Tech Speak

A bit of a hiatus and I am back with renewed vigor to continue ties with my blog. The last week or so has seen me travel a bit on a short holiday, which means waiting at airports amidst a sea of people, security checks and the whole jazz. It is quite amazing how startling revelations can be made in the most unusual of circumstances. A cursory glance at my surroundings saw various people indulging in peculiar activities to keep themselves occupied and ease the burden of waiting for those planes that never seem to take off on time. I often feel it is a conspiracy between the airline industry and the restaurants/bookstores/giftshops et all to boost their respective businesses and make the most out of a weary traveler. But, one sight stood out like a sore thumb - everyone seemed to have some gadget or gizmo hooked to parts of their body. They even carried it with consummate elan making those gadgets look like a mere extension of their beings. With the alacrity that could be associated only with someone being startled in the midst of a Sunday afternoon siesta, I took a good hard look at myself- cell-phone, ipod and a laptop in tow. Throughout my childhood, I had admired this character on TV called "giant robot" and wondered how nice it would be if I could acquire some of those powers. I didn't quite realize how quickly those flights of fantasy were turning into a reality. At least, I have started looking like one, good for starters. How did this happen to me? Afterall, I have reserved only the most sarcastic and scornful expressions for anyone embracing technology to such an extent that one loses the distinction between the "embracer" and the "embracee". There was a time I used to know how to record a program on TV through a VCR. In fact, I was so adept at it that I performed the trick at households of neighbors and friends who dared to let me tinker with their prized possessions. The triumphant look bordering on a sneer has now been replaced by an expression you would get if you asked a psychology major to eke out Einstein's theory of relativity. (disclaimer: I have great respect for psychology majors). One look at the panel of the electronic instruments today and you start feeling extremely challenged. Just when you being to feel a sense of mastery over them, boom...here's the next new thing you must have and you are back to square one. How did we even survive before the advent and invasion of technology into our lives? Can I dare you to go back to those times for even a few days?