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I know what you’re thinking and no, unfortunately no one has created an app to access the D-STAR digital amateur radio network from an iOS (iPhone, iPad) device.  At least not yet.  But there is an app to help you know who’s online and what repeaters are near your location.  The app is called DSTAR and is available via the iTunes App Store.  Now please sit down and brace yourself for the cost.  Yes, the D-STAR app for iOS devices is $9.99 USD. 

Yes, I know what you are also thinking.  I would have to agree.  The app is a bit pricey.  While I certainly don’t expect someone talented enough to develop an app and make it available for free.  There is a certain spirit of amateur radio which I do agree with.  This spirit is of sharing and helping.  After all the Echolink app for iOS devices is absolutely free.  I even blogged about this app here.  But I digress, after all this blog post is not about the absolutely free Echolink app, but about the D-STAR app.

Before I get started, please allow me to add a brief disclaimer.  The review I’m providing was not solicited by the developer/manufacturer of the product.  I purchased the product the exact same way anyone else would and whether or not the developer/manufacturer of the product reads this blog posting is none of my concern.  I do not rate products by assigning it a value of x number of stars and I typically do not suggest whether you should consider buying or avoiding.  I provide as detailed of a description as possible and let you decide if is something you can’t live without.

I guess I’m a sucker for amateur radio related apps.  I practically live by my iPhone and iPad and every few weeks I do a search for amateur radio and ham radio in the iTunes app store.  I typically download and test just about everything free and if something catches my eye that is not free, if I think I can use it, I’ll buy it.  This is how I came to own the D-STAR app. 

The D-STAR app opens to the menu screen and you’ll see seven different menu options.  These options are Last Heard, Last Heard Map, Repeaters Near Me Map, Repeaters Near Me List, All Stations List, Settings and Disclaimer.  By the way, the app is the same regardless if you are using it on the iPhone or iPad. 

Let’s explore the Settings option first.  The screen is fairly self-explanatory.  My Call is your callsign and My Repeater is the local repeater you typically connect to.  For some reason the app doesn’t appear to retain the My Repeater information.  Auto-load on start is on and Minutes of data I also left at the default setting.

Since the local repeaters in my area are all located in the Rocky Mountain foothills (about 40 miles or so from Denver) I had to adjust the “Near me radius” out some from the default setting.  I opted to set it at 100 miles just in my testing.  Finally I turned on the “convert Km to Miles” as being an American…that just works better for me.  Again, other than My Repeater, the app remembers the rest of the settings each time I launch it.

The next few screens I’ll show you are all fairly self-explanatory as well.  The Last Heard is simply a list of the stations “last heard” on the D-STAR network.  This is the same data which populates on the d-starusers.org website, which has always been a good resource to check which users are active etc. 

One note about the Disclaimer screen (which I’m not going to show).  The developer of the app reminds us “the information we see on the Last Heard page is made possible by the system admins who have installed the DStarMonitor program on their gateway computer systems.”  I guess some system admins may not have installed this software and therefore the ability for you to see active users or even yourself may not work.  I guess it is safe to say if you see this data on the d-starusers.org site, then all should work on this app as well.

The Last Heard map provides a visual representation of users based on location.  If you touch a pin, it’ll provide you the callsign and the location of the station. 

  The Repeaters Near Me List (not shown) looks much like the Last Heard list.  It just lists out the D-STAR repeaters near you based on the settings you established in the settings screen (near me radius).  The Repeaters Near Me Map (shown left) might be more helpful to review first.  You’ll see your location based on the green pin and the repeaters near you in red.  Clicking a pin provides the repeater name and frequencies.  You can then switch to the list view for even more information and repeater capabilities.

By the way, both the Last Heard List (of stations) and Repeaters Near Me list can be easily exported from the iOS device and sent via email.  Also, you can drill down into a individual station and even touch a callsign for QRZ.com details about the individual station.  This just simply opens a browser screen and you see the QRZ profile data just the same as you would from a regular PC. 

I believe I will find more use for this app when operating mobile or traveling.  When operating from home, it’s just too easy to get this same data from a regular PC when I’m in the shack.

In closing, the price of this app is going to seriously turn a lot of hams away.  Yes, I realize most everything having to do with D-STAR already has more cost associated to it than non D-Star equipment.  It is perhaps unfair for me to suggest what this app might be worth.  After all, I did pay full price for it.  But perhaps the developer would actually sell more copies of the app for a less expensive price and actually turn a larger profit.  But this is simply just my opinion.

