Got a Gadget Glitch? Get Greg

Greg Carlin of Bedford is good with gadgets, gadgets like MP3 players, computers, email programs, and cell phones. For an hour and a half each Wednesday, he sits in the Bedford Free Library helping anyone and everyone who comes in with a gadget-related problem.

If people bringing in their gizmos are expecting an adult, they may be a bit surprised. Greg won't be 13 for another couple of weeks. He is in the seventh grade at H.C. Crittenden Middle School in the Byram Hills School District.

"Gadgets with Greg" started in the fall and originally was a way for Greg to do some community service as part of his religious education at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Bedford. But since he was volunteering at the library and had already exceeded the required number of hours, he doesn't need the extra credit. He does it anyway.

Greg helps people with many kinds of small problems. "It varies. Lot of people have trouble with internet stuff," he said. "One person had this problem with her email and wanted to forward an email to a group of people and didn't know how to do it. One person brought in her iPhone twice."

"I really help with little things that you wouldn't pay someone professional to do," he said.

Some people bring their gadget or laptop with them to show Greg. Others, who have  problem with the internet, use the library's computer and Greg shows them what they need to know.

So how did Greg get so good with gizmos? "I used to play games on the computer and then got interested in making games and building websites," he said. "I know a lot of code and Java script and Flash, which is in a lot of websites," he added. "I think I can see this as a career."

Greg's youth does not seem to phase most people, said Ann Cloonan, Director of the Bedford Free Library. "I think that people are pleasantly surprised. He is so competent and has a nice way of explaining things."

"The thing that is unique about Greg is that he has a lot of knowledge about a lot of things such as iPhones and cameras," Cloonan said. "That is the beauty of it. If he can't answer the question right away, he can spend a few minutes looking at the thing and resolve the problem. "

"Gadgets with Greg" will be held at the library through the summer from 3:30 to 5 p.m. each Wednesday. No registration is necessary.