Showing posts with label Phones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phones. Show all posts
6/3/14
More About Newspapers
I used to enjoy my morning paper. Actually I still do whenever The Plain Dealer sees fit to deliver one. I have noticed, however, that where once I eagerly awaited the morning paper, I now could care less. The non existence of home delivery of The Plain Dealer three times a week has weaned me away from newsprint dependence. As I plunk that cup of coffee on the table, out comes the smart phone full of all the news that's fit to be browsed. Even if it's a day that a newspaper is at the garage door, the smart phone news comes first. Once I get the newspaper indoors, it takes about ten minutes to discover that a lot of the news in print is already stale. Yes Plain Dealer, you have convinced me that news delivery is undergoing a big change. I'd cancel my subscription and get the latest smart phone but The High Primal still prefers newsprint. I must admit that we get our moneys worth as far as she is concerned. I doubt that there is a story or a classified ad that escapes her attention. Not so with her low primal spouse - even the paper's baseball news plays second fiddle to what he gets on his phone. This whole subject was discussed with my granddaughter who agreed whole heartily with her grandfather. That made me feel ten years younger. Now if I can wean The high Primal from CNN's Situation Room, I can knock off a few more years.
10/21/13
Smart Phone Update
After almost four months, I think I'm finally on speaking terms with my smart phone aka Telefinino. I tap an app and its apt to work. The virtual keyboard is not exactly a success but neither is it a mess. The map app accurately shows where I'm taking a nap. I can surf the web . I can access Twitter and Facebook and can even leave comments. Oh yes, phone calls. Making a call, receiving a call and texting measure up to my former dumb phone.
I didn't expect Telefinino to be promiscuous. I was pleasantly surprised when it mated with my car's Bluetooth and my lap top. I can even talk to Telefinino . It talks back but not always in English.
There is a problem . I think that Telefinino is a smoker. By the end of the day it has run out of gas and gasps for me to give it a boost. I consulted a smart phone doctor who advised me to have the phone shed at least five apps, Like the Bayer Aspirin Facebook page and let it get some rest.
There is also the matter of obsolescence. I didn't realize how rapidly smart phone models became obsolete. I've got news for Telefinino . We're going to get obsolete together.
I didn't expect Telefinino to be promiscuous. I was pleasantly surprised when it mated with my car's Bluetooth and my lap top. I can even talk to Telefinino . It talks back but not always in English.
There is a problem . I think that Telefinino is a smoker. By the end of the day it has run out of gas and gasps for me to give it a boost. I consulted a smart phone doctor who advised me to have the phone shed at least five apps, Like the Bayer Aspirin Facebook page and let it get some rest.
There is also the matter of obsolescence. I didn't realize how rapidly smart phone models became obsolete. I've got news for Telefinino . We're going to get obsolete together.
7/28/13
I need a smart phone like a hole in the head
I’ve had the phone for over a month now and have only made a couple of phone calls with it, both of which were “no answer“. I’ve been too damn busy trying to understand what makes it so smart. I’m at the point now that I’m comfortable with enough Apps that I can relax and start treating it like a phone - oops, a smart phone.
My phone tells me where I’m at and even pinpoints it on a map. I’m sure that the folks at NSA like this feature. It also navigates but I don’t really need this App - my High Primal can get me lost a lot easier. It plays music but I’d rather sit in my easy chair and listen to the radio. All in all it has more Apps than I can possibly absorb.
I now have an appreciation of why Androids (and of course iPhones) are called smart phones. They are smart - very smart. Their IQ, I’m sure, exceeds that of most users ( yours truly excepted). I’m amazed - I can walk around with a computer in the palm of my hand.
(I go back to the days of having to write a Basic program in order to get some information out of a dumb computer. My first personal computer was the TRS-80 (better known as the Trash80). If you weren’t acquainted with MS-DOS, there was no way that the machine could spit out any information. My point is that now have a computer, aka a smart phone, in the palm of our hand which outperforms most personal computers of the past.)
As far as walking around with a smart phone is concerned, I have so far avoided looking like a zombie with a box held to his ear. The smart phone remains in my pocket except when I‘m comfortably seated somewhere. With all these caveats about the use of a smart phone, one might ask why I got one in the first place. Probably because I actually do have a hole in my head.
I wish I could say that this post is being sent to Blogger via their blogging App but I can’t. The procedure appears to be too complicated. Hell, I haven’t even learned how to take a decent picture, never mind posting to this blog.
I’ve got to bring this post to an end - my phone is talking to me. Oh yes, I didn’t mention that these things have something called voice recognition. If the High Primal finds out, I’m sure she will want one. She loves to make small talk.
