Use of technology is making me forget things

I was thinking about how dependent I have become on technology and I simply cannot imagine my life without it. Let me confess that I had a bad dream last night around what would happen to me if technology is taken away from me. Yeeeks .. Pretty scarrry…. I am actually curious to hear from you on what other skills you are forgetting because of extensive use of technology in your life?

• I used to be good at reading maps. I am slowly forgetting the skill to use maps, fold maps and search for quickest routes to get to my destination. I am doing to be "navigationally impaired" because I depend on my GPS to get me anywhere. I don't even have a map book in my car anymore --- I don't know what will happen to me if my GPS stops working.
• I used to be pretty good at remembering phone numbers. I no longer use that memory skill anymore. I am now completely dependent on my cell phone - phone book and I also use the voice activated blue tooth in my car to call people. I don't know what will happen to me if I am lost somewhere without my cell phone and I can't remember any phone numbers to call for HELP! (Note to self - remember a few important numbers).
• I used to be pretty good at writing letters. I am now completely dependent on a word processor and email. The only time my pen touches a paper is when I have to sign. I have become a slave of spell checkers and email. I don't even shop for greeting cards anymore. It is all done online. I have not posted (snail mailed) a letter or a card to anyone in many many years. I am really scared if someone takes away my email and a word processor and forces me to write a real letter.
• I used to be pretty good with numbers. I could pretty much do complex math/ calculations on paper. I used to be really proud that I could use logarithmic tables to perform complex divisions. I have now become "math challenged". I am now totally dependent on a calculator. I look for a calculator on my phone or my computer even to do simple math. I really don't know what will happen to me if I have to solve a complex math problem on paper.
• I used to be pretty good at remembering birthdays, and other important dates for my family and friends. I now use services like Amazon birthday reminders and facebook birthday reminders. I have even scheduled reminders for my wife's birthday on Amazon and I get a email 1 week before and on the day of her birthday -- just so that I don't forget. Oh my god, what would happen to me if that service is taken away from me. I know I will be in big trouble.
• I used to be pretty good at finding the meaning of words using a dictionary. I don't own a dictionary or a thesaurus anymore. I am completely dependent on the web to find the meaning of words or use a word processor to find synonyms, etc. I am now completely dependent on a word processor program.
• I used to be pretty good at organizing tasks, remembers things-to-do, etc. I now use my email calandar, google calendar and task lists to manage my life. Everything in my life is a task or a calendar item -- work priorities, reponding to emails, doctor appointments, travel plans, dinner with my wife, strecth break, tea break .. everything I have to do should be reminded. I don't think I can get anything done without it being on the task list. I am a task list/calendar addict.
• I used to be good at remembering email addresses and web site URLs. I am now totally dependent on google to take me to a website or use bookmarks. I use email contact list to find people and remember only a very few email addresses. If I lose my email contact list, I know I will be doomed.
• I used to be pretty good at finding the right books in the library and used to enjoy setting in the library and doing my reasearch. I have not stepped into a library in ages to conduct research. I am completely dependent on the web to find the information I want. Take away the internet from me and I will be really hard pressed to do anything. I might have seizures with extreme withdrawal symptoms.
• I used to enjoy scanning/reading the newspaper and I used to actually eagerly wait for one to be delivered everyday in the morning. I now only read news online. Especially after my Amazon kindle addiction… I am afraid that I will eventually forget how it feels like to hold a real book or a printed newspaper.
• I used to be good at finding new music. I used to enjoy going to the music store to look for new music. I am now completely dependent on iTunes and Pandora radio to help me find new music I like. I only buy music online. I have not bought a music CD in a long long time.
• I used to depend on my friends for advice on buying things or for movie suggestions. I am now completely dependent on online user reviews for buying things and deciding on which movie to go watch.
• I used to be good at calling my friends and talking to them regularly. I only send facebook messages or write on orkut scrapbook or IM or send an email. I don't think I can recognize voices anymore, I hate when somebody calls and asks me .. "can you guess who this is" - sorry, I have lost that skill.

I am not sure how long I can actually survive without any technology, PC, cellphone, email or web. It will be a nice experiment. I think I will survive with the help of some therapy and support groups, but I won't be happy about it. What scares me the most is that I see a new generation of kids growing up without even learning any of the skills I am afraid of losing. I don't know if it is a good or a bad thing.

