I confuse people because I sometimes embrace new technology (e.g., cryptocurrency) and sometimes cling to old tech (e.g., vinyl records). The explanation is simple: I search for what works. I don't automatically adopt a new way of doing things just because a company wants to sell it to me. I check to see if the product will actually improve my life. Conversely, I don't discard proven machinery just because it's gotten old. My cynosure is always: what works best?
Two examples: I just migrated from paper-books to Kindle. And I returned to a 90-year old way of making coffee (Bialetti Moka Pot).
When e-readers emerged I didn't grasp their benefits. I like paper and its absence of electricity. I always carry a book and magazines with me, read during gaps in my day and didn't want to worry about cords and electricity. The situation changed however with my recent vision-loss. Now paper isn't bright enough and sentences exceed the width of my field of vision. On a Kindle you can adjust both of these. I find reading on a Kindle easier. I've started consuming books much faster with the clever device. That's improvement.
Do you have a Kindle/Nook? Do you like it?
When I was a child my parents drank Sanka, awful-tasting freeze-dried "instant coffee". Sanka became popular among the bourgeoisie due to massive television advertising. In college I met my first love, a bohemian artist with great taste. She introduced to real coffee. The Bialetti Moka Pot was invented in 1930 by an Italian connoisseur and has been popular ever since. It effloresces a cup of Joe that's richer than other methods (e.g., French press; drip; Keurig). I just bought one of these wonderful machines almost a century after its invention. It works beautifully.
What's your approach to new technology?
I think I've got a similar approach to new technology ...
ReplyDeleteSo far, I haven't been using a Kindle, but I can see why this is such a big improvement for you. But nothing beats coffee made the old-fashioned way! xxx
I think like you think. I like my Kindle. I actually have two and the app for my phone. I prefer the paper-white options as it feels more like reading paper books (less eye strain) but one of my two has the back light so it can be lit if I need it. Modern Technology can definitely help in ways older tech can't. Downside, kindles need electricity though the paper-white do have very long lasting batteries and I've had mine a decade+.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile I still cook on my great grandmother's cast iron pans. They cook better and last longer than any Teflon pan, though I suppose those have their uses too.
I'm still not a fan of everything becoming cordless/wireless. Everything bluetooth. It's nice for moving around but now your ear phones run on batteries and have to be charged. Mouses, keyboards, phones, even cars now, need to be recharged with batteries. A lot of it is framed as eco friendly but I have my doubts about the long term sustainability. I am both old and young enough to remember phones would work when the power was out because landlines phones weren't running on electricity.