Gadgetry

Approaching the end of my first term teaching college-level courses, I see that I have grown used to the students/customers under my instructive ways. I never thought that I would grow fond of people after 10 four-hour sessions but I have. I never grow tired of my personal discoveries!

But I do grow older. The skin on my body shows deepening wrinkles everywhere, not just where sun exposure has caused permanent scarring.

I smile at the relief I feel that I found a way to reach the students/customers and provide them not only the required course material but also some of my lifelong learning, even to those in or over my age bracket.

At the same time, I accepted the fact that some of my students maintain a high level of interest in the changing specifications of current technology and thus knew more than I did or do about the latest personal computer hardware and software available in the market or soon to be released.

I used to subscribe to several different trade journals and popular magazines devoted to technology trends because there was something about the technology industry that fascinated me. I think part of it had to do with my testosterone levels and male hunter-gatherer tendencies -- keep up with the latest hunting gear or I'll either die in battle or starve to death.

My fascination has diminished somewhat. Sure, I make cursory surveys of the technology landscape but don't delve into the latest advances in physics or optics in order to peer into the future of technological product developments like I used to. I used to keep up with the IBMs of the world to see their patents or other announcements, knowing that five or ten years later products I'd use would contain intellectual property from the previous decade.

The younger generations own that fascination now, buying the latest netbooks, GPS devices, cell phones, gaming machines, advanced automobiles, smart homes, green technology, etc.

I'm happy typing on a used laptop computer (circa 2007) while drinking a cup of organic tea (circa 2009) heated in a microwave oven (circa 1987) and listening to music on my iPod nano (circa 2005), with my pulse smartpen (circa 2008) nearby. I would still be using my nokia 5110 (circa 1998) but went with a newer model with cheaper replacement batteries, model no. 6xxx.

Bought a set of Bilstein HD shocks for my 1995 BMW today - old technology still works - we haven't completely replaced internal combustion engines or the cars wrapped around them just yet!