T358

TECHNOLOGY & OTHER BITS OF KIT

[358: 3=c, 5=e, 8=h...add the T for Transmission and what can you get?]

Who doesn't like technology? Go on...hands up!

Liar!!!

I love it!

Sure...one day Artificial Intelligence will subjugate mankind and I'll regret so flippantly stating my adoration...but until that occurs my life will doubtless revolve around the technology I use and abuse on a daily basis.

I'm no tech whiz or genius...far from it - just ask some of my mates who are and they shall recount endless phone calls where I couldn't get something to work how I wanted to. Google is now my best friend when it comes to troubleshooting such issues - I couldn't do half of what I have done without the various forums out there and folk who upload tutorials on YouTube etc. I feel it is high time for me to give back to the community on that front...perhaps save some people some time and expense when it comes to making choices and making things work.

MY KIT:

It is extensive. Even on just a motorbike (technology in its own right) I am managing to pack an impressive amount of tech:

•iPhone 6s

•iPad Air

•iPhone 3GS (yeah...still got one and it still works perfectly)

•Drift Ghost S

•Phillips Bluetooth headphones (thanks to a mate who works for Phillips)

•Sony Wirelss mics

•Rotomic

•Rotolight

•LG Rolly Keyboard

•LG Bluetooth headphones

•LaCie Fuel HDD

•Leef iAccess

•Power Banks x3

•Casio digital watch

•Geemarc Solar watch

•Swordfish universal adapter

•Garmin Bluetooth GPS locator

•Avantree Bluetooth motorcycle helmet headset

•Smart Bluetooth Controller for iProds connectivity on Tatsu

*There is a trend here of being wire (read as entangled) free*

Those are just the pieces of tech with an electrical constitution. I also include non-electric pieces of kit on this page, of which there are equally many, that without which i'll not be able to do what I am planning. Things like:

•Velbon tripod

•Manfroto tripod

•Boblbee backpack

•Henessey Hammock

Then there is the motorbike itself. I've been slowly converting it into a live-from filming rig. Drift Ghost S mounts here there and everywhere...extra storage for food (to save me the hassle of foraging...in supermarkets...every time I pass one I'll have to try and stick to my nutrition plan as best I can or my pants won't fit).

I'll review everything I own because each item has been carefully chosen for the adventure. Beyond that, I think this section will include whatever associated museums and shops I check out along the way, because once I am ready to roll, I don't see myself having to buy anything whilst touring - don't think I'll have the space for anything else!

A PERSONAL HISTORY OF INTERRACTING WITH TECHNOLOGY:

Besides television and cars, I think the first bit of tech I came in to contact with was the Game n Watch handled gaming toy. How brilliantly 80s were they!?! My parents insisted that some of my toys have an educational element to them so Speak & Spell entered the scene along with some Maths Professor gadget - I was rubbish at both English and maths...still am!

Oooo....Walkmans - before the days of CD players, MiniDisc players and MP3 devices - all of which have been usurped by smartphones (personal preference obviously being Apple).

The Psion. A friend had one...I wanted one - I think I saved up for it (I was always pretty good with pocket money). It was a palm sized computer which I could make all the notes I wanted to on...make mistakes and just rewrite them. Awesome.

PC Engine GT. Hubada Hubada...now that was a handheld gaming device to behold the eyes. The first colour screen one. Dozens of great games. I only recently sold mine for Spares & Repairs.

Minolta Vectis S-1. I'm gona let some dude from eBay (who was selling his) handle this description because he did it better than I could:

"Whoever designed this camera with camera guard in Japan gains my respect,

it's funky, chromey, and just slightly bonkers. The Minolta Vectis APS camera system, and other APS camera makes came just too late on the Film camera scene, just prior to the advent of digital cameras, and they died a quick death. However, the APS cameras that were produced, such as the vectis will be seen as unusual, querky and high quality cameras with an interesting range of lenses and features."

Our first family computer was a BBC. Then came an Apple II, followed by some sort of Windows based PC, I think, which had a hard disk of just 80mb - good lord...I couldn't even get my list of contacts on that! Games such as Froga, Karatica and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego gave way to Sim City and Football Manager as technology continued its evolution.

My brother bought me my first laptop as a thank you for getting the family home ready for his wedding in 2005 - he doesn't realise just what a monumental task that was, nor does he realise how extremely grateful I was/am for his tremendously generous gift.

Anyway. Technology. A huge part of my life and most humans who have ever lived...whether they realise that or not. I do, however, contest the common quote that "Necessity is the mother of invention." It isn't. Laziness and greed are! Ok...let's stick with the mother and just make those two things the father. No piece of technology is truly necessary, for if it were, what the hell did people do before it existed? Those deprived folk did actually exist, hence, whatever came after them was not strictly necessary - I'll explain that further at some point.

Probably going to include machines other than motorbikes within this subject...on my travels I am bound to take in a museum and exhibition or two (possibly a few) featuring boats, cars, train and planes etc.