High Tech Pain In The Neck
I'm not a gadget guy. Don't know what an "app" is and don't care. No smart phone, no I-pod--or is it I-Pad?--and I pay my bills the old-fashioned way, by snail mail.
But sooner or later, you've got to face high tech gadgets. Or at least become familiar with them. Wendy and I found that out when we were babysitting our new grandson this past weekend.
We thought we would put Grant in his swing a while. So grandma strapped him in and turned the timer to get it started.
"How long will it go for?" I asked.
Wendy said she wasn't sure. The dial wasn't too clear on that. We didn't find out till later that the dial we thought was a timer was actually a speed control. I guess you can somehow program the swing to rock lazily like a porch swing on a hot summer day, or more quickly like some dizzying amusement park ride.
Poor Grant.
I got an e-mail from my dad the other day. He sometimes has issues with our high tech world as well. After he got a new digital camera for his birthday, it took him a bit to figure out how to get his photos uploaded to his Facebook account. I think he's got it pretty well figured out now.
Anyway, in this e-mail he described how he and my mother heard a loud noise in the house:
"We had no idea what it was--it was very loud. I thought it was coming from outside. Your mother said no, it's coming from inside the house, it's coming from the basement. We came down here to see what it was, and it was coming from my computer."
Turns out that my brother-in-law had installed a Skype program that allows users to communicate to eachother via their computers, kinda like Jane Jetson did with her friends in the old cartoon series. My father had signed off his computer but had not logged off Skype. One of his grandsons was trying to contact him.
"I thought if I got off line, Skype would close, but I guess it doesn't," dad wrote. "Now I pull the plug on Skype when I shut down."
I don't have Skype myself. Once I figure out the high tech gadgetry for infants, like Grant's swing, then I'll move on to the next level.
posted by Big Dave T @ 5:35 PM
13 Comments:
That would be good for mixing paint.
LOL! That poor baby!! I'm still chuckling! Before I forget, would you send me the number to report child abuse in your state? [grin]
Although I'm a gadget junkie, I don't have Skype. When I update to a newer computer, I will, however. I look forward to skyping with my grandkids! Till then, we will continue to text.
I can tell you're not a techie. Just so you know, it is iPad and iPod, not I-pad or I-Pod. sighhh. It's OK, though. I think people should just be what they want to be, as long as it isn't illegal or immoral and no one gets hurt. I think snail mail bill paying is harmless. Carry on!
JAN--You could create a great tossed salad too. Then I wouldn't have to buy Wendy that salad spinner she keep putting on her Christmas wish list.
LYNILU--I'm not even up to texting. Maybe when Grant gets to the age where he has his own cell phone--what is it now, kindergarten?--then I'll upgrade to a cell phone with texting capabilities.
Each of us is at different levels of interest and learning. Grant will enjoy your being with him and loving him forever. Nice little video.
LOL-should have seen us last night Dave. We were trying to talk w/ the grandkids and our daughter-we couldn't get the logitech program to stop freezing, then the kids couldn't hear us and we couldn't hear them (seems my husband, the better of the two of us hooked the speaker for the camera up wrong) and then a microsoft update took place-couldn't be shrunk down and it was so big that even when we put it in a corner none of us could see each other.
Sigh, we're going to try again tonight and we're all going to try a different program...
Be good for mixing margaritas, huh?!
:-)
Pearl
TECHNOBABE--That's part of my problem. All this high tech stuff? I'm not that interested in learning.
CARINE--How about a landline telephone. Proven technology over the past century.
I am starting to figure out the Microsoft movie maker program on my computer. That's kind of fun. I've already uploaded several videos of Grant to YouTube. He's going to be the next Justin Bieber, probably by the time he's five.
PEARL--Now why didn't I think of that. I even have lime-flavored tequila. By the way, top off a bottle of Landshark Lager with lime tequila and you get the signature drink of Margaritaville.
landlines are good (we use the cell for $$ savings), but we wanted to SEE the kids, which so far-you can't do via phone lines
If your not taking advantage of everything technology these days then you are doing yourself a huge disservice. For instance, from my phone I have the yellow pages, navigation, atlas, compass, restaurant reviews, coupons, video chat, Facebook, Big Dave's Blog, unlimited music from any artist EVER, any book, pictures of family and friends, and the list goes on and on and on. Skype is a amazing tool as is Twitter. Just the other day I "Tweeted" a message to a certain Footballer in Europe and come to find out he actually responded to me personally. Skype lets you have a conversation face to face with whoever you want anywhere in the world at any time. How cool is that! Maybe you have kids that are away at school or a cousin or aunt in another state. Or maybe you have a new grandson 30 minutes away, turn the computer on and there they are! Gotta get with this whole technology thing, you'll be glad you did.
CARINE--Yeah, I know what you mean. I now know why grandparents move to be closer to their grandkids.
ANONYMOUS--No time to twitter. Charlie Sheen has enough fans anyway. As to the rest of the technology, I figure sooner or later I'll catch up, at least to the end of the 20th century.
Hi Dave ~~ I think we are already in the 21st century aren't we?? I don't even have a cell phone so who am I to talk. And I don't have an iPod or iPad, but I am happy without them.
Thanks for your comments and the world is sure doing lots of tricks with earthquakes and tsuamis ? At east you just have snow, and hopefully that won't be for much longer.That swing sounds a bit dangerous, but I bet Grant will love it. Glad you liked the pics.
Take care my friend, Regards, Merle
Don't skpe anymore as it messed up my computer..some kind of a virus or something. Seems it is a game of never can catch up when it comes to computers etc..I don't do that Ipod/Ipad thing either. take care :-)
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