Here at The Plug, we aim to provide exciting and easy-to-digest tech news, tips and reviews. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out a new series, UnPlugged, featuring the voices of thought leaders and influencers in the world of tech and consumer electronics.
This week for our interview series, UnPlugged, we got a chance to chat with Carolyn Nicander Mohr about her blog, The Wonder of Tech.
With 6 years of blogging experience, Carolyn reaches audiences all over the world who share in her passion for consumer electronics and their positive impact on everyday lives. Learn more about the origins of her blogging career, the direction she sees technology is moving in, and what she would love to have a robot for!
Thanks for joining us, Carolyn! Let’s start off by telling our readers how long you have been blogging and who you try to reach with your articles.
As of January 23, I have been blogging for six years at The Wonder of Tech. My site’s target audience is everyone. I write about personal technology that is fun and useful for our everyday lives. As tech becomes an increasingly bigger part of our lives, we need to discover the best tech that can help us. My goal is to find the best personal tech and share it with my readers.
What first inspired you to begin blogging about technology?
I’ve been a tech fan for a long time. When I moved to England 10 years ago from the US, I used tech to help make the move easier and stay connected to people back home. Back then, people didn’t know about Skype or GPS devices. When I told fellow ex-pats that they could make video calls anywhere in the world for free and use GPS to never get lost again, they wanted to know more about tech.
While I was living in England, the iPhone and App Store were introduced. People would share their favorite apps with me and I would tell others.
I began giving presentations to the local American Women’s Club about tech that could help us in our daily lives. When I moved back to the US, people wanted me to continue sharing information about tech so I began The Wonder of Tech.
Technology is moving forward and upward – for some too quickly, for some not quickly enough. What advice do you have for folks who feel overwhelmed by the constant change in technology?
Read The Wonder of Tech! They’re not alone. Many people feel they can’t keep up with tech. My site does just that, finds the best tech and helps to explain it in plain English.
What advice would you give to folks who are uncertain about what and when to purchase anything from mobile phones to smart home devices?
I say that if the tech you have is working well for you, then no need to get new tech. But if new tech offers a feature that would make a big difference in your life, then it could be worth the splurge.
Switching gears a little bit, I read your post about the 6 CES gadgets that could make your world smarter. If you could have any gadget that was revealed at CES this year, what would it be?
The Faraday Future car. That looks so cool! I don’t know if it will ever come to market, but I’m a car fan and that would be amazing to have. Many have guessed that it will sell for nearly $200,000 so I don’t think I’ll ever be getting one!
Based on the trends you saw at the show, is there any technology you can see radically shifting the market in the near future? What are you personally excited about?
Yes, digital assistants. Many new devices presented at CES use Alexa, Amazon’s digital assistant. Robots. I want a robot that will do my laundry!
What are lifestyle trends and habits you believe consumer electronics companies should, but have yet to tap into? What is something you believe would improve efficiencies in your own life?
Apple has a HomeKit app to control smart home products from a single app but many manufacturers of smart home products haven’t yet made their products compatible with HomeKit. At some point, consumers will tire of having to adjust settings from each app and look for HomeKit compatibility. I would love Audible to create an Apple Watch app. I’ve asked them to, but they haven’t agreed to it yet. Audible, if you’re reading this, please do make an Apple Watch app.
Where can readers go to learn more about you and your work? Anything else you’d like to plug?
I also write a personal technology column at Voice of America Learning English. It’s for people who are learning English and want to learn about tech while they learn English. Here is the link.
