MARREN: Streamlining out technology

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May 10, 2009

By Tim Marren<br><a href="mailto:tim.marren@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Tim</a> The Lockport Union-Sun %26 Journal Sun May 10, 2009, 12:29 AM EDT

A report this week revealed there are more U.S. households that use cell phones than land lines — phones hooked up through your phone company. Lots of wires and stuff ... you know what I’m talking about.

The study wasn’t that surprising to me, since most people I talk to say they will, or already have, switch to cell phones only. They’ve canceled their land lines.

We’re living in a time where everyone has a cell phone and even within the confines of our homes, cell phones are the mode of conversation more than land lines.

So what’s the use, when you think about it?

I’ve heard people say that in an emergency situation during which cell phone towers may be compromised, a land line is more reliable.

Power outages for an extended period of time may also hinder the charging of cell phones.

I don’t know, this may be true, but think of the emergency situations we’ve had in the last 10 years; were you ever without power or borrowing of power for more than 24 hours? Did a cell phone tower ever go down where you couldn’t get a signal for more than a few hours?

Nope.

So what’s next for the technology scrap heap? Here are some I have in mind:

TYPEWRITERS: I know people are still using these antiquated pieces of metal because I get type-written letters to the editor.

While I’d like to give the old typing machine a nod, since many newspapermen before me used it to churn out copy, it’s time it went the way of the linotype.

There’s something to be said for the people who still use typewriters, since there’s no delete or spell check, so you better get it right. But the type-written correspondences that I get have a ton of cross outs and rewrites.

Get a computer and printer. Maybe even e-mail.

FAX MACHINES: Why do faxes even exist anymore? With e-mail, PDF attachments, scanners, Excel and more, what needs to be faxed? We’ve noticed in our newsroom we get far fewer faxes than we used to, which is nice.

It’s a colossal waste of paper, ink, desk space and a phone line (I already addressed the phone line above). Plus they are noisy and just plain finicky. There’s always toner issues or jams ... just not useful.

T.V. ANTENNAS WITH ANALOG: If you haven’t heard about how these HAVE to go away by June 12, then you’ve probably been living under a rock. I’m not going to waste any more space on it.

PAGERS: I’ve seen doctors who still use pagers. Why? You can send people to voice mail or set a phone to vibrate, just like a pager.

Unless you are a drug dealer, there’s no reason for a pager. Then again, drug dealers are probably using cell phones by now.

VHS TAPES: Where, besides maybe the library — and I’m not even positive about that — can you rent a VHS? Speaking of VHS tapes, is anyone using VCRs for anything other than playing old home videos? Hopefully, there isn’t anyone still out there taping “American Idol” on a 60-minute tape.

CASSETTES: Music cassette tapes are gone, right? Tell me they are.

PORTABLE CD PLAYERS: Maybe portable CD player guy has a pager on his hip as he jogs around the neighborhood ... no, I don’t think (”think” being the key word) that anyone is still using a portable CD player. iPods have replaced portable CD players, so there’s no need for big, chunky Walkmans and such.

Here’s the deal: If you’re still using a piece if technology from 1970-1990, throw it out. It’s probably useless. It’s spring.

Stop thinking that your old equipment is making a comeback. Just like the land line, it’s not.

Tim Marren is the managing editor of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal. Contact him at Tim.Marren@

lockportjournal.com or 439-9222.

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