Vint Cerf joked in his opening remarks at the Silvers Summit that people think seniors don’t know how to use technology… “But some of us invented it!” The overall theme of the all-day event was how to keep people informed, active and in control of their lives as they age. Sessions covered such topics as rethinking how we interact with technology, how smart homes can care for us, how to sell to the growing boomer demographic, and technologies to help people remain safe drivers.

The four panelists on the “Rethinking How We Interact with Technology” panel covered touch, voice recognition, eye tracking, and multiscreen/multitouch interfaces. Microsoft’s Dan Hubbell, who is also president of the Assistive Technology Industry Association, demonstrated how touching objects on one of your personal photographs in a specific order could be a more intuitive alternative to remembering and typing passwords.

After giving a flawless demonstration of Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software, in which he drafted a document, created and sent an email, and surfed the Web, Nuance’s Peter Mahoney announced that his company is working with Intel to build the Dragon software into upcoming Ultrabooks.

The three keys to building a successful product or service for the aging adult market are getting the product into the consumer’s hands, designing it so that using it is intuitive for at least its key functions, and having a strong, emotionally-supportive tech support resource available 24/7, according to John Marick, CEO and founder of Consumer Cellular, a carrier targeting the retiree market that Consumer Reports recently ranked best among all wireless carriers.

David Inns, CEO of GreatCall, added that the company’s Jitterbug phone started as a simple, large button mobile phone. But the product has stayed competitive by adding emergency service, medication and health apps, fall detection, and other features that consumers value.

Fred Allegrezza, CEO of Telikin, designed the TechBuddy desktop computer to help seniors stay socially engaged. His support staff brings customers up to speed in three steps: 1) email, 2) Skype — which has become a major delight in the lives of many seniors, and 3) Web search — the final step into the digital world.

In his presentation for the “Unexpected Connections: How Online Gaming is Bringing People Together” panel, Fred Howard of KingsIsle Entertainment noted that gaming not only keeps the player socially engaged and supports cognitive fitness, but it also offers the player an opportunity to mentor others. People of all ages like to feel useful, and these connections support their health and well being.

Game developers have a largely untapped market in online games that grandparents and grandkids can play together. The demand is clearly there. Comments back from grandparents who engage in online gaming with their grandkids touch on being able to run with their grandkids again — at least in the game space, and having unforced fun and conversations during the game play.

Intel CTO Justin Rattner described his work with Stephen Hawking, who uses blink sensors to stop a cursor as it scrolls the screen. Because his health is declining, his typing speed has fallen to one word a minute. Rattner learned from Hawking’s helpers that he is capable of a variety of facial expressions to indicate when he is hungry, angry, uncomfortable, etc. Intel has adapted facial recognition technology and predictive text to greatly increase Hawking’s communication speed by keying off of these controllable facial muscle movements.

Intel’s next step is to develop this “context aware computing; sense – understand – act” into commercial applications of “pervasive assistance.”

The AARP is well aware that we move through various stages, with different interests, capabilities, and concerns, as we age. They publish a number of versions of their monthly magazine targeted at these distinct demographic groups.

The Internet can link a diaspora of seniors who have common experiences and interests. It also facilitates intergenerational interaction and family connections. There are huge, emerging markets for tools and services that help people stay socially connected, intellectually engaged, physically and mentally healthy, and feeling that they are valuable contributors to society.