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I wrote yesterday I had arrived in Las Vegas for the Blogworld conference. I’ll be participating in the Great Debate this afternoon. I wanted to talk today before I head out about the way technology impacts my part of the business pertaining to Tucson Real Estate.
The Phone Thing
My two year contract on my phone a “Razor” a dull one at that was up a few weeks ago. I’ve been wanting to get a phone with a headphone jack and one that had a keyboard for texting. Texting has become an important part in our lives and business especially. I’ve not been doing very well with a phone I have to tap a key up to four times to get the letter I want.
More and more of the technology I tap for writing and photography is tied to the internet and access to it even when I’m not sitting at a computer. Enter the Blackberry Curve with the leather belt clip holder. (No I’m not a super hero I just play one on . . . never mind) I won’t go into all the things I can do with it, but here is an example of how handy it has become already. We all know communication is a priortiy these days. Getting back to you is important to you and to us. This device lets me see my email and respond even when I’m away from a computer.
Yesterday while I was in the airport waiting to fly to the conference I got an email from my sister, the one that had just dropped me off. She got an email from a friend interested in looking at homes in Tucson with a view to retirement or second home, (I’m not sure which). She passed on the information to me by email. I forwarded the email to Barbara at our home office. In turn she was able to make contact with my sisters friends in minutes. I can also send instant messages to anyone (except while driving of course) and answer email if there is need for a quick response. I can even post or comment on the blogs with the Blackberry. It is the most useful and exciting technology I have used since the personal computer and laptop.
The Camera Thing
Some buy shoes (I won’t mention names, I have to fly back home in a couple of days), I buy cameras. But not just for the sake of buying cameras. I buy what I need for specific purposes. I know some think if you have a camera why would you need more than one. The simplest way I can try and explain it is comparing it to golf. How many of you play golf? How many of you golf players only have one club? It is a golf club, if you have one isn’t that enough? You think it is a funny idea, but if you are a photographer taking photos in a variety of settings and situations there are times when you need a different camera. Such is the case for me and why I travel with 4 cameras (at least this trip ).
On Wednesday evening just before leaving Santa Claus in the Brown Truck pulled up to the door and left a box. I grabbed it and Barbara asked what I had ordered now. Oh, just a camera. She didn’t believe me. That is till I opened the box. I know now she has arrived at the same place I am when another pair of shoes emerges from the car when she comes home. I say nothing, (See, you can get smarter as you grow older). I know there is no reason to say anything.
Back to the camera. This one is the Panasonic Lumix TZ5 which has a 10X zoom and take high def videos. I’ve been using a Panasonic FX35 as my pocket point and shot and there have been many times I saw something I wanted a picture of for a blog post but I was too far from the subject and it only has a 4X zoom. Thus a new camera. The new one will also zoom while shooting video, something the FX35 won’t do. I plan on shooting a few videos as a part of our coverage of events and life in Tucson and find the ability to zoom in on say a termite tube to be beneficial. You are thinking “That’s his justification for a new camera, give me a break” Okay, it might be a stretch but it is a start.
After arriving here yesterday, I got checked in, went to my room, set up the laptop, stepped out the door and shot the courtyard picture from yesterday’s post. Uploaded it to my flickr account and linked it to the post. Published the post and everyone is able to see the same thing I saw live just a few minutes before (less the towel cart).
I’ve already answered a dozen email and had multiple conversations in the short time I’ve been here. Staying in touch and doing business while traveling is so much easier than it used to be just a few years ago.
I’m glad we don’t have to break down the laptop into 3 oz pieces and put the pieces in plastic baggies to bring them along. : ) Now where did I put that chapstick, we are at Orange Alert.
