even becoming popular to use iPod docks or media extenders to listen to the digitized music throughout the home. Millions are also using their computers and Internet radio stations to listen to music from around the world.

Digital photography will become a popular hobby.

No one will argue that digital photography has become the norm. I haven’t seen a non-digital camera in eons. When the flashes go off, whether it’s at sporting events or a birthday party, the cameras are all digital.

Wireless and portable will be hot.

Millions of people access the Internet from their portable netbooks, laptops and/or smartphones. They can use WiFi in places like Starbucks and Paneras. Some also use a cellular connection to hook up just about anywhere. Wireless and portable are the hottest things out there today.

Internet Appliances will face a shakeout.

You might remember the push for Internet appliances back in the year 2000. They faced a big shakeout, and have reemerged as the netbooks which were one of the most popular types of computers in the last few years.

Several things that I did not talk about at the beginning of the decade have also changed our lives. Everyone from Luddites to great-grandmothers are now using cell phones. Some of you, like me, have even given up your land-line and gone all cellular. And millions of you now have smart cell phones like the iPhone that let you surf the web, play games, get satellite directions, and play music.

Television has undergone a huge transition. We now have televisions that are larger and thinner than we ever dreamed of. We have TiVos and video recorders that let us replay live TV and time-shift our TV viewing to suit our individual schedules. Hi-definition televisions and Blu-ray players produce amazingly detailed pictures. With the introduction of high-profile 3D movies like Avatar, we may even be moving into a 3-dimensional world for both movies and television.

We don’t want to forget about the many wildly popular Internet sites that have become a vital part of our world. We now have Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. You can connect with friends from around the world, get a minute-to-minute rundown of what everyone is doing, and see videos of everything from dancing cockatoos to how to stuff a turkey.

Yes, our lives have certainly changed in the last ten years. This brings us to ask “What technological advances will better our lives in the next ten years?”  We may have some big breakthroughs. Perhaps we will find the cure for cancer. Or maybe we will find a way transport objects on beams through the air. Or maybe someone will come up with a viable flying car.

There may or may not be any really big breakthroughs in the next ten years, but you can bet on one thing. Technology will continue to transform our lives in ways that none of us can even imagine.

In days past, family celebrations were only rarely interrupted by the ring of a telephone. Today we have family members answering their cell phone almost constantly and teen-agers texting under the table cloth edge during the holiday dinner.

Years ago, everyone smiled when the camera came out and even though some of us had Polaroid cameras, most of us didn’t even think of viewing the photos or movies until weeks later. Now we can hook the movie camera up to the television and watch the movies right after they are taken. We can place the photo memory card in a digital picture frame and show off the pictures immediately. We can even pop the card into a printer and print copies for everyone. That is except for the photo of Ted, the teenager with the pimply face. His photo will undergo some Photoshopping before it is printed for posterity.

In the Christmas’ of my youth, the presents under the tree were mostly sweaters, jewelry, ties and socks. Although there was an occasional kitchen appliance for mom or a power tool for dad, you didn’t need an outlet to plug in most of the presents back then. We received toys like board games and erector sets.

Today, electronics have taken the center stage with digital cameras, cell phones, GPS devices, electronic books, electronic gaming devices, digital music players, and digital picture frames. After the presents are opened, the room will be more aglow from the LCD screens of digital devices than from the lights on the Christmas tree. Most of the today’s toys need batteries. Yes, there are still board games, but now you can play Scrabble on the computer and the new version of the Clue board game relies on cell phone texting for clues.

Santa Claus may still be making a visit, but his new Santa suit will probably come from Amazon.com rather than from a department store. And the cookies we leave him will most likely be slice-and-bake rather than home made from scratch. And if you don’t have a fireplace for Santa, you can turn your computer screen into a virtual one with websites like FauxFilre.com (www.fauxfire.com).
Instead of music from the radio, vinyl records, or cassettes, many families will be listening to digital music from their iPods or computers. Some will listen to Christmas music from around the world through the Internet. They will be listening to this either on their computers or on an Internet radio.

In fact, some of the younger crowd will have wires handing from their ears as they will forgo the Christmas music and instead listen to their own choice of music. Some families will still sing carols. Instead of using mimeographed sheet music, however, they will, no doubt, have the words printed out from the Internet.
If the kid’s want to watch TV when the party starts to wind down, there will be no turning the dial to find a television show. We can go right to Frosty the Snowman that we recorded on the DVR, or the copy of The Christmas Story that we rented from Netflix.

