Posted by Peter Radsliff on Mon, Oct 26, 2009
It's funny how people in the high tech sector refer to the target recipients of elder technology as "those people who didn't grow up with technology." Nothing could be further from the truth. I'd like to see how the Facebook generation would cope with the first telephone, the first automobile, the first airplane, the first telephone answering machine, or the first electric typewriter…all within the first half of their lives. And what about the first calculator, the first teletype machine, the first facsimile, the first computer terminal, and of course, the first personal computer.
I actually think of my Dad's generation as the original "early adopters" of technology. Think about it, besides all of the marvels listed above, in his lifetime, he has seen the building of the Interstate highway system, international air travel, jets, space travel and man setting foot on the moon. Not to mention the Apple I computer, the PC AT and XT, plus DOS, Word Perfect, CalcStar and Lotus 1,2,3.
But after a certain age, people get lumped into the “they just don't ‘get it’” category not getting credit from the technorati of the day for their mastery of the phenomenal forward strides in technology they experienced throughout the 20th century.
So before we write-off our seniors as being too dimwitted to “get” Facebook, remember that they had "party lines" when they were kids and they knew how to socialize and make new friends in person, and they even knew it was the chicken's way out to send a “Dear John” letter (and it's still wrong to do so, even by text message).
Some of them choose Presto computerless email, because they think it's “cool” to get letters and photos faster than snail mail and without the hassle of Windows 7 upgrades, virus definition updates or Comcast triple play fees. And they might just know what they're doing using a system that let's them get incoming email without any expectation of written responses.
So cut grandma and grandpa a little slack. Recognize them for being the cool, early adopters that they were. And maybe listen closely when they don't get all excited about the latest tech gadget unveiled on Gizmodo (maybe, just maybe, it really wasn't that “cool” to begin with).
Posted by Peter Radsliff on Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Here are ten reasons to get a Presto computerless email system for your grandparents this Holiday season:
1. It will let you contact grandma or grandpa when you really don’t have time for a 30 minute phone call.
2. You can eliminate excuses from extended family members for not staying in touch with the grandparents.
3. You can send digital photos to "gran" so you have something to talk about the next time you see her.
4. It's easy to send a list of important dates and events (birthdays, graduations, etc.) so grandma and grandpa don’t forget.
5. You can finally create and deliver Google map directions by email when they call to ask how to get somewhere.
6. You can also forward an authoritative article that proves to Grandma that you were right all along.
7. You are able to give the gift of bragging rights over their neighbors in the retirement village by sending same-day photos of their grandkids doing something spectacular.
8. Buying Presto for grandma and grandpa as a gift this holiday will save the family from enduring more “You never call” guilt trips.
9. You will make your grandparents the envy of all of their friends.
10. And finally, in finding the perfect gift for grandma or grandpa, you are also finding the perfect gift for you and the rest of the family, because you will never again need to get photo prints from the drugstore and send them via U.S. Mail. In fact, you can snap a photo with your iPhone, and email it to Grandpa who will get it a few hours later. And for grandma, how cool is that?
Posted by Peter Radsliff on Tue, Sep 22, 2009
Hi everybody! I'm Peter Radsliff, CEO of Presto Services Inc., developer of the Presto computerless email solution for seniors. It’s very important to me to let you know about the latest news about the Presto solution, the company itself, and other advances in technology that can help our elder loved ones age-in-place. So this blog is where you can find all sorts of information on these topics. In fact, we are continuing to focus on other extremely exciting caregiving-focused solutions that we will premiere in late 2009. So I recommend subscribing to the Presto Blog RSS Feed to stay abreast of developments in the field of elder technology.
If you are unfamiliar with the company, here is a bit about Presto…
Presto was founded in 2004 to find a better way to connect families using communication technologies that had been widely adopted by all but 58% of Americans over age 65* who don't go online. Since the initial launch of the Presto Mail service in late 2006, hundreds of thousands of people have finally enjoyed the ability to deliver to their elder loved ones a simple email with digital photo attached on the same day it was sent. As amazing as this sounds in 2009, getting email is still a revolution in independence for the majority of senior citizens.
Since Presto’s initial launch, we have found that many people use Presto to aid in remote caregiving of their parents, using Presto to deliver medication reminders, online maps and directions, boarding passes, and tax forms—the things the rest of us take for granted. In November of 2008, the company provided a system-wide upgrade called PrestoConnect. This provided an entire set of online tools to enable remote management of the Presto system, whole-family communication monitoring, pre-scheduling of future email deliveries, delivery confirmations and much more. In essence, we shifted Presto's features to be a tremendous aid for family caregiving, in addition to family communication.
I'd like to give my thanks to all Presto users who have turned this wonderful system into the vibrant ecosystem it is today. And, thanks to the dedicated people at Presto Services Inc., who come into work every day thinking of new ways to make the world better for our elder loved ones. You guys rock!
Peter Radsliff
*source: Pew Internet & American Life Project