In our smartphone - saturated , always - on age , the established wisdom is that holiday are a time for disconnect from the web and shift off from the gadget that ordinarily prevail our lives . However , you do n’t have to go with the menstruation and take a technical school break over the holiday — here are six good reasons why you might want to stay on the grid rather than off it .
1. See friends and family
Christmas is a sentence for bring the family together , but that ’s not always possible — if there ’s someone you know in a different part of the worldly concern then you could use anything fromSkypetoSnapchatto send them a greeting .
The conversation around the dinner table might have dried up since everyone in the family find themselves a smartphone but our high - tech gadgets can just as easily convey people together — and there ’s no better meter than the holiday .
apply something likeGoogle Hangoutsand you could set up a video call with everyone in the family unit at once , free of charge . Even if you ’re not in a particularly sociable mood , there might be someone who would make love to get a call from you .
2. Track Santa Claus
How does Santa make it round every child ’s home over the course of Christmas Eve and Christmas dayspring ? Whether you need to usethe NORAD originalorGoogle ’s option , there ’s slews of play to be had for the young and the young at heart .
It ’s all a far yell from the day when we used to leave out a mince pie and glassful of sherry for Father Christmas and leave it at that . Both sites offer a stove of game , interactive elements and animations to add to the festive spirit .
Once December undulate around the Microsoft Bing - powered NORAD situation will display a three-D orb chart Santa ’s onward motion , while Google is anticipate an exclusive look at the dashboard technology that powers his sleigh .
3. Entertain your guests
Keeping all of your friends , family and random visitors from down the route well-chosen at Christmastime is no easy effort , but you do n’t have to sputter alone — there are enough entertainments and diversions available to please even the crankiest of client .
You do n’t need everyone huddled over their own individual radiate screens for the whole of the holiday , so look for activities that get everyone need : Heads Up!works across all the smartphones in the room and is mere to act as whileWheel Of Fortuneis Chromecast - compatible for beaming to the big screen door .
You ’re going to have adapt this one based on the numeral and age of the masses you ’re with , as well as the tech you have available , but fromYouTube karaoketoconsole sports gamesthere are plentifulness of options to choose from .
4. Catch up on your reading
Technology may be to charge for shortening attention spans but it also gives us access to an unimaginable wealthiness of content from all over the world — and there ’s never enough prison term during the year to catch up on it all .
detritus off youre - reader , work through your starredtweets , make inroads intoInstapaperand control in on all the 12 of articles you ’ve hold open toPocketand quick forgotten about . From flagged email messages to old bookmark , you’re able to empty the decks quick for another avalanche of incoming depicted object in the New Year .
If you really do n’t have any recitation to take in up on then there are no shortage of places on the web where you’re able to discover prolonged articles of interest : TryMatterorLongreadsif you want something to kink up with while the rest of the family tunes into Home Alone .
5. Get hold of some great deals
There ’s no point heading out into the frigid , crowded streets for a January steal when you may simply show - and - click from the comfort of your menage laptop once the bomb and trim have been clear aside — if you ’re await for the cheapest prices , attempt stock up up on Christmas gear mechanism for 2015 .
Apple ’s 12 years Of Gifts has n’t appear so far this yr , but there ’s still time for it to show up . The app is often a great way to pick up exchange premium apps , flick and music for free , though the timbre of what ’s on offer can vary from day to 24-hour interval .
Of course Christmas is about much more than shopping and consumerism , but staying online while everyone else is doze in front of the TV can keep open you some cash — especially if you have friends with January birthdays .
6. Capture the memories
At this point it ’s probably good to say that there are now too many selfies on the Internet , but just because something is overused does n’t mean it ’s inherently wrong : your smartphone will have a adequate television camera and video recording record-keeper built into it , so make the most of them .
Be heedful not to miss those special family moments in your keenness to document them in digital form , but the video clips and images you take now will be worth looking back on in Dec 25 to come , and your friends can probably put up with a circumscribed amount of them onFacebooktoo .
modernistic - day technology certainly has the potential difference to ruin Christmas and get in the way of family time , but it can do the exact opposite too — if you know how to make the most of it . Stay safe and enjoy the holidays !
[ Header image : Media Guru / Shutterstock.com ]
Christmas
Daily Newsletter
Get the practiced technical school , scientific discipline , and culture news program in your inbox daily .
tidings from the future , delivered to your present tense .
You May Also Like
