Top Tech Picks for Christmas and Wishes for a Great Holiday to You!
Christmas is just around the corner and I'm sending wishes that you enjoy the holiday with dear friends and family creating lasting memories!
As I write my final message for 2012, I am once again reminded how lucky I am to have all of you as my readers. You're why I write this column week after week, year after year. Thanks to all of you!
The digital divide is closing. I can remember and so can you when it wasn't this way. When men and women and children were pretty distinctive when it came to what topped their Christmas lists. Not anymore. The digital divide is closing. Men and women and even children have converging dreams when it comes to what they want for Christmas. So the "digital divide" in this respect is shrinking. The latest research (most gathered from what we're searching for online) says that digital lifestyle gifts are a big part of what everyone wants this Christmas and the "wants" are the same for men and women, and yes, many times children. While pre-teens and teens have iPads and tablets and smart phones topping their lists, the younger set is hoping for kids' tablets like the Leapfrog LeapPad, Meep! and Tabeo. Word has it that some of the tech sites who review these things have relied on children as young as six years old to do reviews.
As expected, the watchwords for technology gifts are "bigger, faster, better". What's interesting, is that some things we might not have expected like IPhones and Androids have gotten bigger and faster with the arrival of 4G LTE wireless networks. Other things we might not have expected to move in the direction they did are tablets. Seems the smaller, seven-inch tablets are carving quite a niche in the marketplace. As for better, there's everything from game-changing cameras to high-style, high-tech wireless headphones.
But for me, the tech "toy" I want to keep an eye on is the 3D printer. I first saw one of these at a medical research facility and I was blown away! Little did I know how big this was and how accessible it was becoming. Just check this site out for yourself. I've heard that like our standard color printers, the largest cost of owning one of these is the cost of the materials used to create the objects: ABS plastic, PLA, polyamide (nylon), glass filled polyamide, epoxy resins, silver, titanium, steel, wax, photopolymers and polycarbonate. Hmm, might just be a few more years before one of these things is on my serious Christmas list.
Anyway, it's interesting to note that while flat screen Hi-Def TV's and digital cameras remain somewhat popular, it seems most people have these things and so they're nothing really new and exciting. Games are not quite as popular as previous years which for years were at the top of many men's lists.
One theme that has remained popular is digital photo frames. Everyone loves photos. Every picture tells a story and stimulates a memory. Digital frames let you see, share and relive the story in a way that is both cool and simple. Uploading photos to the frame is really easy, but my favorite part of the deal is you can customize how your "frame" operates. It can be customized to do a random slide show or to go through your photos in order and the delay between photos can be adjusted anywhere from 5 seconds to a full day. I'm thinking of loading mine with every real estate deal we did this year...just kidding. But if you have a great business application for these frames let me know!
As we share this holiday season I hope you take the time to discuss with your co-workers, business partners, friends and family alike the personal accomplishments reached and the difference your work means in the scheme of things. At RealWired! we are proud of our efforts to assist others learn to use good processes and technology to streamline the real estate process, whatever that process may be, a lease, a construction project, a sale, property management, loan processing, and more. Once again I give thanks to my staff and customers for knowing that change is worthwhile, and that it takes collaborative effort to get great results. The fact that you, my readers, think of us when you need the products and services we offer gives us great reward for the efforts we put forth.
So what now? What should I bring you next year? You tell me. I know we have new product offerings coming out, enhanced ways to deliver tech news and tips, and a commitment to continue to focus on personal service to our clients. If you would like us to focus on something for you, do some research and report, let me know.
It's been a great year. It's time to close shop to enjoy the season and come to 2013 with great energy and commitment.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thanks for letting me into your "office" each week!
-Brenda
Come join our discussion on our blog or I welcome your feedback through email.