The holidays of yesterday were great, but the holidays of today are not all bad. They are just different. As we miss some of the traditions and the way things were in the good old days, but we can embrace some of the new technologies that make today’s holidays a little better a little brighter.

Merry Christmas to all.

Geek Goddess

Geek Goddess

I am an old hat when it comes to technology. I was a computer programmer back in the seventies before computers came into the home, and I’ve kept my hand in the technology arena all these years with my own computer consulting business and my technical writing career. Yet I’ve never considered myself a “Geek Goddess”. As a matter of fact I have often been a little aggravated to hear Kim Komando refer to herself as “The Digital Goddess” — like she is something really special.

But Christina Tynan-Wood in her book, How to Be a Geek Goddess, isn’t advocating that a Geek goddess is someone above everyone else. She says that being a Geek Goddess is “a simple matter of embracing the incredible innovation that’s going on in our times and harness it for our own purposes”.

Oh yes, and Christina understands the differences between how men and women look at, and deal with, technology. She starts the book off with the sentence, “My husband is a pompous ass.” Many of us have noticed how men seem to pound their chests and promote themselves as the technology heros of the day. Women, on the other hand, just want to use and enjoy technology.

Christina’s book is filled with good information about technology with everything from how to choose a computer sales person to hooking up with others online. There are tips on everything from controlling your email to trouble-shooting a wireless connection. Chapters include: Getting in Touch with Your Software Side, Where the Stores Never Close, The Wireless Home, Keeping It Safe, Geek Parenting, Groovy Gear and Gadgets, and Your 200 Closest Friends.

The information in this 315 page book is all accurate and informative. Yet, this is not a reference book. It is rather like a free-flowing novel with technical information. If you want a book where you can look up how to do things, you will have to look elsewhere. This is a book for women who want to absorb  some pointers here and there while reading about all the things you can do with your computer. If you are already very familar with computers, you can skip this book. But again, if you want to immerse yourself in technology and pick up some knowledge and useful tidbits on the way, you will love this book. And you may even become a Geek Goddess yourself!

The technology behind the Kindle is nothing short of amazing. Great clarity and battery life and you can resize the text to fit your visual needs. You can buy books from the Amazon Store and access the Internet without any wires and even better, without any monthly fees. (I told you the technology was wonderful.)

Unfortunately,some of the design features just don’t measure up. Yet, if you like to read, it may be a worthy purchase. And if you like to take reading material along when you travel, it may save you money with the new “charge for luggage” airline rules.

You can read my full review at Hardware Secrets. Feel free to post your comments either here or at Hardware Secrets.

]]> http://www.compukiss.com/sandybergerblog/2008/06/25/amazon-kindle-e-book/feed/ 5 http://www.compukiss.com/sandybergerblog/2008/06/19/sonic-boom-dual-alarm-clock/ http://www.compukiss.com/sandybergerblog/2008/06/19/sonic-boom-dual-alarm-clock/#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:13:25 +0000 Sandy Berger http://www.compukiss.com/sandybergerblog/?p=100 Sound sleepers will rejoice at this alarm clock. I wish I had it when my younger daughter was at home. We have always had trouble getting her to wake up on time. In fact, she is such a sound sleeper that once she slept through all the commotion that occurred when the deck right outside her bedroom window caught fire. Even fire engines, yelling, and the heavy boots of the firefighters on the deck didn’t wake her.

The Sonic Boom Loud for a Reason

So she was the perfect test for the Sonic Boom Dual Alarm Clock. Guess what? It actually woke her up. She loves it so much that she continues to use it all the time. I have received testimonials from other users, as well. I didn’t realize that there were so many heavy sleepers in the world!

Sonic Boom has several different models. The Sonic Boom Dual Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker that I reviewed comes with a dual alarm. The volume is user-controllable, so you can set it according to your needs. The 12-volt bed shaker is powerful enough to get just about anyone going. The clock has a hi/low dimmer switch for those who like a more subtle light at night. There is also a battery backup so you won’t be late if the power goes off during the night.

World travelers will like the fact that there is a switch to change the clock from 110 volts to 220 volts and another switch to change the time to be show the time on a 12 or a 24 hour basis.

Not everyone will need a clock like this, but those who do will think it the next best thing to sliced bread!

We will also see some great new gadgets, including robotic gutter cleaners and more. Check these out in New Gadgets for 2008.

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