Bertie doesn’t do it yet, but one or two of his nifty cabinet crew are seasoned at it and it’s great. It’s called Blogging and it’s taken the World by storm. People of all walks of life are putting selected bits of their lives Online on the Web for all to see. Now, you can even buy a new generation of mobile phone that automatically uploads selected photos, voice files, video and commentary to your own personal Blog online, so you don’t have to wait until you get to your PC to upload your days activities and anyone you allow to, can instantly see it. For example, if you go away for the weekend with the family, your relatives anywhere in the World can view your video diary, download video clips, see photos and your notes. It can also alert them of new updates. No E-mail necessary. (See www.typepad.com). For politicians, it’s a great way for people to see their political Agenda and what they can do for you, always current and always up-to-date, with an online calendar of events, issues etc as well as become a “Virtual Clinic” that people can ask questions on, with set times for live sessions. The growth in Internet-related software such as this is mostly due to the increased emergence of high speed Internet access, with always-on connections that are not just limited to the home or office. Nowadays, a new generation of mobile devices can give you access 24/7 from anywhere, using Wi-Fi, which is high speed wireless Internet access available from an increasing number of Wi-Fi “Hotspot” zones, from Airports to Hotels, many of which are totally free of charge.

These devices also allow access via the new generation of 3G mobile networks, albeit expensive and slower, but still quite workable if the coverage is there. The productivity gains from such technology is astonishing. For example I just bought myself the latest “Tablet PC”, no larger than a small thin book, that is as powerful as a desktop PC running Windows XP® with all the usual Microsoft Office® software, but with one major difference; there’s no keyboard or mouse. I just use a normal pen to write on it in my own handwriting and it recognises it with 95% accuracy and if I want to, I can speak to it and my words will appear instantly with similar levels of accuracy. It also has Bluetooth, which is a short range communication system that connects to external devices like headphones, printers etc as well as Wi-Fi and a powerful Media entertainment centre built in. It’s great for computing on the move and when I get back to the home or office, I simply plug in a flat screen, keyboard and mouse and I have a fully-blown PC. People who currently have a laptop and separate PC might consider this as a good solution because they would no longer need to synchronise or copy files, as everything is on the Mobile Tablet PC. A lot of computer users also don’t think about backing up their data, which is critical in case of loss. Just think what would happen if all your files were suddenly lost! With new Online Backup technology, all my files are automatically backed up daily in a virtual server in the UK, totally securely, so that if anything happens to my PC, I can get the data back into any PC, anywhere, anytime. No more fiddly tapes or backup media to get lost or damaged, or to forget doing the backup – a common problem for a lot of people.

If all this is rocket science or mumbo-jumbo to you, I’m sorry, but if you don’t currently use computers, you might be missing out on a great way to save time and money. With just a little basic training, you’ll be able to do your household budget, analyse your business finances, get information and advice via the Internet on virtually anything on the Planet and even earn money online. Believe me, if you don’t use a computer – try it out now just to see how you could benefit. Walk into any library and you can use a computer. On the general technology front, go online or walk into any I.T. store and you’ll see literally hundreds of different options when it comes to gadgets like mobile phones, media players, computers, cameras and pocket sized organisers. It seems that technology moves so fast that just when we get used to our new gizmo, a new version is out which is smaller, faster, better and with more features, enticing us to upgrade and enjoy all of the benefits of the newest technology. For example, say you needed to access your e-mail, listen to your favourite music tracks, take high quality photos and video clips and make mobile voice and video calls, watch digital TV and synchronise your calendar and contacts with your PC on say Microsoft Outlook®. What do you do? Some amazing new devices called “Smartphones” give you all this in one device. You can send and receive e-mail synchronised with your PC together with all your contacts, tasks, alarms and appointments, make 3G video calls, mobile phone calls, text and multimedia messages, take 3 Megapixel photos and video clips with the phone clicking into shape as a mini-DV camera, listen to your favourite music tracks, browse the Web and also watch digital TV on it with superb clarity. With a small plug-in card (a secure digital memory card) it also doubles as a portable SatNav device with full Irish & European coverage, so you will never get lost, with accuracy to the nearest 2 metres. Now that really is amazing for one device. Another feature is that as you come into proximity of your home computer, the device automatically connects to it and synchronises your contacts, calendar, e-mail and all new photos and video clips. It also uploads selected images and messages to a live Web Blog where anyone you gives access to can see your “Lifeblog”. In your car, the Smartphone sits into a neat holder on the dashboard and instantly connects to an optional Bluetooth speaker system and gives you full hands-free as well as voice guided SatNav, so you don’t need to spend more money on a separate system for navigation. If you just want a mobile phone, contacts, calendar and 24/7 e-mail access, then a simple “Blackberry” device is perfect. So whatever you do for a living, why not see what technology can do for you?