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Technology can be tricky

Published 11:02 pm Saturday, December 22, 2007

By Doug Parry, Herald staff

As the year comes to a close, people everywhere are grappling with two things: NFL playoff scenarios and technology. Since we don’t have an abacus handy, we’ll look at the latter:

  • Airlines are adding in-flight Internet access, and they’re learning that not all of their passengers want to stick to friendly chats and G-rated Web sites.

    Some airlines are blocking certain sites, but it’s tricky deciding where to draw the line. “This gets into a ticklish area,” one expert on the subject said.

    Coincidentally, so do many of the banned Web sites.

  • The Internet is making “The Jetsons” look more and more like a reality show. A company installs systems that let you sit in your chair at work and program the temperature, lighting and music in your home.

    It all sounds pretty cool, until some hacker comes along and you walk into your sweltering house to find Michael Bolton on an endless loop.

  • Toyota is developing cars that help people drive safer in their old age. The cars will have brain sensors and high-tech navigation systems.

    They’ll also come with built-in grandchildren to program them.

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