I’ve owned the app for about two months and the developer has pushed out one upgrade which contained some bug fixes and the enhancement to export the list data via email.  I’m hopeful this means the app is still being developed and while I’ve found no bugs in functionality, future updates might contain additional functionality.

Until next time….Thank you for reading.

73 de KD0BIK/AE

As I recently blogged, I purchased the DV Access Point Dongle a few weeks ago.  It really came down to trying to do something to enhance my interest in D-STAR or sell my ICOM IC-92AD.  I was first introduced to D-STAR back in early 2008 and purchased the IC-92AD in the fall of 2008.  I spent the first several months having QSO’s on the local repeaters with the growing number of D-STAR users in the Rocky Mountain region.  But I’ll admit I did get a little bored with just speaking with the same group of guys.  I mean no disrespect, but I never really got into the local VHF/UHF repeater scene.  I think I would have more interest in local repeater operation if I had a longer commute.  But with less than 5 minutes in the car, there’s just no time to try. 

Anyway, a few months ago I grabbed the D-STAR radio and re-educated myself on how to use it and connected to the local Denver repeater and connected to the REF005 London repeater. I really enjoyed just listening with that reflector dialed up in the background.  Not wanting to tie up the local repeater just for my enjoyment, I began looking into the DV Dongle and the DV Access Point Dongle.  I was first leaning towards the DV Dongle as I figured I would do more listening that actual talking and it could just play in the background.  I could use my IC-92AD when I wanted to QSO.  But as I began comparing the two dongles (no dongle is created equal) I began leaning more towards the DV Access Point Dongle with the ability to still use my radio. 

It didn’t take long before I had a short list of ideas on how the DVAP would come in handy around the house and in the office.  In the office I work in a lab which is a RF black hole.  Nothing comes in and nothing gets out.  I could take the DVAP and my IC-92AD to the office and either just listen or perhaps even strike up some QSO’s during lunch.

If you’re not familiar with the DV Access Point D-STAR Dongle, it is a simple looking little device that connects to your PC via USB and allows you from your D-STAR radio to connect into the D-STAR network via the Internet.    The DVAP has a small antenna and transmits at a mere 10mw.  But the nagging question was just how far will 10mw travel?

I had read many blog postings from other hams who were enjoying the world of D-STAR from their DV Access Point.  They were finding out they could successfully operate from other rooms, the back deck, the back yard and even to the henhouse as in the case of my friend, Tim Kirby G4VXE in the United Kingdom.

Now before I go any further, allow me to type out some fine print.  The DV Access Point Dongle is truly designed to provide a licensed ham the ability to connect to the D-STAR network from inside and around their home or location.  It is not intended to be used as a neighborhood D-STAR repeater and send RF signals across the neighborhood or across town. 

Having said all of the above, I still wanted to know the range.  My ham shack is in my basement.  With the DVAP setup and using the little stubby stock antenna, I tested by walking all around my basement, then going upstairs to the ground level, then upstairs to the second floor and then finally on my back deck and courtyard.  No issues.

Like many, the experimentation aspect of the hobby is something I enjoy.  I don’t have a lot of time to build radios and living in such an antenna restricted neighborhood, I don’t have a lot of need to build and experiment with antenna design.  So my eagerness to know just how far I could move away from my QTH really excited me.  I know I’m a nerd…but if you’re reading this so are you.

So I decided to connect the DV Access Point Dongle up to my Diamond X-30A external VHF/UHF antenna.  This antenna is attached to the side of my house where a Directv satellite dish once was mounted.  The antenna works great for working the front range repeaters (including the D-STAR repeaters) and I’ve also managed to hear ARISSat-1 via this stationary antenna.  As a point of reference, the antenna is approx. 16 feet off the ground and it does not stick up above the roofline.  It is totally hidden from view of neighbors and as such it not as efficient as it could/should be.

