July 2015 – Tech Tips

You’ve made it July, a month in competition with August to be the hottest of the year. Sunblock, a good pair of sunglasses, and a big floppy hat are your constant companions.  For many of us, it is a time to enjoy the outdoors, take vacations, and have an extra day off on the Fourth of July.  We’ve thought of a couple ways to make this summer month a little more pleasant for you and those around you:

(1) Get away from your email, texts, and phone calls for an hour or two.  Yes, I know this is going to be the advice that is most often ignored, but a person has to take the shot.  Stop worrying about things that can wait and enjoy the time spent with friends and family.

(2) Watching fireworks this Fourth of July?  Let the experts handle them – those guys you see setting up all the electronic switches and clusters of shells at your local parks and lakes.  It will save you money for one.  Another consideration is that with the number of veterans experiencing PTSD, loud explosions in or around their own homes can be a trigger.

(3) Portable speakers. They’re cheap, lightweight, and many of them sound very good.  Sometimes you need to share the music, and having your phone couple with a pair of bluetooth speakers will allow you to do so.

(4) Going somewhere new?  Maybe you’re camping at a spot you haven’t been or checking out a new beach you heard of in the area.  It’s great to use Google Maps or other online navigation to figure where you’re going.  Of course, if you lose your GPS signal, it helps to have a printed copy of the directions to get you there. Yes, we suggested good old map reading.  It’s just a backup plan.

(5) The last item on our list – reading at the beach or elsewhere is a great way to soak up some rays and pass the time.  If you use an electronic tablet to do so, the sun’s glare can make it difficult to see the screen.  There are quite a few anti-glare shields available for just such a problem, so take a look.  The black-and-white e-ink readers tend to eliminate this problem as well, if you want a device made purely for reading.

Enjoy the month, be safe, and don’t forget your floppy hat.