Being a technologist (should that be ex-technologist?), I often delight in seeing the implementation of modern technology in everyday environments. Equally, I often wonder if the general public ever stop to think about how such technologies work. For instance, most people can understand how the Royal Mail deliver a letter*, but don’t have a clue what happens to an e-mail once the ‘Send’ button is pushed.

We’ve got a SIM4travel mobile phone card which allows us to receive calls, mostly for free, in almost every country in the world through which we’ve travelled. Think about it: my Mum dials the same number on her landline phone and an unwired device starts ringing in my back pocket. I pick up the call, and I’m speaking–live–with my dear mother who is on the other side of the planet. Using one number, we’ve spoken in Africa, India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and many more. The technology is almost flawless, however my mother’s understanding of time zones is sometimes not! (Sorry Mum, I know I’m just as bad!)

Why am I writing this? I’m having another open-mouth technology worshipping moment. I’m lying on a recently-repaired air bed, in a tent in a campsite in Australia and I’m listening to Squiffy talk–live–to her best friend using Skype running on our miniature netbook computer. Later on, I’ll be checking my e-mails and surfing the Web, without leaving the canvas confines. Tomorrow I might try to have a video call with my mother. From a tent, you hear!

Right now getting fairly-priced Wi-Fi internet access is tricky, especially in Australasia (where it’s up to AUD$8/hour). In less than ten years time, I’m certain that cheap wireless internet will be available globally. Those wireless broadband dongles will be built-in to everything and we’ll wonder how we travelled without always-available, always-on cheap internet access just like many people can’t remember driving without GPS today.

Here’s to technology and all that it’s done, is doing and will do, for us. Cheers!

* Having said that, Squiffy and I are both flummoxed as to how a postcard, posted in Australia arrives at its destination within three days. Reliably. I reckon the cards are scanned in Oz and e-mailed to the Post Office in Blighty, where they are re-printed, moments before being hand-delivered through my Mum’s letterbox. I’m going to get my Mum to test this theory by rubbing a damp thumb across the ink to see if it smudges…