confronting aging, a world in transition
Menu

weekly blog--one for the ages

Being There

4/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Silly me! It wasn’t until I was friended on Facebook by someone who used to run a cruise center to realize that I had left out an important aging topic on the ConfrontingAging website: Travel. It’s one of the top priorities for older people with time on their hands. Studies have shown that the physical, mental and social activities associated with traveling – such as touring a museum, navigating through an unfamiliar town, walking along the beach, or immersing in a new culture – improve overall health and cognitive function.
 
Yet according to one report, only one in five Americans (18%) have specifically factored travel into their retirement financial strategies. For people who don’t have the time, money or inclination, this could be the year where virtual gear becomes an alternative. Right now, you can purchase Google Cardboard for $15 and get a free app that simulates a drive through Tuscany. The system consists of a pair of magnifying glasses and a sheet of cardboard, all of which run off a standard smartphone screen.

For $100, you can buy Samsung’s Gear VR and get a free app called Streetview that creates a 360-degree environment to explore 3,000 locations, worldwide. The system features a phone-powered headset with tracking sensors, more sophisticated built-in controls, and a focus wheel.

You can also get Streetview on Samsung’s Oculus Rift. Along with HTC’s Vive and Sony’s Playstation VR, these are the highest quality VR gear systems available to consumers. They run off external computers or game consoles, and offer advanced features such as motion tracking, high-resolution screens, and sophisticated graphics. They’re also generally more comfortable to wear, better at blocking outside light, and less prone to inducing motion sickness.

The headsets range in price from about $399 to $800, plus you need a controller which can add between $400 and $2,000 to the cost. Oculus Rift and Vive are available now. Sony’s Playstation VR is scheduled for release in October.

Meanwhile, don’t leave home without visiting ConfrontingAging’s new Travel section. Also worth exploring are some new items. Eating and Exercise—Medical Foods, Nutritional Psychiatry. Housing Options—Transitioning to Assisted Living, Nursing Homes and Memory Care facilities. Retirement Planning—Coping with Empty Nest Syndrome.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • Caring for Elderly Parent
    • Eating & Exercise
    • Emerging Technology & Concepts >
      • End of Life Options/Issues/Grieving >
        • VSED Primer
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Health Challenges
    • History of Aging >
      • Ancient Egypt, India, China
      • Before 1500
      • 1500s & 1600s
      • 1700s & 1800s
      • 1900s & 2000s
      • Early New England (1600s)
      • Quest To Look Young
      • Books
    • Housing Options & Aging in Place Guide
    • Insurance, Security, Fraud
    • Intergenerational Programs
    • LGBT
    • News & Trends
    • Positive/Successful Aging
    • Retirement/Estate Planning
    • Science of Aging
    • Support Resources
    • Travel
    • Weekly Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
    • Caring for Elderly Parent
    • Eating & Exercise
    • Emerging Technology & Concepts >
      • End of Life Options/Issues/Grieving >
        • VSED Primer
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Health Challenges
    • History of Aging >
      • Ancient Egypt, India, China
      • Before 1500
      • 1500s & 1600s
      • 1700s & 1800s
      • 1900s & 2000s
      • Early New England (1600s)
      • Quest To Look Young
      • Books
    • Housing Options & Aging in Place Guide
    • Insurance, Security, Fraud
    • Intergenerational Programs
    • LGBT
    • News & Trends
    • Positive/Successful Aging
    • Retirement/Estate Planning
    • Science of Aging
    • Support Resources
    • Travel
    • Weekly Blog
  • About
  • Contact