Technology: The great lifestyle enabler

Undoubtedly, technology has become one of the greatest lifestyle influences and enablers, but this statement has a much wider impact than many of us realise. The reality is that without technology, our lives might just seem a tad boring and disorganised.

British newspaper, The Observer recently reported on what it calls "a seismic shift in the seven ages of man" that is transforming the global social landscape. According to article, today`s adults or rather "adultescents" no longer conform to what society expects of them.

They now obsess over PlayStation 2, Xbox and other PC games, read Harry Potter and listen to Coldplay and OutKast as must their teenage children.

So, the evidence is damning, technology is one of the major causes of this so-called seismic shift and true society trendsetter.

In order to demystify technology, it`s important that we look at a few real world examples that we not only read about in thought-leadership articles, but which truly have an impact on our daily lives.

OK, so there`s nothing wrong with sporting a vintage or elegant diary, however, this fashion item can`t organise your life in real-time or online for that matter. Today`s scheduling or calendar programs run on your PC, PDA or even your cell and do a good job of organising your life - with some time to spare.

Take leading watchmaker Fossil for example. The company`s new Wrist Net watch features Microsoft`s MSN Direct Services that delivers everything from the weather to information on your next appointment, while Wrist PDA is essentially a PDA disguised as a watch.

Also, it`s not only you that benefit from an "on-the-go" diary, but your friends and colleagues can also schedule dates as well as send everything from important documents to party invites.

This brings us to entertainment on-demand. High-speed always on Internet, GPRS and wireless access have taken home entertainment to infinity and ... well not beyond, but have definitely changed the landscape.

And fortunately for us, South African service providers are now offering us relatively cheap, one cost, high-speed access. Telkoms`s ADSL as well as Sentech`s broadband via satellite services are enabling local home users to, like their international counterparts, to benefit from the advances that come with connectivity.

Looking closer at the enablers, wireless connectivity now eliminates the need for costly cabling. Now, dad can connect his old PC, which cameos as the late night gaming platform, the laptop and printer wirelessly, thus, not only implementing a cutting-edge home network, but contributing the aesthetics of the interior d'ecor.

Entertainment on-demand not only benefits the male specie, mom can also download the latest real-time menus from Woolworths in order to prepare for that upcoming dinner party.

Another interesting home network enabler to watch out for is Corinex`s Intelligent PowerNet offerings that allow for the use of power plugs to create a real LAN environment.

Although it might sound like a clich'e, security is just as important in the home as it is in the corporate world. Today`s hackers are increasingly exploiting home PCs and other device vulnerabilities to start their trails of mass destruction.

Make sure that you`ve deployed the latest home PC anti-virus and firewall offerings; otherwise entertainment on-demand might just become your worst nightmare.