In the current scenario that we are living in, where we have better access to technology which is full of gadgets, I wonder the kind of world we are heading towards? We have so many smart applications included in our day to day lives just to make our lives a little easier and better. Smart devices are useful at the same time also addictive. We are so dependent on smart devices that we have forgotten what is it like to even look at the time on a wrist watch or ask someone for directions or remember phone numbers and important dates in our schedule calendar or also take note of important notes, passwords etc. Devices have gone to an extent that they also help you in predicting the most fertile days to even try for pregnancy! Woah!! now devices are directing us in even planning for a pregnancy. Aren't they slowly encroaching our lives and our minds hence disrupting the natural flow of events which were always bound to occur?? I was watching few episodes of the series Black Mirror on Netflix the other day and the stories they have portrayed about technology engulfing our lives like a pathogen being engulfed by our immune cells are scary that I fear they will eventually be true some day. It was difficult for me to accept the fact that our future could be headed towards something like that and even imagining about it and visualising it gives me chills. I felt more scared watching this series that I would have felt watching a horror movies because I know what Black Mirror is trying to tell us could be not just fiction but reality in the near future.
Now, having said all of these, let me get out of the worrisome and the negativity zone. Let me look at the most important benefits of including smart gadgets in my life. For me, the first and foremost help would be from smart phones. The introduction of a good quality smart phone has made my life very very simplified and it goes beyond the use of phone just for social media and networking with people. My smart phones have always been bought from Flipkart and they have a wide range which one could choose from which allows users to buy what they exactly need. I am not a very gadget friendly person as I use gadgets only for what I need them the most. The phone I am currently using is Mi A1 which is able to give me the best out of what I need from a smart phone. Since I work in a hospital where research is involved I have used technology to the best when it comes to capturing clinical photos of patients with rare conditions which have added value to scientific data and has helped solved many clinical mysteries. I have used to capture processes and videos of my experiments, the type of equipment set-up I have used and put them in posters to explain to the scientific community about my work. And all this was done perfectly by using my phone which could capture photos and give a great output whose resolution was quite clear to be put up even on huge posters. I tried to use my phone in better ways than just capturing regular memories. There were times during travel where we have chosen to go without a DSLR and the images captured through my phone have been amazing enough to be blown-up into a large print. I have used this to download Apps which add relevance in my life not just with social media interactions but also by giving me the opportunities to connect with groups which talk about fitness, discuss about dietary regimes and also about doing things thr right way when it comes to fitness. If there were no smart phones I wouldn't be able to listen to the choice of music I want to. They are the best forms of additions that one could make into their lives.
The next in line would be the introduction of Smart televisions which is an important component of #SmartHomeRevolution. Although the use of mobile phones and televisions are not new but what we can do using a smart tv is much more than just watching the regular daily soaps. We are basically spoilt for choice when it comes to the use of a good quality internet facility at home coupled with a smart TV. Amazon prime, Netflix, Youtube and other channels which can viewed through a smart tv as well have added extra value to the concept of watching television. Although, these things can get addictive but if watched in limits they have added extra value to our life with a variety of entertainment and information which looks amazing on a big screen rather than being watched through a laptop.
Smart Home devices are the next gen revolution which give us answers for everything. You just need to say ' Ok! Google' and everything works post that. I personally haven't liked using them so I have limited their use for only playing songs of my choice. The other day, my friend, a busy mom of two kids was running around in the house doing multiple chores while I visited her. One of her 4 year old came in interrupting our conversation many times asking her to tell her some rhymes so that he could be entertained. She tried telling one or two rhymes but he kept coming back. So, after a point she was fed up and she told him to ask google and find out. He, being a 4 year old next gen smart kid asked Google and got all the rhymes that he wanted to hear to keep himself entertained. So, this clearly tells as to how much it had added value to every busy parent's life. There are cons to it too but in times of need this serves as a boon. At last, my friend and I were able to sit and have a cup of coffee together after 10 years. She had also installed a Smart Camera, (CCTV camera) linked with a door opening system in their house entrance so that even in their absence anyone would be very careful before opening the door and everything would be recorded which they could monitor even when they were at work. This added so much security to their lives and would be helpful for others as well. They are easily available on Flipkart and can be installed very easily.
My favourite among the smart gadgets is the Mi fitness band which is a Smart Wearable gifted by my husband. I am so thankful to this fitness revolution introduced that we have moved beyond expensive gadgets like FitBit where tracking our fitness goals isn't that expensive anymore. It is one of the simplest smart watches where all you need is the time, the number of steps walked per day, the number of kms done during the day, the calories burnt, the heart rate and foremost, once we connect it with the Mi Fit App it can tell us about the progress correctly. I usually put my phone in silent mode while I am at work and forget to put it back to the ringing mode. This band help me set a vibration so that every time I get a call my band vibrates which helps me not missed important calls. Every day seeing the number of steps I have taken and the number of kms I have walked/ run gives me a motivation to do more. Those little rewards that we get after our set target is reached for the day is very helpful in pushing me to do more. There are many gadgets available which have many other additions and functions but this basic fitness band works for people like me who are not gadget friendly yet want to use technology in the best possible way. After buying this band and using it for over 10 months now I can see my fitness progress and in the true sense this is #GetFitWithFlipkart. I am extremely motivated to evaluate my fitness progress at the end of 2019, after the goals that I have set for the year with this App.
