Page 34 - Oxted Local December 2024

34 December 2024
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Oxted Local 
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Christmas is right around
the corner, and between gift
shopping, meal planning, and
organising family gatherings,
there’s enough to keep even
the calmest among us busy (and
maybe a little frazzled). Luckily,
technology can help
Santa’s Little Helper
Gift registries such as ‘Things
to get me’ and ‘Giftster’ are like
Santa’s personal assistant. The
website or App can create and
share wish lists with family and
friends. You can even give them
links to the sites selling the items,
meaning you get exactly what you
want (even if it is socks). Once the
item has been purchased, it can
be removed from the list to avoid
the awkwardness of doubling
up on gifts. These lists work in
a similar way to wish lists on
individual websites however they
are an “internet wide” wish list.
The Calendar Wizard
If your family’s schedule is
anything like most, it’s a chaotic
symphony of “I thought you were
picking up Granny!” and “What
time is the Pantomime?” ‘Cozi’ is
a family calendar app that keeps
everyone’s plans in one place. You
can also add a shopping list, a to-
do list, and even recipes.
If that sounds a little too
complicated, you could always use
an existing Cloud Calendar service
T I P S
TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY
(Apple iCloud, Google Calendar,
Microsoft Outlook) and just share
it with the family so that everyone
can see the schedule of events.
E-Cards
The days of laboriously
handwriting holiday cards, hunting
for the address book, getting the
awful taste from licking envelopes
(don’t lick the self-adhesive
stamps) might be behind us.
You could opt to send a physical
card or an electronic “virtual” card.
A physical card is a little like
shopping online. You select the
card, customise it with a message,
enter the recipient’s address and
check out. The card is then sent
directly to the recipient.
There are a number of websites
and Apps offering virtual cards
with numerous festive options. To
send one, simply choose a card,
a personal message, the email
addresses, and hit send.
The best part about either option
is that there’s no need to line up
at the post office.
Personalized Video Messages
If you’re looking for something a
bit more personal, personalized
video greetings might be your
answer. Sites like ‘Cameo’ let
you hire a celebrity (actor,
comedian, politician etc) to send
a customized video message to
anyone on your list.
If your budget does not stretch
Tech the Halls with…
to a celebrity try sending your
own message. All you need is a
smartphone. Just hit record, add
some background music (bonus
points if you sing along), and say
a few words. You might not be a
“Celebrity,” but Granny will love it
and think you are brilliant.
To Wrap Up (Pun Intended)
The holidays are magical, but
they’re also chaotic. If there is a
way to make things easier, faster,
and a bit more fun, then you
should give it a try. These apps
are here to help you through the
holiday and they’re all simple
enough to use without a tech
support team on speed dial.
Have a very Happy Christmas!
© Martin Middleton - I.T.Aide
(see page 39 for contact details)