Old is just as good

TUNE OUT TO TECHNOLOGY

Often, the old fashioned methods are just as good. Every week in our Yoga/Pilates classes, there's a 10 minute bit at the beginning of the class where the teacher is either fiddling with the sound system or gone off to get someone to sort it out. This is because, the new system supports bluetooth. This is great. It means anyone with a bluetooth activated device, can link up to the stereo and select, adjust the volume and play music right from their phone. Trouble is, without understanding the technology and how to 'problem solve' when it's not working immediately, the old cable method works far better. I see this kinda thing all the time - most people just don't have the grasp or the desire to learn how to use technology. I also find myself spending far too much time updating, downloading, restarting and being stubbornly determined to succeed when the technology isn't working. I'm wasting my valuable time. Now what I do, is think what the older and faster way would be and try to do that instead.

Don't get suckered
New may not mean better. I don't like the new flat screen large format TVs. I find their hyper-realism can make older films look a bit strange - sometimes like they are shot in a studio (which they often are), but somehow, the magic has gone. This isn't something I would have noticed on my old CRT telly. I also miss the adventure of going in to a video rental store and picking out a film. Luckily, we have possibly one of the last video/DVD rental shops right here in Balham! The store is full of film memorabilia and there's a load of quirky B movies in here to chose from. I know we have a Netflix account and iTunes - but there's films in here that you'll never get online - 80's horror flicks that never went past VHS.

So, before splashing out ££££ on a new 'smart TV' - give yourself a reality check and realise this fact: we don't need to buy a new TV - because the charity shops are selling perfectly good ones for £20 - you can even get them for free from some places. This goes the same for phones - why spend £700+ on the latest gadget when you can get one barely a year old for less than half the price, or even one that does pretty much the same thing for a fraction of that price. If you're buying because you're believing the hype, then you're getting suckered!

Plex & Roku

I've just discovered a great bit of kit that means my parents can now watch all the great films, TV and utilise the benefits of having everything on their computer at the touch of a button to watch on their old (but still decent) non-digital CRT TV.

The Roku 2 costs just £50 and is really easy to set up on a home WIFI network and Plex can be installed on your iPad or iPhone (or android devices etc.) for even greater features too. We tested it out last night and watched an old little-known classic from the comfort of my parent's living room, called Galaxy Quest.

Technology

ALL IN THE PALM OF OUR HANDS

In this modern day - we're all becoming ever more reliant on technology - especially the kit in our pockets. There seems to be an app for everything these days. How did we get things done before computers? As it turns out, we got things done just as well thank you very much. This is my new thinking. Tech is great, but we already have a decent device built in - our brains - and I'm going to start using mine more.

The age of imagination

I'm in the age group that grew up BC (before computers) where we used our brains to make the best of our environments. Fun was improvised from combining imagination with a stick, a cardboard box & role play - not an iPad. We were fortunate to live in an era when kids went out to play all day long, doing things like building ramps for our bikes or making tree houses. At 13, I also had a computer for Christmas and I enjoyed playing games on it for limited periods of the day - because I enjoyed hanging out with my friends going for adventures on my BMX more. Whenever I wanted to meet with friends, we'd call, arrange a time and stick to a specific meeting place - and there'd be only really good excuses for a no-show and we'd be rarely more than just a few minutes late. TV would be allowed, but there were only a few channels and films would mean a special trip to the cinema. So Lego and Mechano were good alternatives for creating some fun - a book or drawing were also options readily available on-hand too. 

Memory Man

It seems we've lost the ability to retain info as our smart phones replace our brains. I'd become so reliant on my iPhone lately that I'd struggle to remember the events from the day until I checked my notes. I am in danger of becoming like the character from the film Momento - taking pictures just to remember what I'd been doing on a daily basis. 

Power of the pen

I used to carry a small notebook and pen around with me and jot down everything that I needed to remember. The process of writing - the physical actions of scribing and underlining, used to help cement the thoughts in my mind. With the advent of smart phones and the many reminder-note apps available, the process of making todo lists has become so easy that my phone has loads of them. They remain there still unchecked, likely because there are so many and the value of them has diminished. This is likely in part, because they have become so easy to make that they immediately get taken over by the next reminder. I have to jot down things before sleeping just to remember them in the morning or else they'd be gone from memory and this never used to be the case. 

Time wasting

So I need my phone to write my blog. I've ditched my computer for a few days and only checking emails intermittently and yet I spent ages farting around with my phone yesterday. No signal, wifi not connecting, blog not updating (losing recent changes), low battery, plug socket dodgy so not charging...sound familiar? This consumed valuable minutes yesterday as I tried to do some some tasks that took away from being in the present moment - and wasting time that I could have been enjoying. 

Time and a place

My time is going to be managed much better from now on to restrict using the computer or any smart tech unless it's really needed. I'll use memory visualisation and association techniques where possible or carry a pen and paper so not reliant on battery life. Phones will not be used when I'm in company unless it's a benefit for all...