With no other modifications to the DVAP, I connected it to the external antenna and hopped in the car to go to the grocery store.  From my QTH to the grocery store parking lot (based on Google Earth measurements) as the crow flies or the RF travels, it is .75 miles, 1.20 kilometers, 3,941 feet, 1201 meters…I think you get the idea.  I honestly figured I wouldn’t make it out of my neighborhood.  As I reached the end of my street I was able to do a successful echo test.  I continued up the road and to the exit of my neighborhood.  Another echo test proved successful.  I then proceeded down the street towards the grocery store and with IC-92AD in hand and in the car I did another successful  echo test.  I reached the grocery store parking lot, stepped outside and conducted the final echo test….yep successful.  I was .75 miles from my QTH and had solid copy on the echo test to the DVAP dongle.

Again…let me add the fine print.  The DV Access Point Dongle is intended to provide the licensed amateur radio operator access to the D-STAR network in and around their house/yard.  It is not intended to provide connectivity at 3/4 of a mile away. 

I was short on time this particular day and plan to conduct further testing to determine the limit.  The neighborhood I live in is relatively old with tall, mature trees.  Another test in the dead of winter might also prove to provide additional range since less foliage on trees will get in the way.  A final testing to just fulfill my interests will be as far as I take the range experiment.  I’m not interested in trying to amplify the 10mw signal as I believe that is taking the DVAP in a direction not intended by its developer.  However, the next time I go to the community pool which is located just about 100 yards from my QTH, I believe the IC-92AD might just come along.

Look for an updated blog post on the additional range testing to see if I can go a full mile.  I’ve read reports from hams in the NY area who have been successful at one mile in all directions (N, E, S, W).  I may just wait until winter to try this as I stated above. Finally, I do want to do a little testing to see just how this setup could perform in a portable setup using an AT&T 3G data card.  I’ve certainly read blog posts from other hams stating they have had no issues with a configuration like this.  Again, it’s more to fulfill my experimental interests. 

Until next time…

73 de KD0BIK

The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast (PARP) is an amateur radio or ham radio podcast I created in 2008.  Like many, I discovered podcasts when I purchased my first iPod and was introduced to the world of iTunes.  I subscribed to many podcasts in those early days but it wasn’t until after I got my ham ticket in 2007 that I discovered amateur radio related podcasts.  I decided to launch PARP as a mechanism for giving back to the hobby I love so much.  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast is a podcast about all things ham radio.  While geared towards the brand new ham or someone interested in getting into the hobby, I do cover a wide range of topics which have even inspired individuals who have been in the hobby for many years, to try out and find they truly enjoy some of the newer modes.

If I remember correctly, I created this blog several months before the podcast was born.  While both have suffered over the years due to my sometimes hectic work and life schedule, I’ve tried to keep both going and never allow either to duplicate each other.  I really think of this blog as more of an extension of my radio hobby and the podcast more of the educational mechanism for Elmering new and prospective hams alike. 

In any event, I just released my 45th episode and you can download it via iTunes (just search for the practical amateur radio podcast) or you can stream it direct from my podcast website.  A site designed for smart phone users is also available.  The topic for episode 45 of the Practical Amateur Radio Podcast is, So you have your technician class license, now what?  I encourage the newly licensed ham to join a local club in his/her area and get involved.  In addition, I’m a strong supporter of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and encourage all to join and support this organization.  I also share many of the exciting things a new tech class license holder can get involved with. 

As it is with every episode, I encourage all listeners to share the knowledge learned through my podcast episodes with others.  The Practical Amateur Radio Podcast, creating Elmers one podcast at a time. 

73,

Jerry
KD0BIK

This is certainly not the first blog posting to be written about the D-STAR Access Point Dongle (DVAP).  If you Google the subject you’ll find many.  I would like to thank Tim Kirby, G4VXE for his excellent blog postings regarding the subject of the DVAP and his time in helping answer a few questions I had regarding the product. 

Let me start off by answering the question of why, why did I purchase the DVAP?  Yes, I am extremely fortunate to live in a part of the county which has several excellent D-STAR repeaters.  As a matter of fact, we have repeaters both here in Denver (W0CDS) and one down in Monument, Colorado (W0TLM) serving the greater Colorado Springs area.  From just about any point in Denver, including my home shack (via external antenna) I can connect to the Denver machines and generally anywhere south of Denver can hit the Monument system.  So again, why do I need the DVAP device?

