My Tech History

Whew! So as soon as I read the objective for this blog, I was a little overwhelmed. I think anybody my age (21) has tech so embedded in their life that they don't even know it! Anywho, I'm going to try my best to list the technologies that are important to me now and in the past and to begin to "identify a unifying theme."

I'm going to go chronological:
*Beeper-- As an elementary student with parents that worked full-time I was given a beeper to let me know what to do after school.

*VHS/DVDs--This category is one of those technologies that's really embedded. I remember watching VHS and then it's like there was this flash and everyone was using DVDs, haha. I love film and (some) TV almost as much as I love music (see below), so this technology has been a quiet, but constant staple in my life.

*Game consoles--My Dad was the person would introduced to gaming with a 16-bit Sega Genesis console (which I still have working!). I love games, but I really like the simple stuff, so I'm not as big of a gamer as I used to be. In my house, after Sega, came PC games, Internet games, the Gamecube and then the Wii. My fiancé, whom I live with, has a PS2 and now an X-Box 360. Nowadays I own on Guitar Hero and Rockband. I really LOVE (and also own, haha) Metroid Prime on the Gamecube and Dead Rising is pretty awesome on the X-Box. Can't forget arcade games! I love Area 51 and Mortal Kombat.

*Cell phone--Same deal as the beeper. I had a cellphone as early was 5th grade for the purposes of letting me know what to do after school. In middle school I didn't need it anymore, but I got another cell phone as a freshman in high school and have had one ever since. Remember when cell phones were just for talking? I do. Now I use text messaging everyday and picture messages here and there. I just recently found out that Photobucket lets you upload from your cell phone. OMFG! I think that rocks.

*Cameras--I've had a camera since I was about 13 or 14. My first one was one of those giant brick digital cameras, haha. I used to take photos a lot more and have a fairly large library of personal photos. I still go out sometimes and use my camera, a Nikon CoolPix (it's a little older, circa late 1990s/early 2000s) and take the occasional camera phone picture if I feel so moved. I really love taking pictures as a creative, relaxing thing to do. Check out this link to see some recent photos I took with my Nikon: http://www.captureelpaso.com/photo/146261

*Computer--I have used one since I was about 10 and had my own computer by about 13. Love them! Can't imagine life without them! They provide me with information, the ability to create school and creative work as well as enjoy entertainment. Totally ties in with the next entry.

Internet--I began using the Internet around 10 or 12-years-old. I used to use chat rooms and of course AOL IM (not so popular anymore, I guess, haha?), with the occasional Web site browse here and there. Nowadays I use the Internet every single day. I think I'm addicted. My fiancé agrees. Ever find yourself asking an inane question and then you must know the answer? Does the immediate thought of "Googling" it come up? Is the Internet the first place you to turn to for answers? This is VERY much me. I love to research using the Internet (but I have to add that I am VERY discriminating about the sources I use when searching for a serious answer). The Internet is a big part of my life. I even use it for school. I am a VERY BIG WebCT fan. In fact, there's kind of a sub-category that applies to my Internet use. I am a big fan of social networking websites and sites that share member-generated creative content. And, I love to blog. Here are sites I am a member of, or like to check out:
MySpace-- my account
Purevolume--awesome (or crappy sometimes, haha) music from indie and mainstream!
Facebook
Photobucket--my account (very random, haha)
Livejournal--my account
deviantART
Worth1000--i love Photoshop
Threadless-- i like t-shirts
Funny or Die--yay! Will Ferrell!
YouTube
and I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting.

I also love to catch up on the news using the Internet. I love the fact that there are so many sources to look at. I read the La Times online everyday. And then of course, there's online shopping sometimes. I try not to do that too often, as it's easy to get carried away, haha!

*Portable music player: Since I was about 10 years old I had some way to listen to music, first it was a Walkmen. Remember those? Then when I was about 12 I got a CD player and it was attached to my hip for years (I went through at least two players). I actually only got an MP3 player recently, about a year or two ago. I chose to get a Zune instead of an iPod or Sandisk. A Zune appealed to me the most (sorry Apple kids, the cult kinda annoys me) and they just came out with some awesome updates that tap into its WiFi capability. If (and when I hope) Microsoft comes out with a browser for the Zune, I'm going to be one happy little girl. Anyway, on this subject, music is simply something I really enjoy. It powers me.

So yup, that's about all I can think of right now.

As far as a unifying theme, I would think it's communication, whether visual or written. I think this is a pretty fitting theme for my essay as I'm set to dedicated my life to communication as a journalism major.

See you in class!

- Jackie