Friday, February 5, 2010

Cars and Technology

Cars-Technology
I think by now everyone knows that I am a lover of technology. If I bought a luxury model car, it is because it had all the technology I love. Previously, Radha and I used to fight, whenever we took a long journey before, as I used to insist on her to give me the directions, and I used to get mad. She had a knack; a unique extra sensory perception to turn around and talk to kids or bend down to collect something from the floor just before she needed to inform me about an exit, and I used to be upset. After having lost the exit I used to rely on her again for rerouting instructions. This used to put her under a lot of stress.
Hence, we decided to buy a GPS. However, I wanted to use my older discarded pocket pc and install GPS software on that. Since it was an earlier generation PDA, it had very low memory and after warning us CAUTION, exceeding the speed limit; it used to get frustrated and freeze. I never knew that older PDAs were prone to DEPRRESION leading to no EXPRESSION culminating in DIGRESSION with multiple exits being missed . I needed to stop and provide anti-depressants (reset the old pocket pc) and it used to function well for some time. We, therefore, decided to go for higher end GPS and bought a car with all bells and whistles.

Cool! On one day, I was driving to the hospital. Shoots! I slapped my forehead! Where are my car keys? Did I forget them at home? Car keys had my office room key attached and wondered how would I get in? It then struck me, how could I be driving without the keys? This car had a button start and keys were in my pocket. I proudly smiled despite my stupidity.

It was our marriage anniversary. I booked at an exotic restaurant by the river side far from the madding crowd. I entered the address and set to go. We took the exit and drove through woods. I was happily humming Tom Jones song. Then I saw the road dividing into three ways. Just then my GPS announced "No more mapping directions available beyond this follow your local map Hee, HEE, HEE". I thought it was mocking at me! I remembered Robert Frost's poem " TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both.....
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
This fellow talked about two roads, Man! I have three roads to choose. Reading poetry is of no use when you have to navigate on country roads. I looked at Radha with meek expression and asked her to call the restaurant. Lo!

We were in a dead-zone. No cell phone signal...

The other day, I was training the voice commands in my car and successfully entered some phone numbers. Even Srinidhi was impressed and excited. She played with it for some time, and it was COOL! I was a proud father now catering to children's futuristic needs as well. It was time to demonstrate this to Radha. As we were driving, I pressed the voice command button and said "Call wife". It immediately responded "Calling SUSAN!"

I was shocked! What! Susan! Who is she? Am I dead now? Radha must have thought this new car knew more things than she did! Srinidhi was laughing aloud in the back seat. The voice command declared, “No number found". I was very much relieved. I immediately turned into a parking lot, stopped and pressed the button with all burning anger and commanded "call wife", It promptly responded, "calling Radha". Radha was smiling all through; I did not dare to look at her all that time. It was the ambient noise when driving fast interfering with the clear interpretation by the software.

Did you all have anything similar?
Pradeep

1 comment:

  1. GPS stories...you have to love GPS devices until they get you lost! The restaurant to which you refer is definitely NOT on any known GPS--it's too remote! Raj and I tried our handy dandy GPS to get out there and got the same response. Fortunately Raj has a natural built-in GPS--if he's been there before he can find it again! I, on the other hand, have NO navigational skills. Hense the GPS is in my mini-van.

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