“High tech” used to refer to the latest silica nano matrix rod or the lightest reel made of unobtainium. Not anymore.
While Google’s Glass has launched with less-than-useful third-party apps — “Glassware” — tied into CNN, Evernote, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter, the real breakthrough is yet to come.
For better or worse, a glimpse into the future.
Google Glass Fly Fishing App (click on image for larger view)
Thanks to our vigilance and hard work we’ve found THE fishing vehicle for big river and stillwater fishermen. You only have to choose between Gibbs Amphibians’ 30-foot, 500-horsepower turbo diesel powered Phibian or the 21.5-foot, 350-horsepower V8 driven Humdinga (pictured).
When it comes to tech, it’s slowly come to our attention that we’re probably somewhere between an “early adopter” and the “early majority.” And we’re certainly not an “innovator.”
After conducting an honest comparison of my tech inventory with that of my wife, it’s clear that, despite an apparent knowledge of technology, I lag behind in the willingness necessary to throw my lot in with unproven new tech. Maybe because, after years of trying to stay at the forefront of computers, I had admitted defeat underneath a pile of outdates video cards and RAM.
History tells the tale. It was only a few years after that iPod thing came out that I finally thought it’d be worth a look. Then I rolled my eyes when my wife had — just had — to get one of the first iPhone 3s. She loved it. I really wasn’t even envious. I didn’t need one. (Some folks get the latest and greatest stuff, typically when its the most expensive. And if you haven’t noticed, it’s the übergeeks who become the guinea pigs beta testers, left to discover, deal with and help sort out any early bugs.)
But she upgraded, and being smart enough to recognize free as a very good price, I soon began to learn that a smart phone could, indeed, be pretty handy. I’ve since moved on to the iPhone 4, but only because I was eligible for discounted upgrade price.
resistance was futile
Then, inevitably, she suggested I read an ebook she enjoyed. I did, and discovered that this new fangled digital book stuff was pretty neat. In a device lighter than a small paperback one could carry a library shelf’s worth of books. But not neat enough to replace the free books one could pick up from the library. (That’s not to say I’ve been reading much lately, what with work, the gym, making dinner, and the normal busyness of life.)
Then libraries got into the act, lending ebooks. Amazon launched the free Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
And a Kindle, the standard version without whistles and bells (and perhaps better fitting my grudging adoption of tech), arrived last month as a late birthday gift. I’ve since read three books and have begun to read the original “Dracula,” one of many books that was always on my reading list. Another upside to the Kindle: my dad can no longer crow about his library system’s mailing of books to patrons. A few clicks and 60 seconds later is all it takes to download my next book.
It doesn’t bother me that I took so long for me to jump on the bandwagon. Guess when it comes to tech, I’m just too cheap smart to jump in first thing.
I pushed the abilities of the ol’ bean again. After an impromptu decision much thinking the wife and I opted to leave behind the unrefined masses Microsoft Windows to share one computer manufactured by a particular Cupertino, Calif.-based company.
I’ve always known that all computer systems, Apple OS- or Windows- or anything else-based, come with their own quirks, often the result of one person or a committee deciding they know the best method to accomplish a goal or reach an outcome. Switching from a WinPC to Apple’s iMac wasn’t something I took too lightly. But in the end, I didn’t assign this task enough weight.
Setting up the 24” iMac was easy enough, and it sure is nice to have a computer contained in a single unit. And it wasn’t too difficult to get it on the wireless network. Even moving mail from Outlook files to Apple Mail was relatively easy. The wife and I also found an easy way to share calendars.
Along the way we (or maybe just I) decided that it would be pretty cool efficient to place our combined iTunes libraries on an external drive and to hook that drive up to the new Apple Airport Extreme router. (Kudos to Apple for making the connection of WinPCs to an Apple network relatively painless.) After reading instructions on moving iTunes libraries, seemingly made more complex than necessary, everything was sync’d up.
Also got Windows XP running on the iMac via Parallels…software that allows the running of a “virtual machine,” on to which Windows is installed. Cool stuff!
Things were looking good.
Next step, change the TiVo settings to bring both units onto the new network. “Uh oh” or something like that came under my breath.
Both TiVos were using old-school 802.11b wireless connections…the Apple router was running 802.11g with a WPA2-encrypted password. I know y’all understand what that means. (Hint: The old TiVo adapters couldn’t handle WPA encryption.)
A week later, with two new wireless “G” adapters are playing nice with the TiVos, but a new concern claws around inside my head. Somewhere along the line I neglected to verify that the wife’s netbook had an up-to-date wireless connection. I try it. After ten minutes, it’s not connected. “Darn,” I think to myself, or something like that. Another try, this time leaving the Apple Airport software running and attempting to connect. Fifteen minutes later, it’s on the Apple network. Everyone’s happy. I do the white-boy, wiggle-your-butt dance.
Ends up the switch to an iMac is more like think-and-play than plug-and-play. But the fun has begun.
Forget the too-weak magnifying glass on the fly tying vise…we’re gonna need a microscope.
And no fish will be safe.
While others resort to fishing the foul-smelling irrigation ditches — brownlining — close to home in the off season, I’m betting my marbles on “buckypaper” for that smallest of fly rods…maybe a size .01 wt¹ for those guppies in my fish tank. (It’d all be catch and release, of course.)
A thin nanotech “buckypaper” developed in a Florida lab offers a super-thin material 10 times lighter and about 500 times stronger than steel when it’s stacked in sheets to form a composite. This “paper” is made from tube-shaped carbon molecules 50,000 times thinner than a human hair, so putting a few of these tubes together should yield a dandy super-ultra-lightweight fly rod.
The problem will be tying those size 44² flies in a “flake” pattern.
¹ For non fly fishers, the smallest fly rod currently is a 0 wt.
² Roughly one-eighth of an inch long, maybe smaller?
fishing for words 