What's the one piece of modern technology that you couldn't live without? What about the one that you'd like to get rid of? For me, I couldn't live without my iPod. I absolutely love music, it truly has the power to tame the savage beast! I love that I can put all my music (15,000+ songs) on this one tiny device and take it with me wherever I go. It amazes me that I can listen to hours and hours of music on one charge, then I just plug it in for a few hours and it's ready to go - no batteries required. If I could, I would get rid of cell phones. While I love the convenience and it's great to have a phone wherever you go, I think that it causes more problems then it solves. It kills me to see a group of people sitting together, and each one is on the phone - instead of interacting and talking with each other. And don't get me started on texting and driving!!
The one piece of technology I couldn't live without is my digital camera. Sure I carried a camera before I went digital, but the ability to see my results instantly is really important to me. With film I had to wait a long time (sometimes months) to see whether my photos had achieved what I intended them to do and if not, it was too late to fix my mistakes. Now I can take as many shots as I like until I get the one I want. I'd also like to get rid of cell phones. In addition to the negatives you've already mentioned, there is a lot of talk of the health risks of using them. On the advice of a naturopath, I now switch mine off as soon as I walk into the house and don't switch it on again until I'm ready to go somewhere.
What I like best about digital cameras is that I can literally take as many photos as I want and not have to worry about the cost, about whether they are going to be good or not. With a film camera, you have to pay for the film and for developing, so I would only take 1 or 2 pictures of only the things that I really wanted. Now, I just snap away. It's nothing for me to go out into my garden and take 100 pictures in one afternoon. I download them and most aren't that great, but it didn't cost anything, so who cares?? I've gotten some beautiful photos that I probably wouldn't have even tried taking before with film.
That's been my experience too. When I was using film, a roll of 36 exposures could last me forever as I was reluctant to waste money on unnecessary photos. Now I can take 36 almost identical photos in an attempt to fix one technical problem. My only problem is that I hate deleting photos, even the bad ones, so I've got a few external hard drives full of them. But I can't even begin to imagine the space those would have taken if I could have afforded to shoot them all using film.
I love my computer, I could not be without my computer for more than 24 hours. I can listen to music on the computer, like at movies on the computer and my favorite site is Pinterest, I get gardening ideas on Pinterest. Clothing ideas and can read a book on my computer. I would get rid of cell phones. People have gotten so rude now that everyone has a cell phone, more and more auto accidents happen because of cell phones, people are not talking to each other because they are on the phone looking at facebook stupid stuff.
I've got a bit of a love-hate relationship with my computer. It's an essential tool to accompany my camera because most of my photos need editing of some sort. I also spend a lot of time online - too much! And that's the problem. If I'm unable to get online when I want to, it makes me feel quite uncomfortable. It often takes priority over much more important things.
I would not want to be without my laptop. I use it every day for my work and for following the news, finding things out, networking, interacting in forums and communicating by email. I can live without a tablet or a smart phone. I'm much faster and more accurate with a physical keyboard and my eyesight is not that good. I have a simple cell phone and I need to put on my reading glasses each time I use it.
I'm not really one to rush out and get all the latest technology. One thing I could not go without would be my phone or computer. I use these two everyday and they are vital to my life.
As some of you may know, I was born legally blind (Retinitus Pigmerntosa) and now, at age 60, am rapidly progressing towards total blindness. In what I personally consider to be one of God's finest little jokes, He gave me the visual acuity of a yellow squash along with the most passionate possible urge to read and watch TV and movies. The condition, of course, is not correctable either with lenses or surgery and about ten years ago I reached the stage where it became impossible for me make out normal print or TV at all--even with arc lighting and series of magnifiers I devised. Enter the Apple 27" backlit, high definition iMac which has proudly adorned my former dining table for five years now. Now only can I stream movies and TV greatly enlarged and crystal clear but I can download eBooks and blow them up HUGELY, enabling me to continue in my favorite pursuits. Sure, I only get about a dozen words to the page but I can READ them. This amazing machine even reads text to me and takes dictation, should I not feel like struggling with my oversized lighted keyboard. A pair of iPads--one for traveling and one for reading / watching in bed--and life is good again. But then there is the (literal) house full of printed books which I've spent a lifetime collecting and could no longer use. The Oregon Commission for the Blind GAVE me a camera / scanner that blows up a book and makes it big on a TV screen but this is still not as comfortable to use as the computer. Yes, I had to buy the big TV screen but what the hell? Lastly, a credit card sized electronic magnifier that lets me read labels in the store. It goes up to 16X, whereas the standard store bought magnifier is 2X at best. Yep, as far as gadgetry is concerned, count me in!
Peter, I am sorry about your eyesight. I worry often about losing my sight but so far, that hasn't happened. My prescription gets stronger every time I walk by the optometrist's office but, so far, they are correctable. It doesn't seem like too long ago that I could manage to read a book without my glasses, but that isn't nearly the case anymore. I also have a 27" iMac and, for that matter, I carry a credit-card sized magnifier.
I meant to ask you Peter,...did you resolve the problem with your imac10 thingy? (I am doing the best I can pretending I know exactly what I am writing!) You didn't need to whack it with a 28oz Estwing hammer after all? All kidding aside, from what I have seen advertised and on the tech blurbs via internet there have been some innovations in the computer industry that blow my brain. From helping folks to hear and see and even giving people the ability to speak when there is damage to the vocal system, There is even a new computerized gadget that helps soldiers and others who could not walk, to walk again. I am happy that the present tech can help you out, at least a little..........but maybe tomorrow something will give you total sight. I am hoping and praying for that my friend!! (But, there is something to be said about not being able to see when that 400 lb. lady in capris pants and halter top goes wandering through Walmart.)
No, Bobby, nothing I've done has solved the problem so I'm just using it at 1/3 brightness. When I need to see a video, I just use the iPad. Yes, the tech today is nothing short of astounding. Any minute now I guess they'll activate Skynet. As to the 400lb capri and halter set you described, you've managed to place the image securely in my mind without my ever having seen her. Thank you so much for that, my old friend.
Modern technology is great, integrating the past with innovation of the future. Modern technology however lacks freedom. With the greatest advancements kept secret and not release to publicly. Modern technology is not so modern but instead outmoded with current advancements.
One gadget i would not like to be without is my smartphone. The simple reason is it is the gadget that linked me with my family and loved ones when i am away from home.
Well, after just suffering through 3 days without power, I'm voting for electricity. Our power went out after a bad ice storm here in Tennessee and I can tell you it really sucks. Luckily, it was actually sunny out, so I was able to read and draw during the day, but once the sun started going down, I was so bored. I will second my first response of an iPod, I was able to listen to it most of the time - it was a life saver - or at least it saved my sanity. Also, I had cold cereal and bagels for breakfast and dinner. My husband has a small generator that he plugged the fridge into a couple times a day so our food wouldn't go bad, so I was able to get a hot cup of coffee in the morning and toasted the bagels for dinner.