Smartphone phobia

[John From Detroit]

Sending texts
Receiving texts
Making phone calls
Receiving phone calls

Not so many picture But
One Computer game (Majhong)(
Kindle app (Books So many books so little space for paper books)
Medical app (Blood glucose monitor very important)
Multi mode communications device (Two way radio)
Internet hotspot when not at home.
Several remote control functions. Including some remote communications systems .

 

[gwinger]

For years mine worked fine in the f350. Then for a few years it connected fine and i could play music but the phone wouldnt work. Recently it started workibg again. Nothing changed as far as i know. No idea why it stopped working or why it started working again. Most likely it is updates on the phone

It's possible one of the phone updates did something and a newer update corrected it. Sometimes just deleting the phone and re-pairing it will work.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Although it is frightening to see another person driving on the road holding a smart phone in their hand looking at it, instead of the road, I can certainly understand the "why."

Modern technology has compacted absolutely everything in our lives into a little bitty box that can be carried in a shirt pocket .... everything.... everything from banking to communication to education to entertainment to employment!

Forget about the real reason (government conspiracy ... "they" are tracking you) as the underlining purpose for this technology, they've convinced us we need this stuff and in a way, and have succeeded by making it next to impossible to exist as a person without it.

Older generations still resist new technologies. Newer generations grow up with it and it's just a matter of fact of life, no big deal.

Bottom line: Modern technology is not going away, neither is the smartphone. Except, I am now wearing a wrist watch that can do almost all the functions that my smart phone can do now! Even more .... it monitors my "health".... talk about "big brother intrusion into my private life!" Yes .... that data is stored somewhere, and I certainly do not know where that is!

So, we can either accept the technology or continue to be frustrated over it.

Still, it does not give us any comfort when the distracted looney toon driving directly toward us isn't watching the road though because their attention is drawn toward some mindless TicToc video that a 13 year old posted about how marvelous it was he jumped off a bridge and only broke 1 leg!

 

[DonTom]

Except, I am now wearing a wrist watch that can do almost all the functions that my smart phone can do now! Even more .... it monitors my "health".

My SmartWatch Phobia is not all that bad. I use mine every day to check my blood pressure. It is just as accurate as my BP machines and MUCH easier to use and a lot more comfortable, no arm squeezing and I always have it with me. I also like the watch displays, all the info, time, date, day of week.

And some Smartwatches can be used to activate some EV charge stations (but not mine).

I own this one.

-Don- Picacho Peak State Park, AZ

 

[Tulecreeper]

I have never sent anybody a text message from a Smartphone in my life! However, I have sent text messages from my inReach in areas of no cell coverage. And I can send those to a cell phone as well as to an email account.

I use my Smartphone as a cellphone perhaps three times per year at the very most.

-Don- Picacho Peak State Park, AZ

I turn mine off at dinnertime, and don't turn it on again until after I'm out of the shower and up and about the next morning - usually between 9 and 10. It is very common for days to go by without me sending/receiving any texts or phone calls. The thing is in no way part of my daily life. I have never downloaded any apps to it, and as a matter of fact I got into the apps menu when I first got it and uninstalled, deleted, or turned off more than half of what was in there as it was just bloatware.

I also got on my Google account and disabled the Google Assistant app (that's the only way I could do it) because it was listening to my conversations and would pop up with answers and recommendations that I never asked for. I would be talking with my wife and would say, "Well, it's 103 degree here (AR). I bet it's 10 degrees hotter in Buckeye." Then the damn thing would speak up and say, "The temperature in Buckeye, AZ is currently 109 degrees," without my having activated it.

****, no. Not having that so I deactivated it. Haven't had an issue since in 4 years.

 

[gwinger]

I turn mine off at dinnertime, and don't turn it on again until after I'm out of the shower and up and about the next morning - usually between 9 and 10. It is very common for days to go by without me sending/receiving any texts or phone calls. The thing is in no way part of my daily life. I have never downloaded any apps to it, and as a matter of fact I got into the apps menu when I first got it and uninstalled, deleted, or turned off more than half of what was in there as it was just bloatware.