This is partly answered by saying my biggest interest in D-STAR is not for local rag chew.  I much prefer to either just listen in on an active reflector or conduct short QSO’s or even rag chews with a hams around the world.  It has been my experience that our local D-STAR repeaters are often used for local rag chew sessions.  Again, sometimes I just enjoy listening in on an active reflector and hear hams from the other side of the world talk about whatever they are talking about.  The DVAP allows me to essentially connect to any D-STAR reflector I choose and I can listen without interruption or without tying up the local repeaters for just my listening enjoyment.  Of course, I can also contribute to the conversations as well and I do enjoy that aspect about D-STAR over Echolink or IRLP.

You might be wondering exactly what the DVAP is and how it works?  Another great question.  You may have heard of the DV Dongle which came out a few years ago.  It was a little blue box which connected to your PC and allowed up to use a PC headset and microphone to access the D-STAR network. The DVAP is almost the same thing.  Notice I said almost.  It does connect to a PC or Mac, but you must also own a D-STAR capable transceiver.  I have the ICOM IC-92AD. 

In my case, the IC-92AD controls all aspects of the DV Access Point Dongle and functions much the same way as my local D-STAR repeater.  The DVAP is essentially my own personal D-STAR repeater/gateway system.  I can setup my memories in the IC-92AD to connect to, communicate with and disconnect from all the reflectors on the D-STAR global system.   The DVAP has a built-in antenna and is capable of transmitting at 10mw on the 2m amateur band.  The range of the DVAP is designed to cover a range of up to 100 yards.  Depending on a few variables your results may vary.  In my application I plan for now to just operate it indoors with the stock antenna.  Of course, I’ll test with my outside mounted 2m antenna at some point to see just how far I can walk away from my QTH and still be able to use the DVAP.  But the general application is mainly inside my home and perhaps on the back deck or courtyard.

As you can tell from the photo above, the DV Access Point Dongle is relatively small.  Inside the box you you’ll find the DVAP module with antenna attached, a user guide and a USB cable.  The user guide explains briefly about the operation of the DVAP and points you to the DVAP Support Website.  From the DVAP website you’ll find additional “how to” material and links to the various software you’ll need to download and install. 

Because I had done some homework on my own before hand, and again thanks to Tim for answering a few questions, I was setup and fully functional in about 10 minutes.  During this 10 minutes I downloaded the software and drivers, unpacked the DVAP from the box, connected it to a laptop running Windows 7 and programmed a few memories to connect to the UK reflector.  I’ve been playing around with the DVAP and getting my memories setup on the IC-92AD for about an hour and am really pleased with the DVAP.  As I stated, I’ll do some more testing and will make sure to blog about my experiences.  Currently I’m using the DVAP tool which is what you’ll find on the DVAP support website.  I do have plans to test another client which offers a little more functionality and allows you to connect direct to reflectors from the software client versus the need to setup from the radio.  But I wanted to first checkout this client first.

As I stated earlier, I do have a few tests I want to complete.  First, I’ll connect the DVAP to my external 2m antenna which is mounted just below my roof line.  It might be interesting to know just how far I can walk away from my QTH and still be in communication to the DVAP.  Remember the DVAP transmits at 10mw.

I also want to check out the other software client which I briefly discussed.  I also plan to setup additional memories on the IC-92AD for other D-STAR reflectors.  I’d like to see how it all works from my office location.  I do work in a lab which is somewhat of an RF black hole.  It might be nice to take the setup to work and enjoy some D-STAR QSO’s during my lunch break.  Finally, I plan to test the range of the DVAP by attaching my external 2m antenna and walking around the neighborhood.  This will probably just a be a one-time test to fulfill my curiosity of just how far 10mw will truly go.  I also have plans to test to see how well it would perform when connected to my 3G AT&T data card.  This could be useful on longer road trips where either I don’t take along HF gear or just to supplement my operation.  I’m sure I’ll share my experiences via this blog site.

But for now, it will come in handy in the shack.  Speaking of which, I just finished my first QSO on the DVAP while connected to the USA Reflector 001, module C with N9ZGE – Don in Springfield, IL.  I was his first D-STAR contact and he was my first DVAP contact.  Best of luck to Don as he continues making those D-STAR contacts.

If you would like to learn more about the exciting D-STAR digital mode, please read this.

Until next time…

73 de KD0BIK

Like so many fellow hams I follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+, yesterday I sat glued to a small 6 inch window which showed the events unfolding up at the ISS (International Space Station) during the launch attempt of the ARISSat-1, amateur radio satellite.  The 6 inch window was a browser window I had sized to fit in the upper corner of my screen so I could also still work. 

