Technology benefiting the employee; the company, not so much:
It used to be if you wanted to catch the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, you would need to come down with the "basketball flu" or take an extended lunch hour.
These days, you don't have to miss work or even a lunch appointment. You can watch the tournament's 63 games, which start Thursday, on your computer. You can catch games, get highlights and check your bracket on your iPhone.
Whether those employees are goofing off offsite or sneaking a peek at their computers or iPhones, they're not being productive. It's probably actually worse for the company when the NCAA fanatics don't take off -- by staying at work, they're creating the illusion that they're actually doing what they're getting paid for.
Me, I'm old-fashioned. I have a portable, cable-connected TV hidden just beside my computer -- you can't even see it if you stand in my doorway and look into the office. But -- to ease my boss's mind -- I haven't watched an early round NCAA game in about three years and don't plan to start now.
It's fascinating to watch the opposing directions technology is taking. On the one hand, the goal is to have as much as you can get on those little tiny devices with the teensy-weensy screens we carry around with us. On the other, hi-def TVs are getting so big they will practically take up a whole wall any day now.
