TECH Update: Your Real World Experience

As promised, I'm going to show you technological tools to help enhance your Real World experience. These tools range from websites to apps to devices. At first look you may not think that these may be useful, but after using them, you will find them as necessary as language. Of course, I would never recommend the use of any of these if I didn't know enough about it myself or tried it on my own. 

We can start out with tools to help you organize a hectic life:

1. Google Calendar: If you don't have a Gmail, you need to get one. It is much more advanced, efficient, speedy, and just all the way around awesome. You can't use Google Calendar if you don't have a Gmail account; or it would just be easier to have both. With Google Calendar, you can set appointments, recurrences, plan events and more. You can link several Calendars together to make plans with your friends and see when everyone has free time. The greatest advantage of this tool is that this all happens "in the cloud." This means you can access your Calendar from anywhere or anything that can go online. As long as you have a connection, even a weak one, you can work on your calendar. Furthermore, if you have an Android Smartphone, Google Calendar comes built in and allows you to adjust and check your calendar on your phone. If you think that you won't have internet access where you go, you can always start the "Offline" access which downloads your calendar for easy viewing without a connection. 
2. Smart Phones: If you don't have one yet, you should get one.  You may think you don't need it, a phone is a phone, no point in having anything else, but Smart phones have exploded in recent years world-wide for their functionality, usefulness, and real world application. Different smart phones are strong in different things but they can be used for business, personal, and public life. GPS, Phone, web browser, calendars, games, social media all in one.

1. Windows 7 Phone: Depending on the exact phone you buy your experience can be slightly different, however the new Windows phone, which I've used myself, is extremely smooth, connected, social, and light. Has all the functionality of smart phones with a new design and definitely a thumbs up for Windows. Meanwhile Samsung has sold 10 million of its Galaxy S smartphones.
2. Also AT&T has just  dropped it's iPhone 3Gs price to 49 bucks. So if you feel like the newer gadgets are too flashy or expensive, you can now easily and smoothly swim into the world of smart phones without destroying your wallet. For those too eager to stay on 3G because they want 4G, the company has also outlined it's plans for a 4G network.
3. Evernote: This site allows users to upload medical, financial, or really any documents you want by scanning them. When they are "in the cloud" you can access them anywhere in the world or even on your phone where you can show them to doctors, accountants on the spot. Certainly makes handling paperwork a bit easier, and less paper-ish. 

1. Slates: This technology didn't even exist a year ago, yet it has grown so fast, it's beaten all expectations. The leader of course, is Apple's iPad. Although I've never had one, I've gotten so many reviews online, and from people I've met (yes I've asked random strangers about their experience with it) and the feedback I always get is: "You don't buy it out of necessity, but when you have it, it becomes a necessity." I feel this will go along the lines of the smart phone. Upon introduction, it wasn't NEEDED for every day life, but now users can't function without such useful tools. I'd recommend the investment, it may prove more useful than you think. The iPad has the highest rate of adoption of any new technology introduced in electronic product history.

 Now we can talk about using technology to save you money!

1. Group buying: Group buying websites have exploded in popularity. These websites make agreements with local businesses to create a "Deal of the Day" in select cities (hundreds if not thousands world wide). Groupon is by far the most successful one yet, with its rival LivingSocial following behind. Some believed they just grew because of the recent economic crisis and its persistenting effects, but some experts believe they are here to stay. As for Groupon, it's growth has been so astronomical, it just set the record for the quickest billion dollar valuation in U.S. history (18 months) as Google tried buying it for 6 billion dollars, but failed.
2. Hipmunk: With its unique design, Hipmunk is a travel search website that makes flight search much easier to find the greatest deal. You can do multiple search at the same time, and find flights based on "price, agony, stops, departure time, arrival time, duration" and more. The service simultaneously compares all the major airline services for you in a user friendly and eye pleasing design. 

Out to eat? Tech to the rescue!

1. OpenTable is a website that allows you to search, check and even reserve seats at restaurants in their listings. Of course, they don't have restaurants in the world listed, but the site is growing and is bound for major success for it's market vision.
2. Muslim and having trouble finding Hallal food? Check out Zabihah.com which gives you a listing of restaurants as well as products that satisfy the restrictions on meals.

Now we come to a random collection of other tech that will make your life easier:

1. Internet news: A study has found that the internet has surpassed the TV as a new source for young adults (18- 29). So if you are still tuning in for regulated news hours, you should invite yourself to the world of internet news! Easy to use, customizable, more features than a TV, and much more video to come, we're bound to see those numbers get more popular with older Americans.
2. Canon's Pro-Grade Point-and-shoot: This is Cannon's newest camera that has been creating a lot of buzz recently. Although all phones today come with camera's, the most you will find is a 5, MAYBE 7 megapixel camera (though the latter is extremely rare). With this camera, you get professionalism you want for amateurs in photography. Here is a good review of the product.
3. Tech Mistakes: Let's also try avoiding tech mistakes that are commonly made. Here you will find a list of tech mess ups that are commonly made and will ruin your real world experience.
4. Swype: What's Swype? it's a technology that has helped make typing on your touchscreen smartphone much easier, and less time consuming.  The same guy that invented the T9 for texting, has come up with this ingenious way to help smartphone users type. The technology has been used to set the 2 highest records for texting (both first and second place people used Swype). Here's more on the tech.

Are you a couch potato? Here are some future tech that will help make your lazy days easier: 

1. Microsoft and motion sensors: Microsoft is using it's technology to "redefine" the couch potato who can interact online through avatars with a more social TV experience. Users can also change channels, change volume and interact with their TV by moving their hands instead of using a remote.

1. Control things with your mind: This might sound too futuristic, but I've seen developments in the area and they look to be promising. Tan le, a researcher demonstrates it on TED. Check it out here. This will surely make the lazy even lazier! But could also be extremely useful for the disabled.

App Stores: Are they just another way for companies to make money? yes. Can they be useful to help make your life easier, we already know the answer to that is also yes.

1.  Amazon Appstore: Yup, you read it right, Amazon is now going to jump into the Appstore world and offer applications for Google's Android system. This should be interesting because it will create a bigger array of applications to use sprouting new companies and innovation. Either way, the consumer wins!

 Legal Warning: If you live in California, smart phone or not, cops now have the right to search your phone if you are arrested! For good or bad, it's the law now. So if you are going to try smuggling Ecstasy across the state, don't mention it on your phone.

With all this in mind, I hope this technology will help make your life a bit easier as the days go by! It may seem overwhelming when you first start using them, but eventually it becomes habit and life becomes easier! So go out there LIVE YOUR LIFE, but using good technology!


**** Update**** I forgot to include a very important website (and also an app on all smart phones that you can download) Yelp. This site shows user rating of everything from restaurants, to bookstores, and cafes. The ultimate review site. It's gained huge success, so join the wave. Online, or through the app!