Technology moves at a breakneck pace. While many young people grew up with computers and older professional adults trained themselves to use it, the elderly are often left out of the loop.  Although using gadgets has gotten simpler, there's a learning curve that a lot of 70-year-old and over people are afraid to climb up.  Of course, all their kids and grandkids are too busy to show them how to use these thingamajigs, so what should they do?

The answer is very simple.  Rather than go at a quilt with a harpoon, perhaps a needle would do.  Getting your grandparents to start emailing might be a worthwhile endeavor if you have some time and they have the interest, but practically speaking, their habits and hobbies may not line up with high tech society.  Instead of pushing them into endless marathons of World of Warcraft or becoming code wizards, why not find some gadgets that suit their needs now?

A pretty simple and elegant solution would be to indulge a bird watching hobby with a pair of binoculars.  It is easy to forget that binocular technology has improved significantly since their invention, and especially in the past 10 years.  A great example is the Nikon Action EX Extreme.  Thanks to their environment friendly Eco Glass, bird watching is highly enjoyable with a faithful reproduction of the image.  Gone are the days of fuzzy and blurry images, and your grandparents will definitely notice the difference.

Another hobby associated more with slower, simpler times is fishing, and there is no greater friend to the weekend angler than a Humminbird Fishin' Buddy. It can be a pain to trawl the lake when the fish are hiding elsewhere, so the Humminbird helps level the playing field, so to speak.  It has a very simple user interface so there is very little to teach, and it has a very simple display as well to cut the ambiguity.

Some grandparents have taken to traveling the country in RVs, whereas others just have trouble getting across town without getting lost.  Either way, a TomTom ONE would be an ideal present for an elderly person in your life.  It is incredibly easy to use with a sleek design.  The best part?  It actually dictates where your next move should be in a clear, loud voice so getting lost is only up to human error.  Whether you are just trying to head to the doctor or find the best route from Dubuque to the Grand Canyon, it is a great option.

Elderly people are not always the first candidates for the latest gadgets, but there are definitely options out there for everyone.  If you are a tech master and love the latest stuff, don't forget your grandparents.

By now it's a pretty sure thing that you've heard of Black Friday --- that dreaded post-Thanksgiving tradition of waking up early and shaking off the turkey-induced coma you've been put into, driving to the mall, and busting down the doors to get the best deals you can before Christmas.  If you've ever participated, it can be quite a nightmare.  People are rude, hostile, competitive, and sometimes downright vicious to get what they want.  Worse yet, some incidents have led to the serious injury or even the death of a shopper or a store employee.  Amazingly, it all happens for just a sale!

There is an alternative though.  Have you heard of Cyber Monday?  It's a relatively new occurrence but after you learn more about it, it might mean that you'll roll over in bed on Black Friday and enjoy a few more hours' beauty rest.

It isn't quite the busiest online shopping day of the year yet.  It turns out that the latest data we have is as of 2005, when most shoppers turned to online retail after failing to find what they needed at traditional brick-and-mortar stores.  The busiest shopping days fell between December 5th to the 15th in 2005, but now online retailers are offering discounts for the Monday right after Thanksgiving, so there is now more incentive for people to shop.  In addition, last holiday shopping season there were more online transactions than ever before, so it appears that the tradition is quickly catching on.

There are some pretty great deals on GeekBro to take advantage of, especially if you want to get things by Christmas.  There's a nice Kodak EasyShare Digital Frame so you can rotate your loved ones' photos as often as you wish.  Comparable to a traditional Black Friday sale, this is offered for 20% off MSRP, which is a savings of nearly $20. Or there's the Iluv Handsfree Bluetooth Headset if you prefer to talk without holding your phone.  That one is offered for 38% off MSRP, which is far below what you would find for most Black Friday deals.  Or, if you have an audiophile in your life, you could pick up a nice set ofIqua Bluetooth Headphones for 66% off MSRP, which is an incredible markdown that you would not find even on the best doorbuster sales.

Do you want to fight the crowds this year or do you want to have all your gifts come straight to your front door?  It's best to act soon --- shipping won't be guaranteed for the 25th forever! Are you going to take advantage of Cyber Monday this year?

Climate change is going to be - if it isn't already - one of the defining issues of the 21st century.  It is hard to tell if we've already reached the point of no return or if we still have time to act but one thing is for certain: we have to do something drastic soon and change the way we live our lives.  People have to become eco-conscious and not just as a trend, but as a way of life.  Much like the Great Depression of last century instilled frugality and fiscal responsibility in an entire generation of people, the climate change debate is instilling a sense of conservation and environmentalism in an entirely new generation.

There is still space for creature comforts that we enjoy though.  While it's true that we can't live our lives in excess like before, it is true that we can still responsibly live our lives without a major sacrifice.  In some cases, our more eco-friendly alternatives are superior and more technologically advanced than before. Let's take a look at some options, from the basic to the more abstract.

First and foremost, we haven't quite perfected witricity yet, which would help with the glut of wires we're currently tangled in and also power things a little more efficiently.  Until that point, we are still stuck running things on batteries, which are not the earth friendliest power sources out there.  Fortunately, they are leaps and bounds more efficient than they were in years past, and now they are rechargeable multiple times.  This Energizer starter pack containing two AA and two AAA batteries with an easy-to-use charger.  Anything you need powered, be sure to be aware of your use and don't use disposable batteries, even if they are cheaper. Rechargeable batteries last far longer and stay out of landfills longer.

If you don't see how that helps, think of it this way --- more batteries equals more manufacturing, which means more greenhouse emissions.  Beyond that, throwing batteries out means they have to be transported to the landfill or recycling center somehow, so the fewer times that happens, the better.  It saves gas, saves manufacturing, and saves emissions.

Along similar lines of thinking, get a GPS.  GPS trackers in your car help reduce the chances that you'll get lost on your trip, which again will cut the chance that you will emit excess emissions while driving.  You can also use your GPS to plot the most efficient route to your destination so you can further cut down on greenhouse gases while driving.  A great option would be a Magellan Roadmate, which offers a 4.3" LCD screen for ease of viewing while driving.

It's that sort of thinking that we need to encourage.  Not just improving existing technologies so that they are more efficient, but using new technologies to aid existing technologies at a lower cost than upgrading them.  Thinking beyond that, though, may be necessary to help cut more emissions.

One great way to cut emissions is to stop buying CDs and DVDs.  Think again of the batteries mentioned earlier--since you are no longer buying CDs or DVDs, there's no cost of manufacturing, shipping, or distribution, saving tons of CO2 emissions.  What should you do instead?  Walk to the movie theater?  Make your own music on a mouth harp?  Try downloading instead!  Between Amazon.com and iTunes, there is a massive selection of movies, TV shows, and music.  The only emissions involved in the distribution there is the servers for the media and your home computer, which is a significant change over all of the trucking and factory smoke that would be generated.  Of course, you'll want to back them up on a thumbdrive like the  64 GB Xporter Magnum.  They're tough and fast.

Hopefully this post has given you a few ideas on how to be more eco-conscious without having to significantly change your lifestyle.  Perhaps giving up DVDs might be a big deal, or even getting a GPS seems like a big commitment to you.  Unfortunately, if we do not start making changes now, the time may come when it is too late to make any changes at all.  Think of these tweaks as relatively painless ways to change your life and your attitude to pitch in.  

For more ideas on how to help improve climate change - check out Blog Action Day at www.blogactionday.org.