New business helps open computers’ treasures

KENT — Are you having trouble mastering the iPad, laptop computer, smart phone or other electronic device your grandchildren gave you last Christmas? A new business in Kent can help you overcome your fear of 21st-century gadgets.Computer coach Emma Lozman founded Tech One On One last fall to provide help to people in the Northwest Corner who need a little assistance understanding the operating basics as well as how to get the most out of their electronics.Lozman said, “As much as technology is ubiquitous these days, not everyone has jumped on the bandwagon.“Individuals who were born before email and cell phones took over the world don’t necessarily find computers intuitive.”Lozman, 34, earned two degrees from Stanford University, one of which is a bachelor’s degree in symbolic systems. Asked what that is, Lozman explained, “It’s computer science combined with linguistics, psychology and philosophy. Or, more simply put, “Symbolic systems is for people who are interested in the human side of computing.”She also earned a master’s degree in philosophy.Lozman has taught computing for more than a decade, as a teaching assistant at Stanford University and as a consultant for four and a half years to the Bermuda Ministry of Education.She was familiar with Kent, she said, “because my family has been coming here since I was 10, to a weekend house.”Her husband, Russell Plumb, is an arborist. “He grew up on a farm in England so he loves how rural this corner of Connecticut is — and he especially loves the trees around here. We started spending more and more time here and decided it was a great fit.”They live in South Kent.Her mission at her new business, she said, is to impart a sense of comfort to people in using computers, iPads, cell phones and similar devices. “I am not a tech support person,” she said. “I am a ‘how to use it without fear’ person.“I think because computers are everywhere, people take it for granted that everyone understands them,” she said. “It’s true that kids today are exposed to technology at such a young age that they really just ‘get’ computers without any extra help. But that’s not true for older people.”Her goal is to share some of the clues that she and younger users can see on, for example, a web page that might not be apparent to newer (and older) users.“When I look at a website, there are visual clues that make it simpler for me to navigate,” she said. “I know that some icons have a common meaning across all web pages, and that, by convention, certain pieces of information will appear at the very top of the page while other pieces will appear at the bottom. A quick scan is generally all I need to get where I need to go.”She’s had the satisfaction of helping her own family members learn to love new technology.“My stepfather, who is in his late 70s, received an iPad as a gift,” she said. “He was excited about the potential for staying connected with his family during an upcoming two-week vacation, but didn’t know how to begin using it. After I spent some time giving him an introduction, it quickly became one of his favorite things.”She also offers help with more advanced topics, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. She coaches clients on PCs and Apple products and on cell and smart phones. And she makes house calls.A one-hour in-home session is $85; a 20 percent discount is offered to seniors, 65 and older. Gift certificates are available.To set up an appointment, call 860-671-8577 or email emma@TechOneOnOne.com.To learn more, go to www.TechOneOnOne.com.