One of my associates spent hours writing a paper and sent it to me to proofread. I read the document and jotted down my ideas, typed in some comments, a little cut here, a little paste there, a whole bunch of deletions with research references, and then, in a moment that can only be described as distracted creativity (?), promptly saved it overwriting the original file. Yikes!
That’s when the “Oh No You Didn’t!” rang out through the office.
Fortuitously, I had printed out the original document. Even more fortunately, our office had been sent a copy of PDF Converter Professional 6.0 from Nuance Communications for review.
As a card-carrying member (AARP) of the baby boomer generation I am surprised by new challenges every day. One of my favorites is the ongoing battle between the length of my arms and the size of the print on everything I read from newspapers to phone screens.
Let’s talk about the telephone, who among us could function without it? Every household has several. Some are wired, more and more are wireless. Sometimes using the phone is the bane of my existence. Tiny buttons, tiny numbers and tiny screens with even tinier writing do nothing for a member of the bifocal generation.
Uniden®, one of today’s leading electronics manufacturers heard my anguish and designed the CEZAI998. Its features are designed specifically for those whose eyes and ears are not what they used to be.
First up is a toothbrush. Yes, a toothbrush
The HydraBrush™
Let
me confess that I am somewhat obsessive about cleaning my teeth. I'm
one of those people that get a gold star from my dental hygienist. At
times it is not an easy feat doing all the brushing and flossing. So
when a colleague told me what he had seen at CES. I was intrigued and
of course skeptical about this product.
HydraBrush™
claims that I will get "whiter teeth, healthier gums, superior plaque
removal, fresher breath and better check-ups using their brush". Uh
Huh!
A New Column On Assistive & 'Boomer' Friendly Technology
When
I was 30 years old the warranty on my body ran out. Systems started
failing and tech support wasn't a whole lot of help. Re-booting wasn't
an option and calls to the manufacturer.... Well let's just say the
‘answers' are still a point of discussion. It's not like it was the
‘blue screen of death' or anything, but it is chronic (Multiple
Sclerosis). It has caused me to have a different perspective on most
things because where I sit is in a wheelchair.
Over the years I have made adjustments
to my home, office, car etc. For what I paid for my wheelchair
accessible van I could have been happily driving a new top-of-the-line
sports car. Oh well!
With so many disabled adults as well as
aging baby boomers in this country, many advances have been made in an
attempt to level the playing field. There are times, however, when I
wish the designers of some of these devices were put in a wheelchair
and asked to demonstrate their accessibility.
To items claiming to be "handicapped
accessible", I say, "I'll be the judge of that". To other items that
appeal to the aging Boomer population, well.... I'll be the judge of
that too, but I just may be a bit more forgiving in my opinions.
Let Me Tell You Where to Put Your Hearts and Flowers
It's
important that you understand that this column is not a cry for
sympathy. The title of this section should tell you that. My goal is to
utilize products and give you an honest opinion of how well they work
for me.
From Where I Sit 
Let
me confess that I am somewhat obsessive about cleaning my teeth. I'm
one of those people that get a gold star from my dental hygienist. At
times it is not an easy feat doing all the brushing and flossing. So
when a colleague told me what he had seen at CES. I was intrigued and
of course skeptical about this product.