Infographic: Social Media Use Among Baby Boomer Caregivers

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Infographic: Emotional & Financial Costs of Caregiving

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by karbel.
Explore more visuals like this one on the web's largest information design community - Visually.

Why I Love Dropbox

I love Dropbox. It is one of the best and easiest to use applications I've ever touched. Did I mention that it is also FREE?

So, you say, great, it's easy, it's good, it's free. But what the heck does it do?  It is computer file storage made easy or says Dropbox, "One place for all your stuff, wherever you are." Sounds boring but it's not.

I use an iPad, an iPhone, a Kindle Fire and 3 or more desktop/laptop computers at any given time in my workday. Okay, I know, I have too many contraptions. But, Dropbox makes it really simple to save my work to their cloud and work on it from any one of these contraptions. Yes, there's an "app for that" on all of these devices.  I travel on occasion and I never have to worry about what machine I'm using. I was recently in Hong Kong with only my iPad and needed to upload a client file for sharing via Twitter. Dropbox to the rescue -- I added the file to my Dropbox and then shared its Dropbox link via Twitter. 

You can share documents, pictures, videos or whatever floats your boat. You can be sure that your files are safe in case you have a fire, spill stuff on your contraption, run over your phone, or find your 2 year old granddaughter delightfully deleting items from your computer desktop. Use Dropbox as a backup for important items or save your main files. It's up to you.

Seems a bit confusing to start, but, truly, it is the easiest setup ever. Go to the Dropbox website and set up an account. Download the software for your computer. Then download the app for your phone or tablet. Enter your login information and, viola, all the files you save there are available on any of your devices or via the web.

Here's more yack from their website: "Dropbox is a home for all your photos, docs, videos, and files. Anything you add to Dropbox will automatically show up on all your computers,phones and even the Dropbox website — so you can access your stuff from anywhere. Dropbox also makes it super easy to share with others, whether you're a student or professional, parent or grandparent. Even if you accidentally spill a latte on your laptop, have no fear! Relax knowing that your stuff is safe in Dropbox and will never be lost. Dropbox makes sharing easy. Invite your friends, family, and teammates to any folder in your Dropbox, and it'll be as if you saved that folder straight to their computer. You can send people links to specific files, photos, and folders in your Dropbox, too. This makes Dropbox perfect for team projects, sharing party photos with friends, or recording your band's debut album."

TV and Movie Streaming - What device wins?

I've long been a proponent of the contraptions that Roku makes to watch TV and movies from the Internet.

Roku devices hook up to your TV either via an HDMI cable or via the old school video/audio cables. They are very user friendly. They are small so they don't take up a lot of room in your TV area (in fact, I have some hanging from the back of our wall-mounted TVs so you don't see them at all.) They are easy to set up. They support tons of channels including favorites like Netflix, HuluPlus, HBOGo, Amazon Video and hundreds more.

Anyway, Gizmodo just did a comparison of Roku to other devices (check it out here: Streaming Device Showdown: Who Wins the Battle for Your TV? ) and the Roku won.

So if you are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to start watching Internet TV/Movies, get yourself a Roku.  And if you are looking to get your older mom or dad online, this could be a great way to start.

We Don't Have a Smart Phone ....

I was wandering through Costco today with my 18 month old granddaughter when a older couple stopped to admire her. She had that newfangled DIY scanner thingy up to her head, playing with it like it was a cell phone (pretty much anything in a rectangle shape is a cell phone toy to her.)

They said, "Isn't that cute? She is using a smartphone." Then, they continued, "We don't have a smartphone because we aren't smart enough." Then they laughed.

I laughed, too, but was a smidge alarmed by the sentiment. First, I really think they believed the scanner was a cell phone. Second, you don't have to be smart to have a smart phone.

Why do you think older adults believe that they have to be smart to use technology? That's the whole point isn't it? Technology gives you access to tons of information which makes you look smarter.

Just saying...

P.S. I LOVE the DIY checkout scanner. Love it. Saves a unload and load into the cart. Saves waiting in line. Love, love, love.