Empowering Technology

There is a ton of technology out there, and most of it is pretty confusing for people.
When you're a writer, staying on top of things is important, but if you have to fight with the technology you use, that's not so easy.

What do I mean by technology?

Well, there's your computer, for one thing. Printers, scanners, fax machines. The coffee machine is technology too, but so is the Web.
The lines get pretty blurred nowadays, technology can be both tangible, and intangible.

The tangible technology is often not that difficult to master.
You probably use your computer every day and you're used to what it does and how it works. (Yes, it can be tricky, especially when you upgrade something.) The same goes for peripherals (printers etc. Anything attached to the main box, basically.)
The intangible technology can be more harrowing.
I'll list some of them for you, which I believe help writers work more efficiently, or promote themselves better.

1. Blogs
2. Word Processing Software
3. Spreadsheet Software
4. Query / Submission tracking sites / software
5. Online backups
6. Networking sites / forums
7. Notetaking software
8. The Internet as a whole
9. Firewalls and Antivirus

Those are intangible, but empowering you to do more, promote more, stay safe.

The tangible ones I wouldn't be without are these:

1. Desktop Computer
2. Laptop Computer (when travelling)
3. Router
4. My super coffee machine!
5. Cell Phones
6. Printers
7. Libraries

There isn't much else I could list, not on the tangible front, anyway.
Why the computer, laptop, router and printer are important is probably self explanatory. I also like a good coffee while I write, so my coffee machine is essential. Cell Phones – mostly to keep in touch while away from home. And libraries… well, I'm a writer. What did you expect?
You know all this, I'm sure.

The intangible ones… well some are confusing, time consuming and distracting. Take the internet for example. We all procrastinate way too much, so sometimes I turn the router off when I want to stop myself surfing.
Blogs are a great resource, not just to keep up with other writers, but also for research. The same goes for networking sites.
If you don't use online backup, head on over to iDrive.com and sign up for a free account. I have blogged about backups before on my critique group's blog. You can read the entry here, if you want a few choices.
Firewalls and antivirus are there to keep your writing safe. Use them.
If you don't… imagine submitting a manuscript – or query – to an agent / editor, and they find a virus in it. That's not the impression you want to make, so get yourself a decent antivirus program (I don't trust free antivirus btw) and a decent firewall as well while you're at it.
Programs like Norton 360 have a firewall in the package. That's to stop anyone from breaking into your computer. Use it. You might not care what they could take from you (You will, if it happens, trust me.), but at least have a care for friends and family and don't expose them if you don't have to.
Query and Submission tracking sites and software are for those of us who like to keep track of who has our story and since when. You don't have to use them, but they not only provide a central area for queries, they also have a wealth of information you can dive into.

So there you have a few. Let me know what you find empowering (technology wise), what you would add to the list.