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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Thing 26 - Technology on the Go



I experienced a powerful surge of technology melding this month as I debated what to do about my car. The poor car needed repairs which would cost more than it was worth. Faithful servant though it may have been, it was time to replace it. It will surprise no one this July that good gas mileage was high on the list of priorities. After consulting a stack of Consumer Reports I went to look at some of my top choices.

While I made my final selection based on reliability, excellent gas mileage, and service I found some perks which delighted me. All the cars I looked at were MP3 compatible. I merely needed to purchase a cord to hook my MP3 player into the car’s audio system. I can now listen to music or downloads through the speakers of my car. This opens up whole new worlds of commuting activities. I used to split my listening time between music and National Public Radio news. Sometimes I would secure a recorder to my safety belt and record lesson ideas as they came to me. These I would type at home. Now I also have the option of catching up on all of those podcasts which I subscribe to, but seldom have time to listen to in the evenings. More options. More decisions. Sometimes information overload overwhelms me, but the opportunities which MP3/car compatibility have opened up for me help to ease the strain.

In the process of getting myself ready, I had a funny encounter with a digital native. The necessary cord had to be purchased and I was directed to Circuit City. Looking around I was unable to locate the cord easily and decided it would be faster if I asked an employee. The young man I selected knew just what I was looking for. When I told him how excited I was to have this new capability he fixed that “Mom, you’re embarrassing me” look, rolled his eyes and said “It’s quite a common thing these days. Nothing special.” I walked away amused and awakened. Whenever I think I’m catching up, that I might even be on the cutting edge, something happens to awake me from my revere. So long as I don’t slip too far behind.