My cat chews through charger cords. On my most recent visit to the local Verizon store to buy a replacement, I discovered that Verizon hosts free workshops on Android basics for their customers.

This 1 1/2-hour workshop got me pumped up about all the things I didn’t know how to do or didn’t know I could do with my tablet. I’d been using it to check email and the Dragonfly project calendar (and as an alarm clock). But it’s a camera, an e-reader (no need for a Kindle!), a music player, and a GPS. I can open Microsoft Office files, store contacts, and play Angry Birds.
I was the only person at the workshop who had a tablet rather than a smart phone, but the interfaces are so similar that I was able to follow along. Actually, my 11-year-old did, too.

If you, too, are underusing technology because you need a human to walk you through it, check out whether your phone store hosts workshops for the technologically challenged.