The AMD Opteron™ Processor for High-end Embedded Designs

The AMD Opteron™ Processor for High-end Embedded Designs

Providing a balanced approach to embedded system design

The AMD Opteron™ processor provides a breakthrough in high-performance, low power processing for edge-of-enterprise markets including storage and telecommunications, as well as more traditional embedded markets such as security and medical imaging, military systems, and single-board computing.

AMD64 technology with Direct Connect Architecture provides a balanced foundation for embedded systems. Based on the industry-standard x86 platform, AMD64 delivers the right match of processing power, memory performance, I/O throughput, and scalability. Add the vision of 32- and 64-bit application support with native multi-core computing in a consistent thermal envelope and many embedded designers are finding their next-generation systems deliver record-breaking application performance.

What can a leading processor platform offer?

AMD Opteron processors with Direct Connect Architecture can improve overall system performance and efficiency by helping eliminate traditional bottlenecks inherent in legacy architectures where legacy front-side buses restrict and interrupt the flow of data. With AMD Opteron processors, there are no front-side buses. Instead, the processors, memory, and I/O are directly connected to the CPU and communicate at CPU speed. Further, the integrated memory controller dramatically reduces memory latency while HyperTransport™ technology delivers the industry’s highest I/O bandwidth. Data speeds through the system without encountering the traditional front-side bus bottleneck of competing x86 platforms. In addition to the architectural benefits inherent in Direct Connect Architecture, the AMD Opteron processor offers the following unique advantages for high-end embedded systems:

HyperTransport technology provides up to 24.0GB/s peak bandwidth per processor

On-die integrated memory controller offers available memory bandwidth up to 10.7GB/s (with DDR2-667) per processor

Hardware assisted AMD Virtualization™ in AMD Opteron processors with DDR2 helps streamline the efficiency of multiple servers and provides virtual machine memory isolation for improved security

AMD PowerNow!™ technology with Optimized Power Management can deliver performance on demand while minimizing power consumption

DDR2-based platforms can upgrade to quad-core AMD Opteron processors when they are available in 2007 within existing power and thermal envelopes for significantly better performance-per-watt

Reliable, scalable

It’s a fact that reliability is key in selecting embedded system components. AMD Opteron processors are NEBS-friendly, supporting telecommunications industry requirements for reliability. AMD64 technology provides features like Error Correcting Code (ECC) and JTAG interfaces for effective debug during system development. Additionally, Direct Connect Architecture requires fewer chips on the motherboard, further enhancing a system’s overall reliability. The AMD Opteron processor provides unique scalability options with glueless multi-processing from one socket (2 core) to 8 socket (16 core) systems. This, combined with AMD64’s reliability, helps provide an embedded design that can give customers a long-range plan for the life cycle of their systems.

Beyond outstanding processors: Longevity, exceptional design support, quick time to market The AMD64 Longevity Program ensures that the high-performance processors you select for an embedded design will be available for a longer than standard time frame. AMD understands the unique requirements of the embedded market and our AMD64 Longevity Program is in place to maximize the available choice of leadingedge x86 processors – delivering a wide range of performance, power, thermal, and packaging features. AMD has a strong design support program in place. From RDKs to extensive and readily available documentation to a suite of leading debug tools, our goal is to make your design cycle quick and efficient, and to help you get your embedded products on the market quickly. Add this to the improved time to market achieved with utilizing commercial off-the-shelf products like the industry-standard x86 AMD Opteron processor.

What about performance-per-watt?

It’s a growing concern from the data center to embedded systems – how to increase computing performance without incurring excess power draw, additional cooling requirements, or taking up more space in either real estate or form factor. AMD was first to recognize that the processor could offer part of the solution in reducing total cost of ownership. • Microprocessor architecture – AMD64 processor design helps reduce the overall system power budget with integration of the North Bridge, while multi-core processors offer increased performance, with higher compute density and scalability • Low power processors – AMD provides a stable,

consistent roadmap with a variety of wattage options • Low operational costs – reduced power draw and heat

dissipation means lower data center energy costs. Features like AMD PowerNow!™ technology with Optimized Power Management delivers performance on demand and minimizes power consumption • AMD Opteron processors with DDR2 offer a seamless upgrade path to quad-core computing in the same power and thermal envelope