I don’t consider myself an early adopter to technology. I’ve never camped outside of Best Buy and I STILL use a BlackBerry!  However, I am interested in new ways of doing things, especially if they save me time and money. I like to keep at a moderate pace with technology, even though I’m surrounded by it.

But not all of us baby boomers are keeping a moderate pace with technology. In fact, I know some of my friends that are still nostalgic about caller ID. Or, worse yet, hanging on to their old Palm Pilot with the writing wand.

Technology is moving at an incredibly fast pace. In the past 10 years, we’ve seen innovations even the Jetsons would have a hard time imagining.

Amid all the change, you may have gotten a bit out of step. Get back with the times by ditching these five relic technologies.

1. Your landline

My wife has long held on to our “landline” in our home for good reason, she doesn’t want to give out our mobile number to people.  Just because you may want to have a HOME phone, doesn’t mean that you still have to have a landline.  There are alternatives.  We use a service called Ooma.  It’s basically a little box that connects your existing telephones (even cordless) to your internet connection and it costs less than $4 a month!  Just buy the box, set it up and all you have to pay are the fees the state and federal government impose on telephone service providers. 

Did you know you can register your cell phone number with your local county so they can contact you during an emergency? Just search for “Reverse 911 in [your city or town]” or “Emergency Notification in [your city or town]to find out how to do it in your area. Register all of your family members’ cell phones to make sure everyone gets contacted in the event of an emergency.

Call your phone company to cancel your landline right now. You won’t be sorry you did.

2. Your long-distance phone plan

Remember how cool it was when someone added you to their Friends & Family plan? That gesture said, “You’re not only my friend, you’re someone I’m going to call without worrying about how many minutes have passed.” Back then an MCI friendship had way more meaning than being friended on Facebook today — by your neighbor’s sister’s high school crush.

If you go with a solution such as Ooma, or even if you do the “Triple Play” with Comcast or Verizon you don’t need long distance service – get rid of it!

3. Internet Explorer

I’m not saying that Internet Explorer is really bad, but if you think the “e” with a blue circle around it means Internet, then it’s time to broaden your horizons.

Internet Explorer used to be the only way you could get to the Internet on your PC and, with a Mac, your only option was Safari.

Now Google Chrome (launched in 2008) is the most popular browser, it’s what I have been using for years and it’s what we recommend to our clients.  Its free and run on PCs and Macs, so what are you waiting for? Make the switch.

4. Rolodex for your contacts

Did you just do a double-take? Do you still have one of these?

Managing contacts has always been difficult. You know tons of people, you have important phone numbers, therefore you have very important random slips of paper. What good are they if you can’t find them?

Managing your contacts on your computer allows you to share those same contacts on your smartphone. Once those virtual slips of paper are stored on your phone, you’ll know who to call and who’s calling you. You can even share your contacts with other contacts. And even better, you can bring up a map with turn-by-turn driving directions in case you want to see that contact in person.

5. Your flip phone

There are more than 1 billion smartphones in use worldwide, and over 51 million of those are iPhones. If you still think you’re smart by not having a smartphone, you may be old. Not only can you use a smartphone to make phone calls and check email, you can also take awesome pictures, record videos and listen to your music collection anytime.

When you download apps or connect to the web, you’ll be able to find a great restaurant, get driving directions, and view the menu long before you’re seated at your table.

Whether you want to understand what your kids or grandkids are talking about at the dinner table or what Carson Daly is talking about in the Orange Room on the Today show, it’s time you start learning how technology can save you time, cut your monthly expenses, and make you look younger. Interested? Contact us today!