2/6/13
Smart Phones Get Smarter and Smarter
Smart phones are getting smarter while my dumb phone is getting dumber. According to The Plain Dealer it is now possible for one smart phone to bump another smart phone and money will flow from one into the other. I tried bumping my dumb phone against my son’s smart phone and all I got was a text message, “Are you kidding”. Yes, if you have the patience you can text with a dumb phone,
This bumping business has got something to with “the next big thing” in banking - social payments. I never considered making a payment on anything as being social just as I don’t find anything social about the rants and rage in the social media. It appears that in the near future credit and debit cards will go the way of election cards. If you know what election cards are, you probably own a dumb phone. Suffice to say that election cards are obsolete (they’ve been replaced by Super PACS). Per the article I read, social payments work like this:
“You want to pay $25 to Jim. If your bank offers social payments as an option, you can log onto your bank's web site from your cell phone or computer.
You then request a payment to Jim and provide his email address or cell phone number. He'll get an email or text message that he has money that was sent to him and he needs to claim it. Reminders may be sent for up to 10 days.
Jim can provide the bank or this third-party company used by the sender with his bank routing number and account number and the money will be transferred from your bank account to his within a day or two.
Consumers can also look for the ability soon to send payments instantly by bumping their cell phone with another phone or device, said McClanahan of Fifth Third.”
Social payments will of course raise more hell with the USPS operating statement. The postal service has already announced that it will cease delivery of mail on Saturdays. Social payments, on line bill paying and e-mail are also fueling class warfare and that’s not very social. Class warfare? Of course. There will be those of us who don’t want or don’t know how to use a smart phone, joined by those who don’t know a lap top from an Etch a Sketch. We will be known as the 1 per centers (sound familiar).
Now that’s a problem. I’m not comfortable being a 1 per center with all of its political implications. It’s also much too snooty. As you can see from this blog I have a computer. I have also admitted that I have a dumb phone that is dumber than Ebby Carnack’s pig (the latter is through the courtesy of The High Primal who assures me, that being dumber than Ebby Carnack's pig is as dumb as you can get). The only way to drop out of the 1 per centers is to get a smart phone. It’s worth considering as long as they have an APP which will guarantee that I will not bump myself into bankruptcy.
This bumping business has got something to with “the next big thing” in banking - social payments. I never considered making a payment on anything as being social just as I don’t find anything social about the rants and rage in the social media. It appears that in the near future credit and debit cards will go the way of election cards. If you know what election cards are, you probably own a dumb phone. Suffice to say that election cards are obsolete (they’ve been replaced by Super PACS). Per the article I read, social payments work like this:
“You want to pay $25 to Jim. If your bank offers social payments as an option, you can log onto your bank's web site from your cell phone or computer.
You then request a payment to Jim and provide his email address or cell phone number. He'll get an email or text message that he has money that was sent to him and he needs to claim it. Reminders may be sent for up to 10 days.
Jim can provide the bank or this third-party company used by the sender with his bank routing number and account number and the money will be transferred from your bank account to his within a day or two.
Consumers can also look for the ability soon to send payments instantly by bumping their cell phone with another phone or device, said McClanahan of Fifth Third.”
Social payments will of course raise more hell with the USPS operating statement. The postal service has already announced that it will cease delivery of mail on Saturdays. Social payments, on line bill paying and e-mail are also fueling class warfare and that’s not very social. Class warfare? Of course. There will be those of us who don’t want or don’t know how to use a smart phone, joined by those who don’t know a lap top from an Etch a Sketch. We will be known as the 1 per centers (sound familiar).
Now that’s a problem. I’m not comfortable being a 1 per center with all of its political implications. It’s also much too snooty. As you can see from this blog I have a computer. I have also admitted that I have a dumb phone that is dumber than Ebby Carnack’s pig (the latter is through the courtesy of The High Primal who assures me, that being dumber than Ebby Carnack's pig is as dumb as you can get). The only way to drop out of the 1 per centers is to get a smart phone. It’s worth considering as long as they have an APP which will guarantee that I will not bump myself into bankruptcy.
10/2/12
Don't Answer It
Earlier this year, I brought my phone service into the twenty-first century and added Caller ID. Little did I know what a life saver it would be during a presidential election campaign. It may be my imagination but it seems that calls requesting political donations or calls purporting to be some kind of a survey are far more frequent and numerous in this campaign than in past campaigns. Could it be because of SCOTUS opening up the flood gates with its ruling that corporations are people? Whatever the reason, Alexander Bell’s contraption keeps chirping away seeking my ear from mid-afternoon into early evening. If it weren’t for the Caller ID feature on my phone, I wouldn’t have time to eat a decent meal or enjoy a quiet evening. Not exactly a good way to lose weight or stay awake.