I had heard of the ARISSat-1 launch a few days before and to be honest at the time I wasn’t aware of just how the satellite would be launched.  The past few days have been busy for me at work and the assumption was it would blast into orbit on the back of  a Titan rocket along with other payload.  It really wasn’t until I began streaming the NASA channel (since Comcast doesn’t offer it) that I realized the event wasn’t going to be as “eventful” as I had first thought.

My morning started off busy like most and the spacewalk had already begun by the time I settled in to watch.  The two Russian spacewalkers were already outside of the ISS with ARISSat-1 in hand.  I heard mention ARISSat-1 weighs in at 70 pounds and appeared to be about the size of a toaster oven.  At one point the satellite was un-tethered and  perhaps moments from being launched when it became clear something was missing from the satellite.  The missing item was the 70cm UHF uplink antenna.

This immediately caused a flurry of conversation on Twitter and Google+ regarding what happened to the 70cm antenna.  Really unsure just how the ARISSat-1 arrived to the ISS, I tweeted “I wonder if anyone found an extra antenna in the glove box of Atlantis STS-135”.  Others imagined it sitting behind some books or boxes on someone’s desk back on Earth.  Of course, it could have easily been floating around in the ISS.  We later heard an update which ruled out the missing antenna was on Atlantis as the ARISSat-1 arrived some time ago on board a Russian supply mission. 

The launch of ARISSat-1 was the first of several projects to be completed during the EVA.  The Russian spacewalkers eventually returned the satellite to the holding bay and started work on project number 2 which was to install a laser based communication system.  The comedy of errors continued.  At one point one of the two Russian spacewalkers either unscrewed a wing nut or was trying to attach a wing nut.  It went missing and was then discovered floating off into the deepest, darkest depths of space.  More space junk?

This little boo-boo spurred more chuckles on social media and the entire event sort of reminded many of us of a typical field day weekend.  It also reminded me of the time I had left my house on a Saturday morning for a DAREC training meeting.  We were meeting just a few miles away from my house and I was extremely early.  So early that I realized I had my hand-held, but no antenna.  I quickly returned home to grab the antenna and still made it to the meeting with time to spare.  Of course…returning to Earth to pickup the 70cm antenna was out of the question and this was well outside of the scope of “What can brown (UPS) do for you”?

My morning soon turned into lunchtime and I had a 12:30 dentist appt.  By the time I arrived back home it was a little after 2 PM.  I checked in with friends on Twitter to learn they had launched ARISSat-1 successfully without the 70cm antenna.  This left many of us on earth scratching our heads.  I saw this posted on Google+ “It appears that ARISSat-1 was deployed…without the UHF antenna. My brain keeps saying WTF?”

While I (and many) found humor and poked fun at the events unfolding some 240nm above Earth, the brave men and women (regardless of nationality) are true modern day pioneers.  The duties performed are as important as those performed hundreds of years ago by names like Columbus, Magellan, Lewis & Clark and two brothers named Wright.  These duties are performed in an environment which very few could or would even want to journey.  Thank you to all these modern day pioneers for what you contribute to the rest of us on Earth.

As I said, once I returned around 2:15 PM MT, ARISSat-1 was tumbling away from the ISS.  I guess the decision to launch without the 70cm antenna was weighed against the next scheduled EVA wasn’t until February 2012.  It was confirmed the missing antenna will have no impact to the satellites ability to transmit to stations on earth, and receiving capabilities will only be marginally impacted.  ARISSat-1 was given a gentle push by one of the two Russian spacewalkers and it began its 1-3 month journey.

Hams all around the world began pointing their antennas to the sky in hopes of receiving the signals from ARISSat-1.  Images like the one below slowly began making their way into social media streams.  This one received by Peter Goodhall, 2E0SQL in the United Kingdom.  This was a low elevation pass, but clearly shows the onboard cameras are active and audio was also received.  Similar images and audio have been received by many other hams and will continue to do so for many weeks to follow.

If you would like to learn more about the ARISSat-1 Satellite and working satellites in general, please check out the AMSAT website.  You might also find this document a helpful read.  In the US, hams holding at least a technician class license can operate most amateur radio satellites with nothing more than a dual-band hand-held transceiver and an external antenna.  There are many plans available on the internet (Google is your friend) on how to construct your own.  Also, the Arrow II satellite antenna is used by many hams (including myself).  Check out this link for this antenna and watch videos by Randy Hall, K7AGE.  Randy also produces many other helpful “how to” videos and makes them available on his Youtube channel.  Please check them out.

