A Boomer Tests the Limits of Mobile Technology
Those Gen X, Y, and Z whippersnappers may be all about mobility and working-wherever-you-are, but we boomers can be adaptable, too, as Robin noted in a previous Discover blog post.
Darn right.
I recently traded my Aeron chair for a campground bench and my home office for a 14-foot trailer and am about to test the limits of all this mobile technology ballyhoo. I’ve only gotten as far as northern Michigan, but so far I’ve learned:
1. I can’t work outside. All that natural light that office workers covet overpowers even the brightest computer monitor and strains my aging eyes. So I’m forced into my cubicle-sized and non-ergonomic office that also is my living space.
2. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous wherever there are people. However, no people; no Wi-Fi. There is, apparently, technology that brings Wi-Fi to your computer via satellite signals, so theoretically I could get it even where cell phones fail. My friend says the device works “like magic,” but I’m testing the limits of my budget before I bite on the added monthly charge.
3. So far, cell phone coverage isn’t bad. Even in the middle of the forest, I can often pick up two bars, which is enough for a semi-dependable conversation—or a call to 911.
4. I can recharge my computer with an inverter attached to my truck battery, but the adapter gets really, really hot.
I haven’t crossed national boundaries yet, or tried, like my Gen-Y daughter, to send photos from Peru, nor have I sampled the smart phone gadgetry beloved by my kids, but so far technology has been reasonably mobile. The biggest adjustment has been losing instant and continuous Internet access, but I’d say the view is worth it.
Have you considered using a product like the CompuShade laptop sun shade? It’s a shade that stays attached to the laptop and can be popped out when needed and folded flat the rest of the time. The “tunnel” it creates around the screen is 9″ deep so it should keep the sun out pretty well – even on bright days. It’s apparently designed for use in recording scores at outdoor sporting events where sun glare is a big problem. I haven’t tried this product myself, so I can’t say for sure if it’s worth the $25. You might be able to make a laptop hood for less. Hope this suggestion is helpful!
Daisy McCarty
http://www.sandiegocubicles.com/blog/