I also got on my Google account and disabled the Google Assistant app (that's the only way I could do it) because it was listening to my conversations and would pop up with answers and recommendations that I never asked for. I would be talking with my wife and would say, "Well, it's 103 degree here (AR). I bet it's 10 degrees hotter in Buckeye." Then the damn thing would speak up and say, "The temperature in Buckeye, AZ is currently 109 degrees," without my having activated it.

****, no. Not having that so I deactivated it. Haven't had an issue since in 4 years.

Thanks for reminding me to turn my phone on. Been off since 8PM yesterday.
We still have a landline and if it's important, they can call that, I may or may not answer. Caller ID is great.

 

[DonTom]

I have never downloaded any apps to it,

I have downloaded countless apps to my Smartphone. I just now used it to check the solar output from my panels that I just now put out. 22 amps already at 13.5 volts (~300 watts). Enough so my added 300AH Lifepo04 battery is now charging through the DC2DCC I added, since the stock L-A batteries are fully charged. I will not run the genny at all while here. Not for anything. I have my added high power inverter and the solar should take care of keeping the Lifepo4 battery fully recharged by each night.

I ran out of memory on my Smartphone because of all the apps I added. I am glad I checked on the web. I found out there was a way to add a SD card to my smartphone. It sure didn't look like one could be added. Looked like there was no place for it but there is. So now I have twice the memory for more apps, such as the countless different J-1772 charge stations where each company requires their own app.

But that is the problem, IMAO. If these stupid Smartphones didn't exist, then I would be able to use the computer I am typing on right now, which I prefer to use for everything.

-Don- Kofa NWR, AZ

 

[Tom]

Having been a 'techie' all my working life, and usually an early adopter of new technology/gadgets, I was slow to move to a smartphone. I hung onto my flip phone for the longest time, but had countless apps on my ipod.

When I finally made the switch to a smartphone, I went into a VZW store, selected a model, and had the guy show me I had all the apps I already used on the ipod. Paid my bill, hopped in the car, got out of the car and went back in the store. "Can I help you?" - "please show me how I make a phone call on this thing" ... true story.

 

[No cats]

We still have a landline and if it's important, the can call that, I may or may not answer. Caller ID is great

I finally convinced my wife to ditch our landline. Most of the calls were spam and AT&T wanted $$$ for call blocking and for caller ID. Both of those features are free on my cellphone.

We were paying close to $50 a month for the landline.

 

[Tom]

I finally convinced my wife to ditch our landline. Most of the calls were spam and AT&T wanted $$$ for call blocking and for caller ID. Both of those features are free on my cellphone.

We were paying close to $50 a month for the landline.

Ouch. We ditched the landline years ago, and went with VZW Home Connect, a cellular box with its own account that allows us to plug in the DECT (cordless) phone base station. We've used this setup at our different home bases and in the RV (just unplug the HC box and take it with us). VZW charged $10/month, but are now up to $18/month. Gradually, we're moving our contact info in various places to be one of cell phones instead of the VZW number.

 

[DonTom]

I finally convinced my wife to ditch our landline. Most of the calls were spam and AT&T wanted $$$ for call blocking and for caller ID. Both of those features are free on my cellphone.

We were paying close to $50 a month for the landline.

At my Auburn, CA house, I have Optima for my cable telephone. I get ZERO spam calls. Never got a single one there yet.

My Reno house gets a lot of them. They totally stopped for a few weeks and then they all started again. I have no idea why none for those few weeks. In Reno, phone is also on cable, but Spectrum.

I could tolerate cell phones until they went digital. Now I only use then when I must and have no other choice. I probably average two or three cell calls per year at the very most.

-Don- Kofa NWR, AZ

 

[No cats]

Don, I have news for you, both of your "landlines" are digital, just like your cell phone. They just use wires vs over the air.

 

[DonTom]

Don, I have news for you, both of your "landlines" are digital, just like your cell phone. They just use wires vs over the air.

That is not news. I know that! But there is a big difference when OTA if digital is compared to analog. Some of the syllables often drop and that type of thing on digital OTA unless a very strong signal.

