Technology is VERY Helpful

Today looks like it will be a “two-for” in that I will have two blog postings for today instead of a single one. The first one was about the “Occupy” movement and its supporters, sympathizers, and sponsors. One not mentioned that I suspect very much is George Soros.

But, let’s call that it for the whiny brats. This post is more about technology and how little, almost insignificant things become such a blessing to us. Basically, it boils down to using technology to avoid having to use a more simple, yet troublesome method.

A case in point is our Radio Shack Indoor/Outdoor wireless thermometer system. It is Radio Shack’s catalog number of 63-332 should you be interested. It is a system that is referred to a 3-channel wireless system where one can use up to three different thermometers to check temperatures in three different places.

This is that unit.

As purchased in the stores, the base unit and the sensor closest to it in the above picture is what comes in the package. Any additional sensors, like the one off to the right, are purchased separately and have to be ordered. Fortunately, Radio Shack will ship them right to your door or your mailbox.

The larger number at the top is the temperature and the little number “2” off to the left indicates that the reading is from channel number 2. With this system, one can actually monitor 4 different temperatures. There could be the three remote thermometers as well as the built in thermometer in the base that displays the temperature of the location where it sits.

In our case, the base sits on our kitchen counter, near to my desk, channel 1 remote is placed outside and under a slide (so it is shaded), and channel 2 remote is placed in the underbelly near the water manifold located there.

With that system in place, I can monitor both the outside temperatures, should I need to do more to protect our water supply, and the underbelly so that I can add heat in some way to prevent the plumbing from freezing.

While we’ve not been using this for long, what I’ve seen trending is that the underbelly stays about 8 degrees warmer than the outside temperatures. I suspect that difference might get smaller as the temperature gets colder.

The base unit also displays the date and time as well as the indoor temperature. It also has a memory so that one can check to see what the coldest temperature (or hottest) for the day. It can also be set to be on one remote sensor all the time or it can be set to cycle through all of the remote sensors.

The second thing is less useful for a full-timer, but it is really good for the photographers. It is simply a Targus brand device that lets one connect the “box” with a camera memory card in it to one’s USB slot in one’s computer. Compared to the previous USB adapter I had for my memory cards, this one is a flash.

In addition, it also takes more than one kind of memory card, whereas my old one would only take my CF format cards. I don’t know why it took me so long to update my older technology. I should have bought this long ago.

Let the picture taking begin……