I took some time out with my better half last night to watch ‘Date Night’ with Steve Carroll and Tina Fey. Besides being a really good and funny film, it also sparked a few thoughts about technology which have stuck with me…

Tech is everywhere:

A USB flash drive is integral to the plot of the film (the unfair but often true stereotype is hearing it referred to as the ‘computer sticky thing’). But more noticeable were the appearances of touchscreen technology and an Amazon Kindle. The fact the Kindle was mentioned by name means it could well have been product placement, but it also needed no explanation for the audience, and showed how mainstream e-readers have become. The better-half was also far more interested in the cool touchscreen technology (Can you really get that stuff now?) than she was 12 months ago – the influence of the iPad/smartphones etc…

Still needs to be easier:

One of the benefits of having an Xbox is that the Zune Movies service occasionally gets updated with some good films – and I can buy and watch without leaving the sofa.

The downside was realising that I’d accidentally bought the film as a download rather than the streaming option – and in HD format, it’d still be downloading now. So after searching around for about 20 minutes, I finally found a way I could access the streaming version – by paying for it again! So what started off as a normal rental cost was doubled, simply because I didn’t pay enough attention…

The cynic might suggest Microsoft and film companies are happy to get double purchases from people making an easy mistake, but the longterm result is I’m less likely to pay for another rental, knowing how easy it is to make a mistake…

And there’s another reason for blogging this:

The final lesson of ‘Date Night’ was a reminder to spend some time actually enjoying the fact new technology enables me to have more fun with my family, rather than an end in itself…