Women More Tech Savvy?

A study done by Oxygen Network (is that a TV channel?) claims that women prefer gadgets more than shoes. Say what? They didn't ask me. Or my husband, who calls me "Emelda".

An Oxygen Network survey released Tuesday found that more than three out of four women said they'd choose the TV over a diamond solitaire necklace. Women preferred a top-of-the-line cellphone to designer shoes by a similar margin. And a little white iPod narrowly trumped a little black dress.

Keep the TV, gimmee the diamonds! I'm like a magpie, if it's shiny and sparkles, I want it, must have it. I'm still working on getting back into that "little black dress", and I don't want an iPod. I kind of like my hearing the way it is, even if it is failing me due to age. Or it might have something to do with listening to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppellin way "back in the day".

"Men and women are equally competent in the technology arena," says Oxygen CEO Geraldine Laybourne.

Hey, if the light doesn't turn on when you flip the switch, change the light bulb. If that doesn't work, call an electrician.

"From every piece of data we've seen, by and large, household budgets are controlled by women," says Randy Komisar, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a prominent venture-capital investment firm. But they are "far more oriented toward solutions rather than tools."

Um, not in my household. He makes, I spend, and he fusses. But I'll agree with the "solutions" comment. I can come up with many. Implementing them, well, that's another story.

New York City College of Technology radiology student Shavonn Tatum, 26, is passionate about gadgets. "I love technology and can't wait to graduate so I can buy things I really want," she says.

Yep, we're obsessed with things. Unnecessary things too. Like those sparkling objects that attract me. They're nice to have, but my life won't end if I don't get them.