I thought I would mention the new technology I discovered while waiting in the hospital for my husband's back surgery to be completed. The family waiting room now has a computer screen that shows the progress of the patient from presurgery through the assignment of a room after the surgery is complete. I was given a number by a volunteer, then was told to follow the progress on the screen. Each area was color-coded to make it easier to follow. For instance, it was pink for the presurgery section, then white for the operating room.(six hours for my husband). Next, it was purple for the after surgery care, then finally another color for the room in intensive care following the surgery. Apart from a few telephone updates from surgery, the computer screen made it easy to track the progress. I felt that was a good way to pass on information, giving the volunteer time for other duties and keeping us posted after she had left for the day.

I attended a fun workshop about new technologies. We were able to actually try out a Sony eReader. Our group downloaded a free electronic book from the Web after setting up the eReader and finding the site (Gutenberg). Later we described the experience to the rest of the class, relating what we liked and did not like. The only reason I could think of to use the device, would be for travel. You could order books to download from Sony for a charge or use the free book site. I could not see any advantage of the device over a book, since the ebooks were almost the same price as a paperback book. I did research on the Kindle reader from Amazon, and would like to try that out. It had more to it, such as a web browser and keyboard.
The rest of the class demonstrated how to use a GPS device, a digital camera, a camcorder, an iPod and the Wii system. Everyone seemed to enjoy trying out these new devices and telling us about them. It would have been better if we would have had time to try each device, but we ran out of time after six hours. What a great way to find out about new technologies.

I have been able to use my iGoogle Web site to keep up with the events of the past month or so dealing with the mortgage crisis and politics. I am thankful for my 23 Things on a Stick experience which made me aware of these sources of information. The information is constantly updated, and available from many sources, so I hear both sides of the issues. I feel that I am better informed than I have been in past elections or financial crises. Actually, this has led me to make decisions based on this information and to become more involved in these areas of my life.