Smart Stuff

As bloggers we know we like technology.  It supplies us with wonderful tools as well as great toys.  

But is it getting just too smart for its own good?  Most people have smart phones now.  I don't, because I don't want to pay the monthly data fee, but I would like to have one.  I would probably be as addicted to it as my kids are.

We have a new computer, and in the last year, a new laptop and a new tablet.  We are wired!  Or in some cases, wireless!  We probably don't use half of the capacity of tools these devices have to offer, but we know enough to make them work the way we want them to.

But now there is the smart TV.  We bought it in July, in time to watch the Olympics.  Because we were going to be moving it in and out while we had flooring and then cabinets installed, we just plugged it in and turned it on.  That in itself was complex, but we loved watching our new big screen.  

After the flooring was in and before the cabinets arrived, we rewired the speakers that were in the house and  put in place the wiring for the five speaker surround sound for the family room.  After the cabinets arrived, we had to do all of the hook up.  It took several days and several calls for tech support to do this.  

But then we had to make everything work.  The new tuner/receiver is so smart, so complex, that we had great difficulty making it speak to us and doing what we wanted it to do.  After several weeks and help from Tech Guy Tad, we finally have everything working: the phonograph, the five speakers, and the additional speakers in other rooms.  Now we have to play with all of the sound options to decide what sounds best for each medium: TV, movies, cds, iPod, records.

What we saved for last was the "Smart" part of the TV, the Internet operations.  Last week I ordered a Samsung keyboard to navigate the Internet on screen.  It came yesterday and after about two hours of frustration I determined that it was not compatible with the  TV. A call to Samsung early this morning confirmed that.  So I went on line and got the necessary instructions and labels to return it to Amazon.

I must say, Amazon is a great company.  I took the shipping box with the downloaded and printed label to the UPS store and sent it on its way, no charge.   My account will be credited two days after it arrives.

Meanwhile I did some other research online and found some conversation about what keyboard would work with our Samsung TV.  The answer seemed to be Logitech.  I located one at Staples.  So this morning we shipped the Samsung via UPS and went across the street to Staples, found the keyboard, brought it home, plugged in the wireless plug, and it worked!  Instead of the $95 Samsung, we paid $35 for the Logitech.

Now look what I can do!

Yep.  That's my blog on the TV screen!

I won't really use the TV for blogging, but I could.  I can show people what's on it, BIG time.  

Mostly we'll be using it to order movies.  We need to set up an Amazon account.  We also have access to Tad's Netflix account. 

We have another new toy.  Are we smart enough to make it work for us?  I hope so.