Thursday, June 18, 2009

Tech is blind

Technology can be blinding. Sometimes one can be so engrossed in discovering the new features that one might forget how the old original ones work. Many times as part of enhancing these new cool features, the old ones are moved around a little and the change is never mentioned, maybe because it is considered trivial.

The other day, one of our relatives visited us in a rental car. It has been sometime since I rode a rental car and I was not aware how tech friendly it has become. While bidding them goodbye, I noticed that the car keys were dangling in the start-key notch inside the car. The couple looked relaxed and unperturbed. I thought maybe they have not realised gravity of the situation and was debating to speak up my mind when the guy swiped a card in the door handle and it clicked open. That was awesome. Later he explained that like hotel keys, no one needs car keys now. All you need is a card. Swipe and the door opens. I really need such a cool car especially when I have a history of locking my car keys inside twice.

Every time, I switch cell phones, it takes me lesser time in familiarizing with the new features that to realise how the basic - call/end works. Some phone have two different button for "start" call and "end" call while others have one "talk/call" button which toggles between start and end call. When I got my touch-technology cell phone few months back, I used to fumble to end the call. During the conversation, the cellphone would get locked and the display lights would turn off. Hence when I had to end the call, I would have to unlock and then press a key or two to get the desired result. Listening to voice messages was another disastrous story. While I had cool features of setting unique ring tones for various incoming calls, capturing video, audio and still pics in my cellphone, the basic feature of making a call became complicated.

Today, my work laptop got infected and I got a substitute laptop to carry on my work. I was awed by how sleek and cool the new one looks. I attached the power cable and opened the laptop to power it on when I realised there was no "Power On" key. I wondered if this had the power of switching itself on. I felt ridiculous to ask such a trivial question so I actually studied each key but still could not find the "On" key. Feeling embarrassed, I reached out to pick up the phone to dial the help desk. I tilted my head to support the phone receiver when I saw the small "On" button way up in the edge on the side of the laptop!

8 comments:

--xh-- said...

believe it or not, I still have problems while disconnecting calls using my touch mobile :| I have even forgot to cut calls many times :(

i hate it whn the phone goes into lock mode whn the call is in progress and then I have to unlock it and then i have to cut the call... :(

Meira said...

oh yes.technology leaves us baffled most of the time. But hand these gizmos to any kid of 10, and see how efficiently they handle them :D

Sumana said...

That was way too cool to open the car with a swipe card. Loved it.

aMus said...

the phone episodes happen to me too...embarassing!

the laptop episode made me smile :)

AMIT said...

Technology is always coming new and it will come more and more.

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Hip Grandma said...

Technology is improving by the day and the human mind works overtime to keep up with it. I know mine does.

workhard said...

i am totally not a tech savvy person.... i still survive on my old phone and desktop..everything else is too complicated for me.


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Sumana said...

J i see you have been too patient blogging. Where are you? Come on it has been so lonnnngggg.

To evolve or not...