Technology

We’ve all had it happen: A co-worker or family member heads out for a few hours. You call them on their cell phone to relay a message or ask them to pick up a gallon of milk, only to hear the distinctive sound of their phone’s ringtone coming from down the hall.

We’ve had a great response in the last two weeks to our new Coastal Point Facebook page, with dozens of new “fans” and an ever-expanding network of “friends” for our staff. It looks like some of our friends and fans are relatively new to Facebook, and we hope you’ve been enjoying the experience, while the old hands at Facebook get to interact with us even more than usual.

Judging by the attention it’s been getting in the mainstream media lately, social networking seems to have come into its own. No longer are Facebook and MySpace the isolated bastion of college students. No longer is Twitter just the sound a bird makes for those who don’t consider themselves hard-core geeks.

I received a recorded message from my satellite television provider a few weeks ago, letting me know that if I’d like to upgrade my equipment, I could receive the new digital television broadcasts right through my satellite box, with no additional converter box needed, all for a modest price.

After two years of short supplies that have sent many a parent heading to eBay or home in discouragement, supplies of the popular Wii video game console are finally showing signs of freeing up, just in time for the 2008 holidays.

The future is here.

This voyage into some tips for the modern consumer started innocently, with a newsroom discussion of Nabisco Crown Pilot crackers that originated in topics unknown and probably better left that way.

Periodically, we get requests from Coastal Point readers to expand our technology columns to offer tips to those who are just learning to use computers and other gadgets, or those who know the basics but want to expand their horizons, with some Tech 101-type pieces. For all of you who made that request, this is for you.

Well, it’s the end of Week 2 of the Coastal Point Health-Tech Challenge, and I’ve been pleased with my ability to keep up my new exercise regimen using Wii Fit. On the down side, I’ve gained 4 pounds since starting the program two weeks ago. On the up side, even without verification with a body-fat calculation and with my diet unchanged, I’m positive that all of that extra weight (and probably more) is muscle.

The average computer user replaces their computer every two to three years. New television technology is tolling the bell on millions of TV sets across the country, as viewers upgrade to sets capable of displaying high-definition signals. And millions of VCRs are being replaced these days will recordable DVD machines and digital video recorders. So, where do all these devices end up?

In our recent series of health stories on technologically-savvy ways to get (and stay) in shape, I noted the expected release of the Wii Fit game and balance board peripheral this month. Well, May 22 arrived late last week, and with it my very own copy of the game and my very own balance board.

Many U.S. taxpayers will start receiving their 2008 stimulus payments in increments of $300 this week through direct deposit, with $300 or more for many single taxpayers, $600 or more for many couples and $300 additional for each eligible child.

While the back-to-basics, low-electricity push of the green movement may seem incompatible on some level with computers and computer monitors, there’s no question that the Internet has been a major mover in the efforts to protect the planet and human health, and plan for a greener future. These are just a few of the thousands of Web sites that are doing their part in the name of green.

While we’ve been talking mostly about “active” fitness technology in our series of stories on health tech, I don’t think many would argue about the value of good sleep in overall health, so this month, I’d like to look a little at some high-tech options that could help you get a little more quality in your Z’s.

Chances are when most of the remaining analog cellular phone systems were turned off Feb. 18, you didn’t lose the use of your more modern wireless phone, even if some people were surprised to find their alarm systems and older cellular-based car systems were affected. But what will happen on Feb. 17, 2009, when analog TV too goes the way of the dinosaurs?