Don't have to be concerned with that on a home cable phone if digital or not. Won't be in a weak area where they drop--unless talking to a cell phone from it!

When OTA, analog cell phones didn't have this issue. And you could hear the noise when the signal was getting weak, unlike on digital cell phones.

I used to have a Motorola analog cell phone during the days when they had analog cell systems. Big difference, IMAO! I didn't mind using cell phones back in those days.

I still have no problem when the digital signal is strong enough on the cell.

I can imagine how well a cell phone would work from right here, where I only get one bar, and even that is off and on. Sometimes I need to wait for a connection here to post these messages.

-Don- Kofa NWR, AZ

 

[jymbee]

I ran out of memory on my Smartphone because of all the apps I added. I am glad I checked on the web. I found out there was a way to add a SD card to my smartphone.

I vowed I wouldn't own a phone without an external SD card, but alas when my OLD Galaxy Note 9 finally died I discovered that phones with an SD option are rare.

So now I have twice the memory for more apps, such as the countless different J-1772 charge stations where each company requires their own app.

I'm sure you know all this but just in case, other than getting highest capacity SD card your phone supports it's also a good idea to go through all the apps and see which ones can move data stored internally to the SD card. Not all apps support this, but many do.

But that is the problem, IMAO. If these stupid Smartphones didn't exist, then I would be able to use the computer I am typing on right now, which I prefer to use for everything.

Exactly! Just the other day I was trying to log in to a couple of reservation sites on the phone. Just too damned frustrating to try and type something in only to hit a wrong key and... you know...

Back to my 17" laptop with 24" 2nd monitor. Ahhhh....

 

[Larry N.]

Don, I have news for you, both of your "landlines" are digital, just like your cell phone. They just use wires vs over the air.

I can't speak for what Don has, but my landlines are NOT digital. Starting in the central office the circuitry becomes digital, but it's just a twisted pair with -48VDC on it between my Trimline (yes, original Western Electric Trimline) and the central office.

 

[Kirk]

A traditional wired phone, also known as a landline, is typically not digital; it uses analog technology to transmit voice signals over copper wires, making it an "analog" phone, while a digital phone converts voice signals into digital data before transmission, usually over an internet connection.

 

[gwinger]

Having been a 'techie' all my working life, and usually an early adopter of new technology/gadgets, I was slow to move to a smartphone. I hung onto my flip phone for the longest time, but had countless apps on my ipod.

When I finally made the switch to a smartphone, I went into a VZW store, selected a model, and had the guy show me I had all the apps I already used on the ipod. Paid my bill, hopped in the car, got out of the car and went back in the store. "Can I help you?" - "please show me how I make a phone call on this thing" ... true story.

Do you mean the Smart phone can be used for more that taking pictures,searching the web and texting?

 

[gwinger]

A traditional wired phone, also known as a landline, is typically not digital; it uses analog technology to transmit voice signals over copper wires, making it an "analog" phone, while a digital phone converts voice signals into digital data before transmission, usually over an internet connection.

The conversion for a standard analog phone takes place in the modem/router.
Digital to analog for receiving calls, and analog to digital to make calls.

 

[John From Detroit]

I vowed I wouldn't own a phone without an external SD card, but alas when my OLD Galaxy Note 9 finally died I discovered that phones with an SD option are rare.

My Current phone is a Galxy I thin A15 and has one year old it has a microSD card parked over or under the Sim card. . You need a tool to remove it unlike the older phones (The pin thing) But it's in there. It's the same card that used to be in my S7.. made transferring a lot of data.. REAL fast.

 

[Larry N.]

The conversion for a standard analog phone takes place in the modem/router.
Digital to analog for receiving calls, and analog to digital to make calls.

The conversion for a standard analog phone takes place in the telephone company central office, which is where the power for it comes from as -48V DC ( a VOM says it's still there at my house) and it powers the lighting in my Trimline. There IS no modem/router before that. An exception might be if the phone company has "recently" put something electronic between the physical phone and the central office other than wiring and the transformer(s), but the -48V DC still comes through and it still works fine when we lose 120V AC electric power here at the house..