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ICYMI: Internet aircraft, Uber retiree drivers and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-725255{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-725255, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-725255{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-725255").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Facebook just built an aircraft that can stay aloft over areas without internet, beaming it down for free. Uber is announcing a partnership with AARP in an effort to get more part-time drivers from the retiree crowd. (We helpfully provided a CDC stat about fatal car accidents because we love you.) And NASA engineers are designing drones to explore areas of planets that rovers can't get to.
IRL: Why I got my mom a Nexus 9 for Christmas
My dad called me up a few weeks ago saying he wanted to get mom a tablet for Christmas, one that might be good enough to replace the laptop she hated. It wasn't the hardware causing angst; it was the software: Windows 8. She's pretty comfortable with technology, but migrating from the familiar world of Windows' past was tricky and she wasn't alone -- I didn't find it easy either. While no tablet could completely replace a laptop, for general internet use, it's all she really needed.
Consumer Cellular axes activation fees, retirees rejoice
Now here's a trend we can really get behind. Consumer Cellular, the "exclusive wireless provider for AARP members" (and a company that caters to the 50+ crowd), has announce that it will no longer be gouging charging its customers the dreaded activation fee. New and current customers looking to procure a phone qualify for the waiver and CC is extending the free activation offer to SIM-only patrons as well. Hopefully, this is the start of a grassroots movement in the wireless industry. The full press release is after the break.
AARP teaches old people how to play games (badly)
Who says old people don't understand technology? Well, actually, we do, and this AARP video quick tip (WMV link) on how to play video games just bolsters our case. While the clip is a little out of date (the systems being discussed are decidedly last-generation) the incredibly unhelpful advice contained within is timeless.Some choice quotes (don't trust the transcript, watch the video and listen for yourself): "First you need to understand that there's boxes." (Referring to the consoles laid out in front of them) "The controller actually controls it." (News flash!) "Most games just use one or two buttons." (Bring back the NES controller!) "Oh, this is fun." (After about five seconds of making Spongebob run around a bit.) "This is totally fun." (After about fifteen seconds of moving Spongebob around pointlessly) "It's as easy as hooking up a CD player to your TV." (Funny, we've never done that) "This is pretty fun. You're getting me pretty excited about getting better at this ..." (This quote is delivered in perhaps the least excited voice we've ever heard) Our absolute favorite part, though, has to be the rare, dainty, four-handed control method being demonstrated in the screen capture above. They're handling that controller like some people handle nuclear waste. Priceless.[Thanks, rikimaru]
Nintendo booth tour at AARP event
Siliconera was on-hand during the recently-concluded AARP sponsored event Life@50+ to document Nintendo's booth setup and how the public were receiving Nintendo's products. With a Wii display featuring Wii Sports: Bowling, as well as a section of DS Lites featuring Brain Age, Nintendo's flagship Touch Generations title, there were many a reason for attendees to stop by. The Brain Age section also featured a tournament throughout the show where the winner received a free DS Lite (color unspecified) along with a copy of Brain Age. While Siliconera focused more on the Wii display and the steady audience it received, we're sure the "dangling carrot" of a free DS Lite and Brain Age attracted a few folks to the DS section, as well.
Nintendo attends AARP event to recruit older gamers
Over in the Technology section of New York Times, a story talking about Nintendo's first-ever appearance at the annual Life@50+ event this past weekend, which is sponsored by the AARP and was held in Anaheim CA, shows Nintendo's commitment to hooking in the older demographic. The event, which attracted over 20,000 attendees, not only featured products for older Americans, but also discussion panels and celebrities. Bruce Sanders, AARP's director of national events, says that technology is showing a stronger presence at the event, stating that a total of 18 tech companies were present this year, with only 10 present at the show in Las Vegas during 2004. The 2005 show, which was planned to be held in New Orleans, was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina. While the event, for Nintendo, showed them focusing more on their upcoming Wii console, the strides made through their popular DS handheld, including its Touch Generation line-up of games, made it possible for the company to even think they could gain such a large share of the market.[Thanks Ian!]
Nintendo appeals to retired folk
Venturing outside the typical boundaries of a platform launch campaign, Nintendo found itself brushing shoulders with the American Academy of Audiology, Lighthouse International and the Southwest Lawn Bowls Association at Life@50+, an annual AARP-sponsored gathering for elder Americans.AARP's director of national events Bruce Sanders explained that technology is becoming a marked attraction at Life@50+ events, with 18 tech companies on display this year; up from just 10 in 2004. Still, Nintendo looked to struggle when promoting Wii and Brain Training to a demographic that was raised on card and parlor games. That's okay with us. We aren't prepared for the day when grandma owns our asses in Smash Bros.See also:Japanese doctors recommend Brain Training for seniorsBrain Training used to defeat dementiaNintendo doing the elderly (and you) a solid
