Snowbirds Find Digital Advantages
“Snowbird” retirees are beginning to contemplate their southern migrations. Some have a second home, while others rent, but all face similar challenges maintaining connections in separate communities. Digital advances have come to the rescue for many.
Maj. Gen. Richard C. “Buck” Marr, USAF (Ret), a member of MOAA’s board of directors, and his wife, Sherry, are reverse snowbirds who follow more of a migratory route among three homes in the Northwest. They have found new technologies incredibly helpful.
“It’s a crazy lifestyle,” Marr says, “and keeping up with the local community is very, very difficult. You have to do everything online.” He explains that because they move back and forth a lot, their homes aren’t even hardwired for phone or computer connections. They use Verizon’s portable Mi-Fi service, which connects to the Internet via satellite and provides a wireless connection to other devices.
Credit cards, bank accounts, and other financial matters all are accessible online. In the event of a computer crash, malfunction, or damage, an external hard drive or storage in the “cloud” (a readily accessible but secure Internet repository) ensure everything is backed up.
Snowbirds also are keeping in touch with friends and family members more often via email, phone calls, Skype, and Facebook.
Savvy services
■ Social media. Facebook is the most popular social media option among retirees looking to keep in touch with their friends and families. It allows users to interact by posting and commenting about pictures, sharing links to interesting online media, and sending instant and email-like messages. Other services like Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn work similarly, with emphasis on certain features and approaches, such as professional networking.
■ User groups. Join a user group to keep in touch with neighborhood news, a travel organization, or a book club. Groups might be hosted on Yahoo, Google, Meetup, or even Facebook. They often operate through a message board or email.
■ Mi-Fi. This is the name for a wireless Internet router, which can create a Wi-Fi hotspot for several devices simultaneously via a mobile phone or satellite connection. The hotspot generally covers an area with a 15- to 30-foot radius. Users pay a monthly fee.
■ Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP). These Internet phone services allow users to make voice and video calls over an Internet connection, usually at no cost. For a fee, users can call any landline or cellphone, even internationally. Some services offer Internet-based phone numbers as well. Skype, Google Talk, and magicJack all are examples. (See “Drop a Line,” Rapid Fire, page 28, for an in-depth discussion of VOIP pros and cons.)
■ Cloud storage. Internet-based cloud technology allows users to store and access documents and other data from anywhere with an Internet connection (and the right password, of course). Services like Dropbox, Apple’s iCloud, and Microsoft’s SkyDrive facilitate such connections.
■ Smartphone apps. Google Maps, Evernote, and GasBuddy all make frequent travel easier. Learn about the best apps for snowbirds and travelers alike with MOAA’s Tech Tactics column “10 Best Apps for Traveling” at
www.moaa.org/techtactics.
— Marilyn Pribus
RETIREMENT COMMUNITY SOURCE ■ SEPTEMBER 2013 MILITARY OFFICER 85
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128