Understanding and properly using technology can be a scary proposition for anyone – especially for seniors or people who didn’t necessarily grow up glued to an iPad or the ubiquitous multi-functional cell phone. The good news is that there are still easy ways to leverage and utilize some of the latest technological advances to improve your daily activities or expand your entertainment options.
So, don’t worry if you can’t reprogram a cable box, or if you don’t know the difference between a mouse and a remote control, there are some products that you can start using easily and quickly!
Some interesting products to consider:
Grandpad – an easy to use tablet computer, which is essentially a hand-held computer mobile device (like an iPad) that includes a touchscreen display along with a rechargeable battery, all within a convenient and thin package. The Grandpad is designed to help you stay connected to loved ones, with some of the top features including:
- Built-in wireless data, so you can bring it anywhere in your house or where you can access WiFi (like the Darien Senior Center).
- Allows users to play games, listen to music, or to video chat with family or friends.
- Includes insurance, internet connection and its own private family network.
- Doesn’t require any other hardware (like a modem) or passwords.
- Unlimited access to a technical support team (when you need assistance say “help”!).
- Enlarged text for easy reading
Amazon Echo Dot – a hockey-puck looking “smart” speaker about 3 inches in diameter by 1.5 inches high. “Smart”, because the speaker uses Artificial Intelligence (or “AI”) to connect you with a personal assistant robot called “Alexa” that listens to your commands to help you perform a broad range of activities – and no, you can’t ask Alexa to make you dinner! Some of the features of the Amazon Echo Dot include:
- Limited number of buttons on the device, such as volume control and button to mute/unmute the speaker, so you don’t have to worry about managing a lot of controls or settings
- Ability to play music, set alarms, play games, and answer questions by having the product quickly search the Internet for answers (like “Hey Alexa, what is the weather going to be like tomorrow in Darien, Connecticut?”)
Tile Sticker – a small tracking device sticker that attaches to virtually anything, to help people quickly locate . . . anything. The Tile Sticker helps prevent people from losing everyday items, like keys, wallets, remote controls, etc. This product uses BlueTooth technology to connect the sticker to another device and has a range of 250 feet – perfect for finding anything left or lost around the house!
Technology advances are everywhere, so don’t be afraid to try something new. And remember, At Home In Darien has volunteers who can help set up your technology and get you started!
Once again, I learned a lot on this blog. Never knew about tile sticker,