I have been watching the telly the other night and my attention was caught by a program on M6 (topic: Extraordinary Homes), particularly the Australian couple living la vida loca in their appartment on the mega-luxurious ship The World. I wondered how they could manage such an extravagant life till they showed their laptop. Stupid me. Of course they're still connected to the real world (their businesses) with all the technologies available onboard.
Now let me talk about me.
I live exactly the same technology overloaded life (minus The World, of course). Technology has broke through the traditionnal office walls that I could work even inside my cozy toilet at home or in any internet center anywhere in the world.
My list of technology gadgets :
VPN : A virtual private network (VPN) is a private communications network often used by companies or organizations, to communicate confidentially over a public network. VPN traffic can be carried over a public networking infrastructure (e.g. the Internet on top of standard protocols, or over a service provider's private network with a defined Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the VPN customer and the VPN service provider. A VPN can send data e.g. voice, data or video, or a combination of these media, across secured and encrypted private channels between two points. Read more from this site.
But this gadget starts to be outdated so I pass to..
i-Pass : iPass is a commercial company that provides Internet services to business users working remotely (out of their country or region). Typically this means travellers with a laptop computer.
For most countries in the world, dialup service is available, in which one calls a nearby phone number that connects to the internet. Today it is also possible to use iPass with a wi-fi connection, if there is a Hotspot with an iPass arrangement available. ISDN connection is also offered in some regions such as Europe. Read more from this site.
Outlook Web Access : OWA is used to access e-mail, calendars, contacts, tasks and other mailbox contents while on the go. Microsoft provides Outlook Web Access as part of Exchange Server to allow users to connect remotely via Web browsers. Most of the functionality in Microsoft Outlook is also available in this web "look-alike". The most important difference is that Microsoft Outlook lets you work with e-mail, calendars etc. even when you don't have a network connection, while OWA requires a network connection to function.
OWA can be used from Internet cafes and any other location that provides connectivity to the Web. Read more from this site.
Conferencing has taken a whole new world too. Webmeeting, call and video conferencing. What a gallery of airfare/train savvy solutions.
Some companies even provide instant messaging - and I mean internet downloadable gadgets - with the microphone and webcam installed! A friend of mine showed me her 6-month preggo state through Skype while she was in her office in Makati. Galing!
I'm sure, there are more innovating technologies out there waiting to be discovered but these gadgets are already enough to give me the impression of having a shadow - my work following me anywhere I go. Enough.
13 years ago
19 comments:
That is true these days. At least now I am not just confined on certain offices with a laptop I can do my work almost anywhere. Same goes with my Norwegian father since he drives his business virtually as well as buying stocks too.
I dunno if I can certainly live without these wonderful stuff and priveleges technology these days can offer. I even feel handicapped when I lost power on my laptop or PC or mobile phones.
Chase, you're hooked!
I could so relate to this post... Imagine the technology these days... Things are easier and faster to do and yet you still have a lot of things that need to be done... Technology is a boon and a bane I guess (when it makes you so accessible to others).
Linnor, you're right. I still remember a vacation where we were obliged to go home as Frenchguy was needed in the office, urgent. I hate it that he gave his personal number for professional use...
but i loved it when i was able to check my emails while i was vacationing in the Philippines (internet center).. it lessened my stress somehow hehe.. i was waiting for an impt email kasi.
So when do you say enough, I'm not touching anything related to work at home. Technology follows us everywhere and sometimes there is that nagging feeling to always check on work since it is always accessible. Somehow we need to draw a line somewhere.
For anything personal like blogging and chatting and even video conferencing, what a great innovation indeed.
sometimes i feel that this is more of a disadvantage because you have no excuse not to work. it enables you to work even at home when you should be resting, taking care of household chores or spending quality time with your family.
Leah, we were work addicts before, we even bring home our respective laptops to be able to work even on weekends. then we decided to stop and separate work from personal life by not bringing our laptops... but now, we even have access to our files from our home internet.. sinusundan talaga kami hehe.
gracita, if you see it like that, then it will really be a disadvantage. it shouldn't be something that would force you to work at home.. it should stay as a possibility/means, not an obligation.
Ah the beauty of technology. So I-pass is still around, reminds me of my tech support days. The only downside is it's harder to come up with excuses if you don't want to be reached, like if you're on vacation.
KK, just knew i-Pass late last year and now you're telling me it's almost obsolete, hehe. it'a a wonderful innovation, love it.
dumaan ann, happy sunday..
Analyse,
I-pass has been a selling point in my first job 11 years ago. It won't be obsolete because there are places that will still be on dial-up access only because of the dependence on copper wiring.
Over here wifi free access is everywhere. I just discovered that our local library has it already.
It is interesting how technology moves forward. Like everyone else in this era, I am so dependent on gadgets. What is sad about this is that we have A LOT of electronic garbage because we move forward quite rapidly.
Kadami na ngang technology ngayon, and sa katulad namin ni Lolo na "outdated gurangs" we are getting coucou, what to choose or do with our laptop, mama mia!
buti na lang updated mga anak ko, they taught us ,otherwise, la!
merci for this infos, ana! you are the best!
sometimes i wonder, what next? imagine, during my time, i did not even imagine anything near to internet would happen...and now day by day, something new comes up.
iPass was one of the partner companies I worked with before I went on maternity leave. Didn't know they were that big. Pati pala si KK nagamit ang iPass :D
You forgot BlackBerries and 3G... my husband just got a 3G phone and he says huwag ko na daw siya i-text, i-email ko na lang and he'll check his email constantly throughout the day. Mas mura daw yun kaysa mag-text ako.
hi analyse, link din kita ha? :) thanks so much!
KK, dito din, wifi access is invading the whole of france na yata hehe. 11 years ago?? and i thought new techy sya haha.. im becoming obsolete.. glad i blogged about it, now i learn.
Al, you're right.. and we talk about protecting mother earth.. in fact all these comforts that we enjoy help in the destruction of our planet, sad.
but with the call / video conf, that saves us from meeting in one place.. so technology has good eco-efficient points din naman.
Francesca, im sure your kids will bring a lot of nouveauté à la maison ;)
Sexy Mom, a lot more! brace yourself hehe..
Christianne, i just listed those which I use at work. there are certainly more than that.. France has always been reluctant to such kinds of changes.. huli na tuloy ako sa balita hehe..
and hey, thanks for visiting ;)
Gracita, thanks ;)
Amazing what technology can do these days. Thanks for sharing all these hi-tech terms. I learned a lot today.
Hope you're enjoying the week so far. Take care and thanks for visiting me earlier.
iPass is GREAT! When it comes to mobile work they do a good job. I've also used Fiberlink for some of that mobile workforce stuff and they do a pretty good job as well.
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