I was hired to give a keynote presentation in San Antonio this weekend, where I stayed overnight, and on the drive home I was marveling over the technology that made the trip so enjoyable and convenient for me. Since it was a Friday, I suggested my husband take the day off and join me for a short getaway.
On the drive down (about 90 minutes from Austin), we used listening to an audiobook (or several) as fodder for conversation. This was possible through our subscription to Audible, an iPhone (iPod would work too), and an auxiliary outlet in the car. Oh, and we were also navigating to the hotel via Google Maps on the iPhone. What’s even better than the text directions is that the iPhone 3G shows your current location as a dot on the map so you can tell if you’re heading in the right direction, how close the turn is, whether or not you missed it, etc. Priceless for those, like me, who are directionally challenged.
We have not had a lot of down time lately, and we’ve visited San Antonio several times before, so we decided that after the talk, we were going to hole up in our room and indulge our “Lost” addiction. This was possible thanks to free internet access at the hotel, a laptop, and an $8.99/month Netflix subscription, which allows unlimited streaming of shows or movies, directly to your TV or computer. Personalized, on-demand entertainment on the go. I could not have imagined this 10 years ago.
But before the Lost marathon, we decided to head out for lunch. The Yelp app on the iPhone came in handy here, and thanks to that, we found a GREAT place to eat (which I highly recommend if you’re ever in San Antonio) called Texas Farm to Table. Using the app we got some options, read reviews, found out the details, and got directions to the restaurant. Yelp never lets me down when I’m in a new city. It’s like having an “insider” everywhere I go, and thanks to the iPhone app, I don’t need to make lists before I leave: I can check what I need on the fly.
I know that some people find it scary to embrace all of this new technology, but honestly I am amazed almost every day at how much easier and more convenient it makes my life.
If you have a story about how technology has made your life easier or more convenient lately, I’d love to hear it. Thanks for reading!
