The NDY Generation™ has a myriad of issues with the technology revolution that has changed the world forever.  While the advancements and facilitating tools are literally mind-boggling, the societal erosion caused by our dependency on “machines” is not being examined, analyzed, or precipitating the alarm that it should.  The NDY Generation™ is frustrated every day due to the lack of critical thinking skills and the absence of abstract thought which permeates our entire culture and society.  However, there is no stopping the revolution and unless the NDY Generation™ chooses to “drop out,”  we are compelled to join this brave new digital world.  With this in mind, NDY™ wants to advocate for user-friendly tools that creates an easy digital transition for the NDY Generation™.  Naturally, the creators of the technological tools are younger folks who grew up with the digital verbiage and usage  that seems inherent to anyone under the age of fifty.   However, much of the technology out there is not intuitive for the NDY Generation™, and we want to “shout out” to all the dot-com companies, “keep us in mind, darn it!”  Think about how your parents or grandparents would best use this product.  We may be the forgotten demographic today, but we are on a roll and are demanding to be heard and paid attention to.  The NDY Generation™ will be using these pages to recommend  technological products that make life easier for us.  Do not allow the dot-com invasion to wipe you out.  If the NDY Generation™ supports products that are user-friendly and avoids products that ignore us, we will be exclaiming to all the Silicon valleys, plateaus, mountains, and corridors, “we will not be the forgotten demographic!”

VOXER

Voxer describes itself as a “walkie-talkie” app for smartphones and tablets.  However, NDY™ sees this as horrible marketing.  The NDY Generation™ looks at Voxer as a wonderful alternative to texting.   Because of the size of the keys and the dexterity involved, texting is quite difficult for the NDY Generation™.  Voxer eliminates the need to type.   The app was created by Tom Katis, a former special forces communications expert who became frustrated with the communication snafus he encountered while stationed in Afghanistan.  Voxer can be used on both Android (P.C for us NDYers™.) and IOS (Mac for us NDYers™) platforms, and can be a live talking system or can accept distinct voice messages.  NDY™ calls it texting using your voice, thus eliminating the need to type.  You just press their talk button and “let her rip.”    You instantly send voice and text messages without typing a thing-perfect for the NDY Generation™.  However, there are two problems NDY™ discovered that may be issues.  Voxer only works on wi-fi.  Thus, if you are not able to connect to wi-fi, you are out of luck.  Secondly, whoever you want to communicate with has to join the Voxer app community.  NDY™ is aware that we do not like to join anything because questions that concern us arise, such as what does it entail and will my personal information get out?  We feel it is an easy app to initiate and with a bit of diligence, none of your personal space will be invaded.  NDY™ found Voxer to be particularly cool when we were traveling in foreign countries.  Rather then sign up for an expensive cell phone plan that operates outside the USA, we just used Voxer to communicate free with friends and family who had downloaded the Voxer app.  NDY™ liked it better the Skype.  It was quick and oh so easy.  Voxer receives the NDY Generation™ endorsement and approval.

BEST PARKING APP

The NDY Generation has already saved a good chunk of money utilizing this wonderful and minimal app.  Hotel parking prices are ludicrously expensive, and NDY does not mind walking a couple of blocks, after dropping off luggage and checking in, to save a few bucks.  On week-end trips to Chicago and Cincinnati, NDY saved over $125.00 using the BestParking App and it’s free!  Simply type in your location, the date, and the amount of time you will be parking the car, and the BestParking App shows you locations and prices for the parking garages located nearby.  It is very simple to use.  There are even descriptions of the garages, their facilities and a phone number if you feel the need to “double-check” the quoted price.  NDY was a bit wary about the low parking charges quoted and did call the respective parking venues just to test BestParking’s veracity.  The app was “right on!”  The app could be used when going to a concert, a play, a ball game, whatever.  Almost every major city in the United States is listed.  The New York Times even endorsed the BestParking app:

“Already, though, parking New Yorkers can get some use out of their smartphones. One powerful tool is Best Parking, which has been around in various forms for seven years. Its app’s interface is a map with information on about 1,300 garages in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. You enter where and when you want to park, and it shows rates, with discounts available with coupons it has negotiated. Redeem these coupons with a special code, and Best Parking gets a commission.”

“The app also offers information on street parking, with color-coded indicators for free, metered and no parking zones.”

“Keeping all this information up-to-date is a big task, said Ben Sann, a 24-year-old Manhattan native who founded Best Parking before he even had a car. Some information is provided by garages, and the company offers Starbucks gift cards to users who report incorrect information. The company also sends out an employee to pound the pavement four times a year.”

“How did Mr. Sann learn that parking was a local obsession? “Seinfeld.”

NDY loves this app and it gets our recommendation. 

Copyright © 2013. The Not Dead Yet Generation™. All rights reserved.