A sampling of some of the most interesting items that caught my eye over the last week.
KODAK GOT THE DIGITAL PICTURE TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
Here’s an interesting article on how Kodak, author of all those famous “Kodak moments,” missed the boat by refusing to accept and adapt to the advent of digital photography.
6 EASY HOW-TO COMPUTER BOOKS FOR NEW TECH USERS
Two books on this list are aimed specifically at us older folks:
- Computers for Seniors: Email, Internet, Photos, and More in 14 Easy Lessons by Chris Ewin, Carrie Ewin, and Cheryl Ewin
- Computers for Seniors For Dummies by Nancy C. Muir
Don’t let the title of that second one get your goat. The For Dummies series is well known and even somewhat loved. When you need information on a subject you know absolutely nothing about, the For Dummies guide is often a good place to start.
Study: Retirees lose by taking Social Security at wrong time
Sarah Skidmore Sell reports for The Associated Press on a new study revealing that many older Americans aren’t maximizing their retirement income from Social Security, which “accounts for about one-third of all income annually received by U.S. retirees.” The study concludes that “optimizing Social Security would improve the lives of millions of retirees,” but there is very little information here about how individuals can figure this out for themselves.
HOW SMART TECH IS HELPING DOCTORS BATTLE DEMENTIA
Mention “dementia research” and most people will probably think of scientists looking for biomedical ways to diagnose, treat and eventually cure degenerative brain diseases. But there is also a burgeoning research program that aims to improve care for the increasing numbers of people living with dementia — estimated at 850,000 in the United Kingdom and 50 million worldwide.
Half of women over 40 say older women in fiction are clichés, survey finds
A recent survey by Gransnet, the UK’s biggest social media site for older people, and publisher HQ (HarperCollins) found that 51% of women over 40 “feel older women in fiction books tend to fall into clichéd roles.” Here are some of the most interest findings from the survey:
- 47% of women over 40 say there are not enough books about middle-aged or older women.
- “when older characters do appear in fiction, half of women (50%) say they’ve seen them being portrayed as baffled by smartphones, computers or the internet – and think it’s insulting.”
- 75% buy their books online.
As a result of the survey findings, Gransnet and HQ are launching a fiction writing competition for women writers over age 40. The article contains more information on both the survey and the writing competition.
© 2019 by Mary Daniels Brown
Retreading for Retirement 