Time of the Tech

In the previous post, I mentioned one benefit of getting rid of your phone addiction is that you'll be able to sleep more. The Link Between Blue Light, Screens & Sleep We all know that screens emit blue-light, which can mess with your natural sleep rhythms. When you stare at your phone/computer/TV in the evening, your brain gets the message “Hey, we’re still awake — daylight mode!” That delays the release of melatonin (the hormone that helps you wind down). By putting devices away early, you’re giving your body a cue: “Okay, time to shift into rest mode.” More Sleep = More of the Good Stuff Here’s what happens when you actually get quality, uninterrupted sleep: Better mental clarity: Your brain consolidates memory, processes what you’ve learned, and sorts through the day. More energy for real life: Gym sessions, creative goals, spending time with loved ones — you’ll show up stronger. Health boost: Adequate sleep helps regulate mood, immune function, and even metab...

If any of you are parents, you will most likely have a child that is addicted to a screen. If you are one of the fortunate parents to have cracked the code of children's screen addictions, good for you. I mean this with zero sarcasm. Please let us know in the comments below what worked for you.  For the rest of us that have been fooled, betrayed and trapped by screens, here is the game plan, part 1. The first part of the game plan is to help yourself. How can you teach your children not to be addicted, when you yourself are addicted to screens. Do you fill in all your free time trying to play a game on your phone, scrolling mindlessly through infinite feeds on social media, get caught up in a YouTube rabbithole or constantly checking news websites?  You don't have to get rid of all your screen time, but it will be easier to implement screen controls starting at zero screen time and gradually building up to a safe zone. At this point, you might feel like you can't do thi...

When I started this blog in 2008, I wanted to help others fall in love with technology. I figured the goal would not be difficult to attain, considering that in our human condition we thirst for technology. It is technology that makes our lives easier, more entertaining and live longer. It was very silly to think people needed convincing and that I could make a contribution to that human desire for technology.  That however was not my most important take away for this reflection. I made an assumption that technology was a net good thing. As of today, I am sure that technology is a net negative for our lives and society. This does not mean that I am against technology, only that we should not embrace all of it and we need training on how to use it.  How a person uses technology is what determines if it is good or bad. Unfortunately, we have used our tech to enslave us. I constantly see people walking outside looking at their phones. Or people looking at their phones while they ...

I can't believe so many years have gone by without a single post about technology. What happened to me? Children, many of them. So I have decided to put a spin on this website. I'll focus on articles about technology that help parents, children and all people in general. 

Many days, weeks, and months have passed since my last post. The main reason I have been away so long is because of the birth of my beautiful daughter. And what a joy she is. On many occasions I started drafting a post, only to never finish it. But finally I was driven to blog again. You see my friends, three and half years ago I left Facebook. I subsequently wrote three articles about how Facebook sucked and how it was going to collapse like Friendster and MySpace. And now I am back on Facebook... Did I miss Facebook? No, life was good without it. Every now and then a site would require a Facebook login, like Spotify. However, there were always ways around it, like using my wife's Facebook account. But then I came across Generation Y 1 . In our Church group, I needed to communicate with them. My preferred method of communication for a group like that is e-mail. To my surprise, not everyone in Generation Y checks their e-mail on a daily basis. So one of the members of our g...

Several months ago, my sole daily reader, co-worker, and friend- Matthew- showed me a small green plastic airplane. The green plastic airplane was no bigger than three inches from nose to rudder. He told me that the airplane was created from a 3-D printer. At first, I did not believe him. But then I used some logic, if humans have fission energy, made it to the moon, and created iPhones, then why not 3-D printers? Never doubt the ingenuity of humans. If we can imagine something, it will be a possibility one day. After my internal monologue, which happened in less than three seconds, I must have responded to Matthew with a calm, "Cool". And indeed the 3-D airplane was cool. Some weeks passed by, then Matthew brings me a 3-D printed barrel, pictured above. I begin to ask more questions about this printer. Apparently, the printer is custom made. The limitations of this printer are a length and width of a few inches, the height being more flexible. This particular printer ...