Twitter has many uses: self-promotion, pictures of cats, catching breaking news stories, finding titillating gossip. For me, though, it’s most noteworthy for its tech advice. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve panic-tweeted - pweeted - asking why my electronic device has failed to obey orders. Twitter has always solved the problem – which is usually down to, ahem, user error. Twitter is a part of modern life that has made my world easier. It has the answer to everything. It’s like TripAdvisor, Yellow Pages and GoodReads all rolled into one.
I live in a very techy house. My husband specialises in gadgetry while I play catch-up. He ignores our differing aptitudes and buys me presents that he secretly wants for himself. For my birthday, I hinted at something sexy. I got a state-of-the-art, slim-as-a-blade laptop – and I’ve just about worked out how to switch it on. It’s like buying a non-driver a Porsche. He’s also installed an integrated home audiovisual system that functions all around the house from one tap on a snazzy console. His mates gasp “Impressive!” at the speakers. Yes, so impressive that no one else can work it. We live in Amish silence till El Capitan returns home to launch the ship. I feel like Grandpa Simpson, bewildered and confused at the modern world.
My daughter’s best friend (eight) was regaling us with facts she had learned from school about the “olden days”. They didn’t have antibiotics, there was a thing called the spinning jenny and people listened to music by “putting a pancake thing on a diamond-shaped box and scratching a needle over it”.
“Do you mean this,” I demanded as I brought out Uncle Philip’s original PL-630 from under the stairs. “Let me tell you about the olden days, kids. You had to get up from the sofa and walk all the way to the television to press a button to turn it on, and choose which one of only three channels to watch. As a teenager, I had to remember up to 30 phone numbers in my head to have a social life.”
My mum was sitting at the kitchen table and I threw her a knowing look, expecting support about the quaint simplicity of the days of yore. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous darling. It was awful, all that bloody housework and constant food shopping - let alone getting the boiler to work.” She brandished her tablet at me. “Right now, I’m turning on my heating at home via a new app.”
I’ve got a lot of catching up to do …
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A connects to other devices with the minimum of fuss, either at home or out and about. So whether you need to switch the heating on or record some must-see TV, you can control all your hi-tech appliances from one screen. For more information visit the Samsung website.
