Technologically Challenged

Coming from an engineering background, one would think that this cant be me. In a field where not knowing the latest can severly dent you, and where the latest changes very often, I suddenly feel very cut off from the world. Ten months cocooned in grad school, where everyone around you has pretty much the same exposure to technology as you, and you are lulled into a false sense of security.

One and half months in the valley, and you realise that your life has been isolated from the rest of this technologically dependent country. Talks of TiVo, Roomba, home servers for all your shows, a mac mini, apple tv, 40 inch computer displays, devices that rebroadcast tv from any region to your laptop, and many such things. This is the country where technology is because it can be, not because it is useful. Where the newest means that something a little old loses favour instantly.

Ordinarily this is not something that would be of any importance. Even now its not something that keeps me awake. It is a conversation stopper, however. Out at a barbeque, and everyone talking about their problems with the roomba, or tivo, and all you can do is try to figure out what they are talking about. Sure you can ask, but then you get such stares, it kind of takes the steam out of curiosity.

In the end, it makes you want to learn about this crazily electronic world. That is always a good sign, but the knowledge banks arent particularly helpful, which makes me feel technologically challenged.