I’ll be the first to admit, I am not a techie by any stretch of the imagination. If it’s anyone in the office, it’s Rob. That said, I have found myself using much more technology than I ever did since the onset of COVID-19. And, to tell you the truth, it’s making my life so much easier and much more enjoyable to be locked up at home.
I was never a huge online shopper, whether it be groceries, household items, alcohol, or clothes. Amazon was typically my online retailer of choice in the off chance that I was to make a purchase. Since COVID-19, I have become quite the adopter of contactless shopping. I don’t think I’ll ever need to step into a store again (if I have to). Home delivery or curbside pick up is just so convenient. Again, this is not new technology, but given the current state of things, I am just so aware of the convenience that it provides.
Video calling and conferencing applications have also made staying separated a little more tolerable. Whether it be for business use or pleasure, video calling is more personal way to stay connected. And the apps are getting better and better. Interactive games are finding their way into the applications and changing the whole experience of a video chat. Our family’s favourite app allows us to play trivia, Pictionary, Heads Up and other traditional games that keep us entertained for hours.
Keeping on the theme of business, documentation sharing/signing has become a little more challenging. However, applications like DocuSign, which allow users to provide a digital signature, is making our service processes much more efficient. Side benefit, it brings us that much closer to our goal of becoming a greener office. Another application that I have adopted is called Tiny Scanner. I’m sure many of you have used a “scanning” application before, or perhaps you prefer to send pictures of documents and other information. The benefit of apps like Tiny Scanner is that you can change your photo into a number of formats (i.e. PDF) which makes the document look more professional. In our business, verifying identity is paramount and one way we do so is by taking “copies/pictures” of identification. An app like Tiny Scanner converts photos into more usable files.
Another not-so-new technology is On-Demand entertainment. It has been a staple at our house. In this “new normal” we have relaxed our screen time for the kids. So, unfortunately or fortunately, apps like Netflix or Disney+ have become our kids’ best friends. That said, I do love the movie-a-thons that have become one of our favourites on rainy weekends. Guilt-free I might add…
Like I said, these are not necessarily new pieces of technology. However, for people that were slow to use or were non-adopters, they are truly showing their necessity and ability to make things easier for people.
