A friend and his wife who live in Atlanta are voyaging from Rome to Tunesia today. I texted him a photo of a snowman my grandsons ,who also live in Atlanta, made this morning.
I got a response in a couple of minutes.
Wow!
Me still amazed by land line phone.
@string said:
A friend and his wife who live in Atlanta are voyaging from Rome to Tunesia today. I texted him a photo of a snowman my grandsons ,who also live in Atlanta, made this morning.
I got a response in a couple of minutes.
Wow!
What’s most astounding to me was my ability to call a relative who was in Seoul, SK using my iPad mini 4 and an app we both had. Using WiFi. Free. And the call clarity was excellent.
I have come to realize we are living in the future!! I enjoy a video chat with my children and grandkids. Texting string is often interesting! ;o)
My daughter and her family are currently living in England. I use WhatsApp to contact her. Can even phone her using VOIP via WhatsApp. Also use Skype and FaceTime to video chat with her.
It is a marvel indeed. My son can send me a picture of my newest granddaughter 1200 miles away, I can go to Walgreens and have it printed and framed on my mantle the day it was taken. Neat. Not to mention I could buy a wifi photo frame for the mantle, and he could send it directly to that! Amazing!
@castoff said:
I have come to realize we are living in the future!! I enjoy a video chat with my children and grandkids. Texting string is often interesting! ;o)
I wasn’t aware you knew how to text.
I’m still amazed that whatever you put in a crockpot in the morning before work makes a fantastic meal by the time you get home. And I work in the tech field.
And in a hundred years?
If we don’t meet down the earth from nukes.
I worked in Guangzhou in China for a few months in 2012. This is one of the world’s largest megacities with a very complicated publice transport system.
I found out that I could just use Google maps on my phone to make a route with public transport when I wanted to go somewhere across the town. Google maps would show me how to go to the bus stop, tell me what bus to take, at what time, and when to get off the bus.
At that time, the idea of being able to stand in an unknown city on the other side of the Earth and get detailed instructions for taking the bus was quite overwhelming.
But now, 5 years later, it just feels like everyday usage of technology. That is really scary - I don’t think we appreciate how much the information world is changing because we adapt so quickly.
I’m still wondering what to do with these Walkie Talkies I thought would be useful. I mean they’re good for up to a mile, or so.
Now the other half wants to track me with google on the cell phones to make sure I am OK kayaking alone in the winter. Problem is as I try it when she goes shopping it does have some gaps. She’ll be calling me or the CG if it doesn’t work. Sometimes conditions I am in doesn’t bode well for answering the phone. That may be due to my skills and conditions I am in.
Portable personal “compact” communications systems are sure better than what was promised/dreamed of in the 50’s-60’s. Beam me up Scotty. Forty years in telecommunications field I have seen amazing evolution, on and off the job. The SPOT Gen 3 for example, that through the service, texts who ever I prescribe from the middle of whatever. The wife used to hate my solo outings cause I was out of contact, now she complains about the hundred texts that say the same thing. ( Got to look at the coordinates Honey)… this last summer though my Iphone had better reception sitting in Lake Insula in the BWCAW than I get at my house in the city. Down side, I can’t seem to leave the house without Steve(iphone), pretty addictive I lived without one for years why can’t I walk around the park now with out it. Speaking of 60’s dreams, no flying cars please.
@PaddleDog52 said:
And in a hundred years?
It does give one pause. A hundred years ago, moving picture shows were all the rage. Silent movies. Now, surround sound of incredible clarity, 3-D that works well, and computer generated images so real the dragon/dinosaur looks as real as the actors. What in another hundred years, if we survive? To say nothing about transportation, air conditioning, farming, medicine, power generation, etc.
Flying cars will have to come after self driving cars are perfected. We don’t need idiots driving in 3 dimensions!
Wonderful technology to be sure. Just don’t forget to take in the scenery with your eyes and brain, not just your camera. Enjoy the moment for what it is.
@tjalmy said:
Flying cars will have to come after self driving cars are perfected. We don’t need idiots driving in 3 dimensions!
Well tjalmy they are already here! Well not land and air cars, but more like a “Jetson’s” type of flying car. Two companies have prototype self piloting drones that can carry 2 passengers. A trial air taxi service in Dubai is set to start operating with one companies drones. They are electric powered.
@Sparky961 said:
Wonderful technology to be sure. Just don’t forget to take in the scenery with your eyes and brain, not just your camera. Enjoy the moment for what it is.
Amen. I teach Land Navigation for law enforcement, SAR, community groups, scouts, and others. One video I show early in the class shows a line of teenage kids walking single file in an open green field and on an undulating wooded trail with obvious landscape views. Most of the kids are only staring at their phone or a GPS while walking. In contrast, one girl is actively looking around at her surroundings, while smiling and seemingly taking it all in. Who do you think is getting the best and most meaningful experience from being in the outdoors? I took the video from a site where parents were proud of getting their kids outdoors. Sad.
As a SAR crew chief, I consider myself fairly expert with GPS. But I choose not to use it for my recreational hikes in the wilderness, preferring “old fashioned” methods of navigation with may and compass, along with my eyes and brain.
I will say SPOT and related technology is great. It is rules required equipment when paddling on the Yukon River races, giving race officials and anyone else with my SPOT address near-real-time information on my location and safety.
However, I maintain an old style flip type cell phone. Smart enough for me. I do not text (I do not do Morse code either, as thumb exercise texting is only one step away from Morse code) and do not respond to incoming texts either, preferring to use the higher technology within the device to communicate (it’s called “voice”)