Top Time Tip #91

Embracing Technology - Slowly!

21st May 2007

How well are you using your technology?

Almost all of us will agree that we don’t know all the bells and whistles of our commonly-used technology. Why is that, I often wonder?

I think I’m reasonably intelligent, yet when a new device comes to live at my house I’m often tardy at scoping its functionality. I have to learn the basic steps first, and then am happy to add layers of knowledge from other sources. The problem is, once the new device isn’t new any more and we’ve become familiar with those basic functions, our attention moves on to something else and we either forget, or take ages to go back to ‘learner’ mode. Consequently we end up driving our spaceship-level devices as though they were peddle cars.

Is it because we’ve all got different tolerance levels for absorbing new material? And maybe it depends on which intelligences we major in?

(If you’re interested in this field of discovery, check out Howard Gardner’s 7 styles of intelligence. They are: linguistic/words; logical/mathematical; musical; kinaesthetic; spatial; interpersonal/relationships; intrapersonal/self.)

Behavioural science tells us that most of us can only absorb between 3-9 new pieces of information at a time. I suspect that if new information is not related to one of our dominant intelligences, we go into overload at the lower end of the 3-9 scale.

So, the point of this comment? If we’re not quick adopters of new technology, make a commitment to ourselves to keep learning – one or two tips at a time. (And you can tell I’m including myself in this advice, can’t you!)

Three efficiency tips for hand-held devices

1. Blue-tooth transmission of details

In Johannesburg a few weeks ago I was having a meeting with Anthony Morris and his Business Development Manager Karine Tourigny www.anthonymorris.co.za

Karine noticed that we both had Treos. ‘Is your blue tooth enabled?’

‘I think so,’ I muttered, trying to sound intelligent!

‘Great,’ she said. ‘I’ll beam you my details. Saves time re-entering.’ A click of one button and a few seconds later a message appeared on the screen – her full contact details were instantly in my hand-held!

As I sat there, bemused, saying, ‘How do you know this stuff?’ she replied, ‘When I get a new device I take the time to learn how to use it properly. Saves a lot of time down the track. I’ve noticed most people don’t.’

Whoops – guilty!

2. Photo identity of a caller

Friend Craig Rispin, a futurist and one of my technology gurus from Australia www.futuretrends.tv recently shared another idea for contacts. It had been on Craig’s advice I’d gone for a Treo instead of a Blackberry. (According to Craig, Blackberries are very expensive to use when overseas.)

‘If you’re chatting with someone who’s in your Contacts list, take a photo of them with your device and add it to the Contact entry. Then, when they call their face shows up on the screen.’ (Also works with any mobile phone with a camera.)

3. How to cut down baggage weight when travelling

Don’t know about you, but I can’t go anywhere without a book – I’ve been a bookworm since a kid. Trouble is, travelling isn’t kind to books. They tend to get a bit dog-eared; library books will probably be overdue before you return from a trip; and probably the biggest issue in this day and age of tightly controlled luggage allowances - they’re heavy. I’ve lost count of the number of books left in hotels for the cleaners in order to make space for the next one.

My friend Dan Poynter http://parapub.com (if you’re interested in writing books and/or self-publishing, check him out) has been telling me for ages about how easy it is to read e-books on many hand-held devices. Perhaps you’d have joined me in thinking, ‘Who wants to cuddle up in bed with an e-book?’

Dan is a prolific author, a great reader, and frequently on planes. He’s also an early adopter of technology. His comments about not packing books in his plane luggage anymore must have lodged in the grey matter. Whilst I was in South Africa and nearly out of reading material, I noticed on my Treo menu that there was an E-reader. Curious, I found excerpts of a range of titles, and they were easy to read. Dan was right. That night I tucked into bed with a good book – on my Treo! (There are many e-book sites – I got the first three from www.ereader.com).

There is one caution about doing too much on our hand-held devices, however, and I’ll tell you about that next issue.

Best regards

Ph. + 64 3 351 2140 http://www.gettingagrip.com

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