Until next time…

73 de KD0BIK

Google+ is the latest entry in the social media web applications taking the world by storm.  It’s been around for a little over a month and is gaining some attention.  I believe it is still in beta form and you can only gain access to the service via an invite from another existing user.  More about that in a minute.

Yes it might be possible that you have already hit your limit of the number of social media sites you will join and use.  Like many hams, I tend to frequent Twitter and Facebook only.  But Google+ is gaining more of my attention, especially over Facebook.

Facebook privacy concerns have always been something I’ve thought about.  I know some folks just flat out will not join Facebook or they cancelled their accounts for this very reason.  I tend to operate under the idea that I won’t say or talk about anything on Facebook that I would be afraid for my Mother or Grandmother to read.  But with Facebook you really don’t have a lot of control with who you share what information with. 

An example of this problem is I have a couple of different types of people who follow me on Facebook.  I have hams (like you), family and old class mates.  If I log onto Facebook and talk about how excited I was to work the STS-135 special event station, about half of my followers won’t or care to understand what I’m talking about. 

Google+ changes all this.  When you setup Google+ you add people you know or want to know better into circles.  Think of them as a circle of friends.  I’ve setup circles based on ham radio, geocaching, flight simulation, family and friends.  When I decide to post something on Google+ I can decide which of my circles to direct that message to.  This functionality helps prevent the information overload effect of broadcasting every thought to every person you follow.

There are other advantages to Google+ which I’ve not covered.  I wanted to keep this blog posting short and sweet.  If you are a ham and would like an invite to Google+, please contact me (my email address is on QRZ) and I’ll be more than happy to send you an invite and add you to my amateur radio circle.

Until next time…

73 de KD0BIK

Olga and I returned yesterday from a long weekend in Birmingham. That sounds like one of those joke competition prizes doesn’t it? “First prize, a week’s holiday in Birmingham, second prize two weeks!” But that would be unfair to Britain’s second largest city. It was the first time either of us had visited it and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but we liked it a lot. It is clean, modern and prosperous and there are entertainments and amusements to suit all tastes.

We went to a ballet at the Hippodrome Theatre, a concert at the Symphony Hall, visited the National Sea Life Centre, the Botanical Gardens, Winterbourne House and Gardens and the art gallery and museum. But on Saturday night the place was heaving with squealing teenage girls wearing clothes so skimpy, despite the near freezing temperatures, that I was concerned for their health. They were there for a concert by someone called Justin Bieber, whom we had never heard of, but who is apparently the current teenage heart-throb.

I didn’t take a ham radio. I looked at the APRS map for Birmingham and it appeared to be a bit of an RF desert. The only repeater near enough the centre to be accessible using a handheld was D-Star. So I decided to save a bit of weight and space in my suitcase and give the hobby a break.

I switched off my mobile when we went into the theatre on Friday evening (to avoid the embarrassment of it ringing during the performance) and didn’t switch it on again until Monday when we were preparing to leave. That wasn’t a deliberate intention to be incommunicado so much as absent mindedness. I didn’t miss it, so it never crossed my mind to switch it back on. Having grown up in a house that didn’t have a home phone, and having only been persuaded a few years ago that a mobile would be useful “just for emergencies”, it has never concerned me that when I am away from home I am out of touch.

But it seems to me that many people can’t bear to be disconnected for half an hour, never mind a weekend. On the bus, on the train, walking along the street, even in the theatre during the interval people were staring at the tiny screens held in front of their face. There is a TV advert – I think it’s for the iPad – in which, apparently without irony, people are shown clustered round a screen while a fabulous view or famous building goes unnoticed in the background. In the Birmingham Botanical Gardens one woman appeared engrossed in interacting with her Blackberry whenever we saw her, ignoring the plants. Do these people ever switch off? If you are constantly connected, receiving a continual stream of information which you must absorb or respond to, when do you get time to think, to dream, to appreciate the real world around you?

Technology was supposed to be our slave, helping us to do things more easily. But it seems to have become a drug. The technology itself is amazing, but for me the most important feature is the ability to switch it off.