OneStream

In the news today Paul Miller a Tech writer is challenging himself to one year offline.

The challenge is not because he dislikes the internet, in fact he loves the internet, but he believes it is no longer being used as a tool, but as a distraction.

Here at OneStream our business is based around developments in technology; the smartphone, cloud computing… and so many businesses are based only online. In fact, we promote the benefits of this technology having everything you need, whenever, and wherever you need it!

Many other users simply use it as a platform to find out more ‘I’ll Google it’ a term often used when someone doesn’t know something. Then there are the many social media sites helping us all to keep in touch. It has become something we don’t want to live without; so why is Paul Miller so keen to try to live life offline.

Click here to read the full article online and watch the video (please excuse the pre video advert).

Now ask yourself, could you live without the internet? We would love to know your thoughts.

In an article published by the BBC today it has been said that people in the UK are now more likely to text than make a phone call. It is suggested that this recent change in the way we communicate is partly down to technology.

The data from Ofcom research suggests the following change in communication trends:

• The average UK consumer now sends 50 texts per week while fewer calls are being made on both fixed and mobile phones.
• There is a fall in the volume of mobile calls – by just over 1% – in 2011, while landline calls were down by 10%. With the overall time spent on the phone fallen by 5% in 2011.

The research also shows the following change in ownership and use of technology:

• 39% of adults now own a smartphone, a 12% increase on 2010.
• 42% of these now say their smartphone is the most important device for accessing the internet, with 42% regularly using social networking sites and 51% using e-mail.
• The average consumer spends 90 minutes a week accessing social networking sites and email.
• Tablet ownership is also on the rise, with 11% owning such a device, up from 2% last year.

Access to this type of technology is changing the way we communicate, it is reducing talk time both face to face and on the phone.

For more interesting stats published by Ofcom and to read the full BBC article click here.

Georgie is the first mobile phone app which has been designed by Blind people specifically for Blind People.  The App allows users to experience a Voice-assisted Touchscreen and send text messages via talking.

The amazing new app, which took 18 months to develop and 40 blind people to test with, was designed by a blind, British couple, Roger Wilson-Hinds and his wife Margaret.  Both are former teachers from Peterborough who run a non profitable organisation to aid people with sight disorders.  The app was named after Mrs Wilson-Hinds’ first guide dog.

‘We wanted a smartphone with big bright buttons, we wanted everything talking,’ said Mr Wilson-Hinds‘  We wanted everything integrated together, so if you travel you get a talking compass, you get information about where you are and what’s around, when the next bus is due, when to get off – we wanted all that together on one screen.

‘It’s nice to have your own bit of control and independence.  Everybody else sits and reads their magazine or the paper and we can have our phone and listen to books and our favourite podcasts. We wanted a rugged, easy to use phone designed for us.’

Georgie can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace

The app has been fully reviewed by Metro and can be viewed by clicking here. All quotes above are courtesy of Metro