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Are Tablets Just For Old People Now?

Older generations are snapping up tablets, but have the kids already moved on to wearable tech?

The average UK household now has ten devices that can connect to the Internet.

Silver surfers are definitely not a myth, with many parents spending nine hours a week online. Older generations are now pretty comfortable using tablets, smart phones and apps.


Clare Newsome, marketing manager of Computers Unlimited, suggests that these silver surfers might be using technology to stay in touch with family and as way of staying young and 'down with the kids'.

On the other hand, Newsome explains that youngsters feel empowered by new technology as, being digital natives, they can teach their parents how to do things for once.

However, the kids still leave adults in their technology wake.

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Older people are the biggest tablet fans

“The fastest growing group of tablet users are over-60s,” Clare Newsome says. “Skype lets them stay in touch with loved ones and learning new things helps keep brains active”.

New machines such as Samsung's Tab S (pictured) are great for older users, as the screen is sharper than the iPad's, and great for reading too.






On top of that, half of pensioners used Facebook with two-thirds of them saying that their children had helped them choose a tablet for staying in touch.

Many older users even have their own smartphones now too. A good example is the Doro 740 which has large keys and a remote-access function so children can help if it goes wrong. Its makers described it as a "phenomenal" hit when it launched.

Maker Doro said demand for the product was high because 80% of older people said they wanted a smartphone to stay in touch with family.

It's plain to see that tech certainly has a place in an older market.


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However, the kids are wearing their tech


Technology is a fast-paced industry which is constently pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

With Samsung already in the smart watch market and Apple rumoured to be joining them, wearable tech is here to stay. Futuristic, wearable gadgets will start to become commonplace in the near futre with youngsters spearheading the shift to these wearable computers.

For example, the NEX Band. It's designed like a charm bracelet and users can customise it with different charms (or 'mods' as they are called) to make it do different things.

Part fashion item, part technology, the upcoming gizmo tells wearers if friends are nearby. Naturally, users are alerted when Facebook messages are received and can even send coded messages.


The emerging world of wearable technology is full of gadgets to appeal to young men. This Fidelys smart watch is a perfect example as it comes complete with a James Bond-style retina-scanner for security.

Youngsters can use it to stay in touch via email and other apps - but no one else can, due to the retina scanner.



Fidelys’s Jung Woon Ryu says, “I came to realise that smart watches are an ideal form factor for iris recognition, because we always look into our watches. Fidelys has a single sign-on application, so once you’ve set your password for each website you don’t have to bother with passwords again. You log in with your iris.”

Pretty cool stuff. No wonder the kids are interested.