One could of course say I got the Toyota Prius because I care about the environment. And I do, really.
One could say that I got it because the Dutch government is giving me a nice tax-break on the car. And one is not a tax-consultant for nothing.
One could even say I got it because it's a good car, with cruise control, automated climate control and what not, for a fair price.
But those who know the profile of a gadget lover know the real reason... buttons! that do cool stuff!
I'm still figuring some of it out (this is one of those cars you'll actually feel inclined to read the manual), but here's a few things I noticed most in this first week.
- of course, the 'power' button. Forget putting your key in the ignition. Forget getting your keys out of your pocket. Just press the power button!
- the full map navigation system, integrated in the 7" touch screen in the middle of my dashboard, lets you put Points Of Interest on the map. Guess what fast-food restaurants look like: a Big Mac!
- I got the Tech edition of the car: it can park itself... haven't tried that yet, but the moment I put the car in reverse, the screen shows me what's behind the car (built in camera ;-), that relays the image to the touch screen at the dashboard ) and with little lines (red = watch out, yellow = the way you'll drive if you don't touch the steer, green = good to go), one is pretty safe to drive backwards.
- LOVE the fact that I don't have a stick-shift any more... even though I never had a problem with shifting into gear, this is very lazy driving... and the little stick thingey that turns it into reverse and drive etc., isn't next to you on the right, but ergonomically (and cool looking) placed on the dashboard.
- the light above the mirrors above the front seats turns on automatically once you slide the mirror open.
- I cleaned the front windshield about 8 times before I figured out how to turn the rear windshield wiper on. The stick that operates it, has THAT many interval options, I was turning on the wrong side...
And I haven't even gotten to trying out the cruise control yet...
Saturday, 19 July 2008
Monday, 7 July 2008
How to get the gadget lover outdoors
A gadget lover is not by nature inclined to venture outdoors a lot. Not just because she's most happy playing with her toys whilst sitting on her couch, but also for practical reasons, such as:
- where to find a electronic socket to recharge all her gadgets?
- sunlight is not always the best light, when looking at the crystal clear little TFT-screen she has on her mp3player/phone or whatever.
If you prefer to go outdoors however, and would prefer to do that whilst spending quality time with her, and/or you would like your gadget lover in somewhat of a good health, it may be necessary to lure her outside.
The best way to do that, of course, is with gadgets. Luckily for you, there are several shops that cater to this need. A small sampling of what bribery you may use:
Gadget socks
Gadget socks? Really? Yes, really really. For instance, there are:
- special walking socks for those hikes of 100 ft and over;
- flight socks for sitting in a plane, off to exciting places (not to mention the gadget lover will get to test her gadgets on flight, like those noise cancellation ear-buds, she would otherwise only use when trying not to hear you telling her to do the dishes);
- socks that stop the mosquitoes biting;
- socks that eleviate the pressure points of those nasty, but effective, skiing boots.
All these socks are specifically for one purpose, inherently cool (as stated by our resident gadget lover), and best of all: utterly pointless to wear inside.
Your gadget lover will be forced to follow you outside, just so she can point out her neat socks to you. Ad nauseam.
Charging aids
Ah, here is where your gadget lover gets really excited. Solar-charging devices! Extra long-lasting batteries! Batteries you can charge so they in turn can charge your phone!
(We know, an ordinary person would just turn their phone off, but not the gadget lover. She must try the GPS function. That can really drain a battery, you know.)
Handpresso
Chances are that your gadget lover is hooked on coffee. She'll have spent way too much time sitting behind computers, game-consoles and what not. This cannot be done without copious amounts of coffee.
If you get her outdoors, in fact, that far outdoors that there isn't even a Starbucks nearby, she'll get antsy. For this we have the ultimate gadget:
the portable coffee maker. Yes, there is such a thing as instant coffee. Yes, in a decaffeinated tight spot, that would suit most people, but not your gadget lover. She will have bought the ultimate coffee gadget, the ‘Handpresso!’. An added bonus to this gadget: she’ll need to use her muscle(s) to pump up the gadget to the acquired pressure-level. Another good exercise…
And with all these gadgets, add-ons and what not, there's just one more gadget you'll need to get your girl: a really good daypack...
- where to find a electronic socket to recharge all her gadgets?
- sunlight is not always the best light, when looking at the crystal clear little TFT-screen she has on her mp3player/phone or whatever.
If you prefer to go outdoors however, and would prefer to do that whilst spending quality time with her, and/or you would like your gadget lover in somewhat of a good health, it may be necessary to lure her outside.
The best way to do that, of course, is with gadgets. Luckily for you, there are several shops that cater to this need. A small sampling of what bribery you may use:
Gadget socks
Gadget socks? Really? Yes, really really. For instance, there are:
- special walking socks for those hikes of 100 ft and over;
- flight socks for sitting in a plane, off to exciting places (not to mention the gadget lover will get to test her gadgets on flight, like those noise cancellation ear-buds, she would otherwise only use when trying not to hear you telling her to do the dishes);
- socks that stop the mosquitoes biting;
- socks that eleviate the pressure points of those nasty, but effective, skiing boots.
All these socks are specifically for one purpose, inherently cool (as stated by our resident gadget lover), and best of all: utterly pointless to wear inside.
Your gadget lover will be forced to follow you outside, just so she can point out her neat socks to you. Ad nauseam.
Charging aids
Ah, here is where your gadget lover gets really excited. Solar-charging devices! Extra long-lasting batteries! Batteries you can charge so they in turn can charge your phone!
(We know, an ordinary person would just turn their phone off, but not the gadget lover. She must try the GPS function. That can really drain a battery, you know.)
Handpresso
Chances are that your gadget lover is hooked on coffee. She'll have spent way too much time sitting behind computers, game-consoles and what not. This cannot be done without copious amounts of coffee.
If you get her outdoors, in fact, that far outdoors that there isn't even a Starbucks nearby, she'll get antsy. For this we have the ultimate gadget:
the portable coffee maker. Yes, there is such a thing as instant coffee. Yes, in a decaffeinated tight spot, that would suit most people, but not your gadget lover. She will have bought the ultimate coffee gadget, the ‘Handpresso!’. An added bonus to this gadget: she’ll need to use her muscle(s) to pump up the gadget to the acquired pressure-level. Another good exercise…
And with all these gadgets, add-ons and what not, there's just one more gadget you'll need to get your girl: a really good daypack...
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