Features from Meantime IT

The 10 days of Christmas

Yes, yes, we know the song and and the books say 12, but it’s our tenth anniversary so we’re going with 10. It’s been a theme in our recent newsletter and features: you may remember the 10 things we’ve learnt about business, or our look back at 10 years of IT.

With the festive season upon us, we got to thinking how Christmas has changed since we started Meantime. Whether it’s gifts, entertainment or cooking the dinner, technology has shaped the way we spend our day. Here are 10 things we’ll be doing on the 25th that, like Meantime, didn’t exist a decade ago.
TV

1.) TV

OK, we know TV existed pre-2004. It’s been around for quite some time. But, thanks to advances in IT, sitting around the dinner table in silence while Granny watches the Queen’s speech at an ear-splitting volume is a thing of the past. Now, you – and Granny - can pause, rewind and record live shows on your curved 4K Ultra HD TV. And if little Johnny is missing Elf on the other channel, that’s fine – he can watch it on iPlayer, ITV Player or 4OD. No more rows over who gets to watch what – brillant!

2.) Social media

Ten years ago you may have had to drag an angsty teen away from their marathon MSN messaging session on the family PC in the corner of the room. Now, the whole family will be Tweeting, Whatsapping, Instagraming and updating their Facebook statuses with every present, drink, family row and, of course, the obligatory photo of the Christmas dinner. Social media has revolutionised the way we communicate. But you know what? Sometimes it’s much more social to step away from the screens and enjoy the company you’re in.

3.) Smart phones

smart phonesThe need for the ‘smart’ prefix was dropped long ago. Now, we all expect our phones to take photographs, play music, act as navigators and, occasionally, make a call. Only the photography aficionados will be bothering with cameras as gifts this year, because your phone takes better pictures than that top-of-the-range professional camera you were given 10 years ago. Everyone will spend the day taking selfies, and then when the time comes to drag the kids to Auntie Flo’s, it’s your phone you’ll be asking for directions. "OK Google, give me the shortest route to Scarborough."

4.) Tablets

No, we’re not talking about the Alka Seltzers you reach for after your dinner. Or the Valium you beg the doctor for before your mother-in-law arrives. Even more common than those type of tablets on the big day will be the iPads and the Galaxy Tabs and the Google Nexuses that will be glued to the hands of everyone aged eight to 80. You probably ordered all your presents on a tablet. Some of your presents will be tablets. The kids who will spend their day pestering you to play Angry Birds with them on the tablet Father Christmas left under their tree. Here’s a tip: if you’re worried your loved ones might become a little too attached to their shiny new gift, pre-load it with an alert: "Time to put me down and go and give everyone a hug, or you’ll be going on the naughty list."

5.) Apps

AppsWhat would your smartphones and tablets be without all those handy apps you install on them? Well, yes, apart from cameras, music players, books and sophisticated navigation systems. Shush. Aside from all those things, apps have revolutionised the way we do things. They talk us through fitness regimes, order taxis for us and turn our phones into spirit levels. Apps will also help you through the big day. Take your dinner, for instance. Ten years ago, if you wanted a step-by-step guide to the perfect Christmas dinner, you had to buy a book or rip the recipe pages out of your Sunday supplement. Now, there’s an app that will compare the prices of all the supermarkets to help you get the best deal. Then there’s the allergy app that will scan all the ingredients you buy to make sure they’re safe for your nut-avoiding guests. The ‘cook the perfect Christmas dinner’ app will guide you through every step, with alarms and reminders. And at the end of your day of indulgence, you can download the Couch to 5K app and start making those resolutions.

6.) Music

Once upon a time, there was no mistaking that 12-inch square, flat parcel under the tree. However elaborately wrapped, we knew it was never going to be anything other than music. Then CDs came along but, unless you were Emma Thompson’s character in Love Actually, you still knew you’d be blasting out your favourite band on Christmas morning when you saw that little parcel, rather than unwrapping a diamond necklace (sorry Emma.) Now, the kids just head to iTunes for the latest downloads. At a push, they’ll hand over a gift card or email a code so you can go online and download your favourite tunes. Cheap, yes. Quick, yes. But those kids will never know the pleasure of removing that shiny black disc from its sleeve, poring over the sleeve notes and letting the needle hit the groove. Sob.

7.) Books

Books and KindleIn the olden days, if we wanted to give a book as a gift, we had to buy it from a shop, carry the weighty tome all the way home AND wrap the thing. SO HARD. The receiver of said gift would then have to use their hands to physically lift and turn the pages. I mean, can you really be bothered with all that messing about? Good job the Kindle came along to make our book buying and reading so much easier! Now, for just a few pennies, we can download a gazillion words via the medium of cyberspace and beam them directly to our Kindles. And, when you can download the complete works of Shakespeare onto your super-slim reading device and stick it in your back pocket, why wouldn’t you? Here’s a fun game: pick a member of your family who you know has a house filled with books and ask them that very question. Hours of fun. Hours.

8.) Films

Hand anyone under the age of 20 a DVD box set and they’ll laugh at you. They’ll laugh you all the way out of the room, shouting, "Great gift Grandma, when are you going to give me the typewriter and the gramophone to complete the set of REALLY OLD THINGS NO-ONE USES ANYMORE?"

Seriously, no-one watches DVDs anymore: just ask Blockbuster. No, now it’s all "Let’s watch Breaking Bad on Netflix" this, and "Why don’t we buy the latest blockbuster from iTunes and watch it on our shiny smartphones" that. This Christmas, the entertainment will not be televised. It will be streamed.

9.) YouTube

Got a new gadget as a gift and can’t make it work? Don’t bother with complicated instructions, just check the instructional video someone’s handily uploaded to YouTube. And when you’ve finished watching that, check out your favourite vlogger’s tips on sparkly make-up for the big day. All primed and ready to go? Watch this kitten riding around on a hoover, it’s so lol! And if you’re wondering where the kids are, they’re probably uploading footage of their Christmas gifts onto their own YouTube channel. What do you mean, you didn’t know they had one? They’ve been posting clips of you snoring for months!

YouTubeWhether you watch it or star in it, YouTube has permeated every aspect of our culture. It can show you how to fix your washing machine, apply your make up and trim your dog’s claws. Ten years ago, if we wanted to be on the TV on Christmas day we needed a hotline to Noel Edmonds. Now, everyone’s the star of their own show.

10.) Facetime

The prospect of video calls was first mooted in the eighties, but the thought of having to put make-up on before making a call filled us with horror and they never really took off. But, after hibernating for several years, the technology emerged bigger and better than ever and proceeded to take over the world. Now, thanks to the wonders of Facetime and Skype, we can set up our phones, tablets or laptops in a corner of the room and share the day with the special people we don’t see as often as we’d like.

Happy Christmas everyone.