Productive Use of Technology for Free

This is why I loved technology: if you used it right, it could give you power and privacy.

–Cory Doctorow

When you have the necessary hardware like a personal computer, an iPad, a printer and internet connection you can take advantage of technology and utilize for free and productively:

1.      Line: According to Wikipedia Line is a Japanese proprietary application for instant messaging on smartphones and personal computers. Line users exchange text messages, graphics, video, and audio media, make free VoIP calls, and hold free audio or video conferences.  Our son is in Singapore and we are in Malaysia; we always connect and talk till the cows come home without spending a single cent by using Line. While we use an iPad, my son is using a Samsung Android smartphone, so we can’t use Apple‘s FaceTime to chat online face to face.

2.      Email: I am sure you have subscribed to free email services like Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. You get free and instant written communication instead of snail mail which still costs you a postage stamp.

3.      Sending Documents: You can send a document instantly just by scanning it and attaching it to your email. It is very much faster than using one of the courier service providers which is also costly.  

4.      Time management: There is no need to use a hard-copy calendar. Use Google Drive calendar or iCloud calendar. It is free and very versatile and productive. I use the iCloud calendar to record things to do weekly, monthly, yearly and in the future like renewing my passport in 5 years' time. All you need to do is to develop a good habit of checking your calendar daily.  You can add, update, revise and delete items in your schedules anytime anywhere because the application is in the cloud.

5.      Breaking news: Where can you get instant breaking news? It’s only on the Net. By the time the news hit the newsstand it is already stale news.

6.      Work: There is no need to buy Word or Excel, just use the applications of Google Drive to crunch your figures and write your articles.

7.      Save and read later: Pocket is an easy-to-use application to save what you want to read later anywhere anytime on your PC, laptop, smartphone, or iPad. Again it is free.

8.      Cloud storage: There is no need to keep a hard copy of everything and avoid clutter. Leave all your files, listing as passwords, memos, photos, and mind maps in the cloud. The storage is free. Use Google Drive or iCloud.

9.      Explore and learn: There is no better place like the Internet to read and learn new things and keep yourself updated. As a writer, I get ideas and do research on the Net. 

10.  Online transactions: Previously you have to drive bumper to bumper, under the hot sun to run your errands. When you arrive you have to look for a parking lot and then queue up later to pay. Now you can buy movie tickets, do banking, pay bills, purchase bus and airline tickets in the comfort of your own home online without wasting time and paying for petrol and parking fees. As a smart shopper, you can even save money by getting a free movie ticket when you buy online on a Thursday at GSC.

Are you making use of technology productively and for free?