Friday the 13th may just be another day, but for many of us it's a reminder of some of those moments where luck failed us. And as we depend more and more on technology, tech failures have loomed larger and larger in the bad luck department.
Technology is supposed to make life easier. But sometimes, it's a bit of an albatross. When tech goes wrong, it can get expensive, and complicate our lives more than it helps.
As a life-long "early adopter" of technology, I've had my share of tech mishaps. For instance, there was the time my Nextel phone popped out of its holster as I was getting into the car, and I then ran it over. Rather than replace it, the company I worked for insisted that I take it to a Nextel dealership and get it fixed.
That, however, was nothing in comparison to what happened when lightning struck a tree 30 feet from my home office window. I had invested in surge supressors to stop the electric spikes from frying my computers' power supplies, but I didn't count on the lightning being so close that it induced a current in my phone and computer network wires, and even the keyboard cable for my Mac. Explaining the laws of physics and electromagnetic wave theory to a homeowners' insurance agent falls under the category of "making life more complicated".
I like to think I've learned my lessons. I back up all my data, and have moved to wireless networks where I can. But I can't cover everyone's tracks, and sometimes I still can't even keep my own covered—like the time I ran my new Apple iPod Nano through the wash.
What was your worst tech disaster, and how did you deal with it?
