Finally the Indian summer seems to be over and autumn is really here with wind, rain and lower temperatures. The heating has come on – in our house anyway – and the darker nights and shorter days usher us into winter.
All sound very sad saying goodbye to those lovely sunny days, but just remember that on the other side of the world it is spring. If you have relatives in Australia they are looking forward to more sunshine and Christmas on the beach. And now with the technology of Skype and FaceTime we can see them enjoying themselves and they can see us huddled round the fire!
The advances in communications bring us all closer together and we can celebrate sound and vision over the thousands of miles between our families.
This edition is dedicated to technology and the benefits we can all enjoy since the invention of the World Wide Web and internet. The very fact that you are reading this on your laptop, computer or tablet is a huge step for those of us who can still remember having to go down the road to the phone box, if you wanted to speak to someone further than walking distance.
Most of us did not have a phone at home and mobiles were inconceivable. In fact they were the things you hung over a baby’s cot to lull them to sleep. Now we have access to almost everywhere and everyone.
Our generation is embracing this new technology and with the help of our children and grandchildren we are keeping up to speed with what is available.
This edition will explain some of the jargon, how we can use the internet to keep in touch with friends and family, as well as shop online and read or listen to books and newspapers. In fact we can now do most things online. We are really interested to know how all this technology has affected aspects of your life.
One of the great benefits for me is the ability to find information at the touch of a few buttons. No more ignorance or “I don’t knows” – I can just “Google” it. This has opened up such an endless source of information that I find myself more inquisitive that ever. The fact that I cannot remember all I need to know due to age (and a brain already stuffed with facts, that is my excuse anyway), does not matter as I can easily look it up again. The wonders of technology!
Tina Foster