I keep getting calls from Washington, D.C., I suspect its Barak inviting me to dinner or seeking my views on national affairs. So far I’ve ignored the calls and passed them on to my answering machine. He must be pissed, he never leaves a message. Caller ID identifies calls from places I’ve never heard of, like Big Bend, WI. I Googled Big Bend and found that it is a metropolis of 1290 people evenly divided between males and females. No information about sexual orientation. What surprised me is that the median income is about $68,000. One of these days I’m going to answer a call from Big Bend just to find out what an affluent cheese maker sounds like.
Then there’s Napoleon, Ohio. It turns out that it’s a small town in Northwest Ohio with a much lower median income than Big Bend. I probably should answer some of the calls from Napoleon before its funds dry up and it meets its Waterloo.
The private number calls present a challenge. I choose to ignore them and let my answering machine do the talking. In almost every case the private number machine doing the calling does not want to interact with my answering machine doing the answering - very snobbish. Still it makes sense. Since it is a private number, it does not want to share it with me, it just wants to intrude on my privacy.
I forgot to mention that if I’m watching TV and the phone rings, the Caller ID information flashes on the TV screen. I don’t even have to get off my ass to check my phone. How did I ever get along without such a feature? I understand that new phones have audio Caller ID. I have mixed feelings about that. During a political campaign there are so many calls that a phone constantly announcing who is calling would drive me up a wall. They should leave well enough alone (have you ever wondered who “well enough” is and why everyone picks on him?).
If Congress ever decides to do some legislating, it should come up with a law regulating political phone calls. Making them illegal would suit me fine.
On the bright side of things its down to 35 days before we select the savior of our country. After that, my Caller ID will receive a much needed rest.
I keep getting calls from Washington, D.C., I suspect its Barak inviting me to dinner or seeking my views on national affairs. So far I’ve ignored the calls and passed them on to my answering machine. He must be pissed, he never leaves a message. Caller ID identifies calls from places I’ve never heard of, like Big Bend, WI. I Googled Big Bend and found that it is a metropolis of 1290 people evenly divided between males and females. No information about sexual orientation. What surprised me is that the median income is about $68,000. One of these days I’m going to answer a call from Big Bend just to find out what an affluent cheese maker sounds like.
Then there’s Napoleon, Ohio. It turns out that it’s a small town in Northwest Ohio with a much lower median income than Big Bend. I probably should answer some of the calls from Napoleon before its funds dry up and it meets its Waterloo.
The private number calls present a challenge. I choose to ignore them and let my answering machine do the talking. In almost every case the private number machine doing the calling does not want to interact with my answering machine doing the answering - very snobbish. Still it makes sense. Since it is a private number, it does not want to share it with me, it just wants to intrude on my privacy.
I forgot to mention that if I’m watching TV and the phone rings, the Caller ID information flashes on the TV screen. I don’t even have to get off my ass to check my phone. How did I ever get along without such a feature? I understand that new phones have audio Caller ID. I have mixed feelings about that. During a political campaign there are so many calls that a phone constantly announcing who is calling would drive me up a wall. They should leave well enough alone (have you ever wondered who “well enough” is and why everyone picks on him?).
If Congress ever decides to do some legislating, it should come up with a law regulating political phone calls. Making them illegal would suit me fine.
On the bright side of things its down to 35 days before we select the savior of our country. After that, my Caller ID will receive a much needed rest.
7/9/12
America's Luxuries
On my daily walks I don't carry a smart phone ( a bowed head while walking is too dangerous), I don't carry an IPod ( can't carry what you don't have), I don't carry (I hate guns) - I just observe and think. As I have mentioned in a previous post, walking can be dangerous to your mental health.
The latest challenge to my sanity came about when I started thinking about how in America we agonize about "luxuries" like health care for all, aid to the poor and care of the elderly. These " luxuries" are expensive as is the case with all luxuries. There are those who say we can do without these "luxuries". Even worse there are those who say government is a luxury. I'm tempted to say that "those" are a luxury, but it is not a luxury I can afford.
Questioning whether or not we can afford these "luxuries" is an indication that the American Dream has become a nightmare as far as social services are concerned. It has become a nightmare because too many choose to define the American Dream as the attainment of materialistic goals (aka get rich). In doing so we betray what this country set out to become.
A while back, musing about immigration and diversity (It's Who We Are), I was drawn to the poem by Emma Lazarus:
These are powerful words. We invite the tired, poor huddled masses to be part of America. We advertise a way of life that is superior to what other parts of the world have to offer. We fail to mention that the golden door will not be fully opened for the havenots until there is no longer a need to satisfy the insatiable appetites of those who have. We fail to mention that filling our war chests takes priority over filling everyone's belly.
