Five Secrets to Holiday Tech Management

CONNECTIONS | by MOLLY MARTIN

IT’S NOVEMBER, so we all know what that means: Cozy gatherings, warm memories,  favorite foods, treasured gifts ― and that feeling of dread about pulling it all together.

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Technology often adds to that overwhelming feeling as the holidays approach, with email backlogs, photos piling up, gadgets not working when you need them the most. But with a little planning, technology can instead be your friend during the holidays.

For your electronics:

• Stock up on batteries. Check all your electronic devices and keep a backup set for each type needed.
• Buy extra storage devices. Memory cards and flash drives have come way down in price that it’s easy to keep a few spares around so you’ll never miss a photo.

For your email:

• Stop deleting unwanted emails and newsletters and start unsubscribing from them. One or two a day will lighten your email load through the holidays and get you off to a fresh start for the New Year.
• Control how often you check email. You have better things to do!
• Create a “holidays” email folder or tag holiday newsletters. Then you’ll be able to easily delete or unsubscribe from them after the season. Or even save them for ideas for next year.