While most seniors would love to embrace technology, many struggle to connect with their iPhones.
Aman Varma, a former Pakuranga College student, understands that it is not unusual for kids his age to be technology junkies–even as there exists a yawning gap between an iPhone generation and seniors trying to cope with fast-paced technology to keep up with their grandchildren and the rest of world.
Wanting to help, the computer science major at the University of Auckland has been working on an iPhone guide for the last four years.
The iGuide comes with step-by-step instructions and screenshots designed to help the elderly build confidence to use iPhone.
In 2015, the Times published an article on Aman with a group of students taking second place in the regional finals of the Lions Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme. The Year 13 team at Pakuranga College was involved the idea of a smartphone guide for seniors.
After the article was published in the Times the young business enterprise group received a number of queries from individuals and retirement villages showing a keen interest in the guide.
“We found a real disconnect between seniors and technology and decided to create viable solutions for this problem,” says Aman.
“After I finished college, I decided to continue writing the book with the hope that someday senior citizens will benefit out of it. I checked with my team mates if they were ok with me taking the project to the next level and they were fine it. ”
The iGuide is designed with the goal of empowering senior citizens by helping them confidently utilise their iPhones. It covers 10 essential iPhone apps including settings, contacts, messages, phone, mail (email), Safari (internet), and how to use the camera, sharing photos and making an album, using the App Store to download apps and more.
Aman, who has invested a lot into the book, says it has been a huge learning curve in terms of the business aspect of publishing. Now, the enterprising university student has not only managed to publish 1000 books but also has the interest of retirement villages.
iGuide releases next month and is currently available for pre-order at iguideforiphone.com with free shipping for all purchases made within New Zealand.
