Taking the Digital Life Outdoors
by Gerrit Dalman
It's hard to dispute that Apple has succeeded in making the Macintosh a flourishing hub for the digital life. Now it's easy to manage pictures, music, videos, and other media throughout your home from your desktop. But just because your hub is on your desk or in your lap doesn't mean that the digital life ends at your door or the reach of your AirPort network.
The integration of networked information into real life and the mobility of electronic devices make it possible for your iLife to augment your real life in very tangible ways. This week I'd like to share an example of how you can take your digital life outdoors!
Though not the greatest adventure, a day trip in a pontoon boat still seems to be an unlikely place to find high-tech entertainment. Yet the most popular electronic device around proved itself to be quite up to the task.
Once we had our soundtrack in place it was just a matter of time before people started behaving in a photo-worthy way. So it's a good thing several of us brought digital cameras!
And if you want to take this kind of behavior on more rugged journeys, you just have to accessorize. There are water and shockproof cases available for the iPod and most cameras and if your adventures are long there are extra battery packs and solar chargers as well. There's almost no limit to how far you can go and still enjoy your devices!
When I got home I synced my iPod, saving the on-the-go play list we made as "boat trip" so I could always remember the tunes that set the mood. Then, thanks to .Mac, I had a webpage with the best shots posted within ten minutes of our return. Another few clicks and an iCard invited all of our friends and family to sit down at the end of their days and share in our fun and camaraderie from their own homes.
Just sharing memories isn't all that the internet can provide though. It's a great tool when preparing for an outing as well. We used email to discuss the idea, iCal to coordinate the plan, and weather websites to make sure the seas would be fair and the sun bright.
Whether you're using a USB-connected GPS to navigate off-road, making cellular calls from the top of a mountain, or just having a conversation about your latest game of Halo while sitting around a camp fire, you're living the digital life.
The bottom line is that information and digital technologies have become a huge part of life in America. There is nowhere you can go and nothing you can do that couldn't incorporate technology somehow. But the best part is that you don't have to become a pale-skinned nerd to do so! Alaska is the perfect example of how digital lifestyles can actually complement and enhance active lifestyles.
So long as Apple keeps providing the innovative quality products and services we have come to expect, I think that digital life is just going to keep getting better. Enjoy it!