In the meantime, the tired and the poor must be satisfied to be the rhetoric of political campaigns. The Statue of Liberty still lifts a dimmed lamp by a rusty gate. One wonders what she did to be ignored.
The latest challenge to my sanity came about when I started thinking about how in America we agonize about "luxuries" like health care for all, aid to the poor and care of the elderly. These " luxuries" are expensive as is the case with all luxuries. There are those who say we can do without these "luxuries". Even worse there are those who say government is a luxury. I'm tempted to say that "those" are a luxury, but it is not a luxury I can afford.
Questioning whether or not we can afford these "luxuries" is an indication that the American Dream has become a nightmare as far as social services are concerned. It has become a nightmare because too many choose to define the American Dream as the attainment of materialistic goals (aka get rich). In doing so we betray what this country set out to become.
A while back, musing about immigration and diversity (It's Who We Are), I was drawn to the poem by Emma Lazarus:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled
masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your
teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest
tossed,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
These are powerful words. We invite the tired, poor huddled masses to be part of America. We advertise a way of life that is superior to what other parts of the world have to offer. We fail to mention that the golden door will not be fully opened for the havenots until there is no longer a need to satisfy the insatiable appetites of those who have. We fail to mention that filling our war chests takes priority over filling everyone's belly.
In the meantime, the tired and the poor must be satisfied to be the rhetoric of political campaigns. The Statue of Liberty still lifts a dimmed lamp by a rusty gate. One wonders what she did to be ignored.
4/3/12
AWTTW - 4getabout reading this
I was perplexed recently when my dumb phone chimed away, trying to get my attention that I had a rare text message. I opened the phone, pushed the soft key ( which is just as hard as all the other keys) which said 'view' and glory be, I indeed had a text message.
10Q for visiting my blog. Why I don't no, but 10X anyway. You may find that it's GIGO but 4COL at least you won't be BTD. AISI my.02 is probably more 411 than you really want. My ! on that is that it BTHOM why UR here in the first place. IMBGO since 404 as to what I'm talking about. Before I fall AAK ::poof:: :( ha-ha.
All that I could figure out is that I had visited someone's blog and left a comment. Being dumber than dumb, the blogger decided to send me text message. How some alien got my cell phone number is a mystery. My dumb phone was no help in deciphering the message. After my Buck Rogers decoder failed to shed much more light on the message, I surmised that in this age a smart phone is the only phone capable of deciphering text messages. More importantly I concluded that I'm too old to learn another language and it's best to stick with my dumb phone. It suits my personality- LOL.
P.S. !'s on this post are welcome but have a <3, please ! in English. @TEDTD IGWS that English is the language of choice. :)
10Q for visiting my blog. Why I don't no, but 10X anyway. You may find that it's GIGO but 4COL at least you won't be BTD. AISI my.02 is probably more 411 than you really want. My ! on that is that it BTHOM why UR here in the first place. IMBGO since 404 as to what I'm talking about. Before I fall AAK ::poof:: :( ha-ha.
All that I could figure out is that I had visited someone's blog and left a comment. Being dumber than dumb, the blogger decided to send me text message. How some alien got my cell phone number is a mystery. My dumb phone was no help in deciphering the message. After my Buck Rogers decoder failed to shed much more light on the message, I surmised that in this age a smart phone is the only phone capable of deciphering text messages. More importantly I concluded that I'm too old to learn another language and it's best to stick with my dumb phone. It suits my personality- LOL.
P.S. !'s on this post are welcome but have a <3, please ! in English. @TEDTD IGWS that English is the language of choice. :)
1/21/11
Some Fleeting Thoughts
- Watching it snow outside, diversity came to mind. No two snowflakes are the same. As the snow flakes reach the ground they forget their differences and join together to form a blanket of snow. No two human beings are the same but unlike snow flakes, their differences linger on in the form of bigotry, racial tensions and religious intolerance.
- The competition among credit cards concerning rewards and cash rebates is becoming fierce. Moreover the fine print defies understanding. It looks like the time is ripe for a " credit card reward financial advisor" and maybe a listing on the NYSE.
- Are social networks like Facebook creating a bubble which is bound to burst as personal privacy is sacrificed more and more?
- Why is it so important to be connected most of one's waking hours?
- As dashboards in cars become more complex, how many accidents have to occur before there is a clamoring for the ultimate gadget- a horse!
- Boehner's House has passed legislation calling for the repeal of the Health Care Act. Repealing so called Obamacare is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
- Do we really need a State of the Union address by the President?
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