Lost in the Galaxy - Part Three

My old phone was compact, indestructible and had a lid. My new phone is bigger, sleeker and has extraordinary albeit undiscovered features. I'm getting there.

Since my new cell phone is totally exposed so to speak, it was necessary to get a case to protect it. Hubby was kind enough to purchase the best, state of the art, protective shell for my new phone. This cover is said to withstand everything, including water and oil. Truly amazing.

I immediately, and easily slid off the belt clip...not something I would use. Then, after several attempts, I still could not get the case open. It's childproof. I'm fairly certain that a child could open this before a senior could figure it out. I resorted to youtube. You can learn anything on youtube including how a young man with agile fingers opens this case without showing you the exact details of how he did it.

Since I didn't want to break anything, I decided to go back to the store and have an employee show me how the cover opens and the phone fits inside. Then hubby suggested putting the belt clip on the phone face when I use it to protect it further. Ummm...I think not.

I don't wear belts, a uniform or anything else that would make it feasible to hang a phone from any of my body parts. Imagine this entire contraption in a woman's purse. Pull out the phone complete with all the paraphernalia which would hook on the belt clip...keys, tissues, pens, wallets, lint and possibly even more embarassing items. Some of these things might even drop off the belt hook and onto the floor. Besides that, try to get it apart to use the phone before it stops ringing. Even now, I rarely get my phone out of my purse in time to answer. The additional weight would be almost like trying to carry around a cordless phone.

I love my new  cell phone. It's pretty, it's sleek, it's hip. It can do so many things that I haven't even discovered yet. I'll keep experimenting and learning. Perhaps one day I'll even discover that it has a housecleaning app.

Lost in the Galaxy - Part Two

I feel much more successful today. I have been able to add more telephone numbers to my new cell phone without actually ***dialing anyone. I have even found the "x" key which allows me to repair any errors caused by my fat fingers. Friends' names are now recognizable. As for the phone numbers, I think there's an easier way to acquire and store these. I remember when my children got new phones, they asked their friends to call or text them. I think there's some magical method to save this information. To me, this whole technology is magical.

I have also managed to send a few text messages. Unfortunately, I had a little problem after messaging my son. He promptly ignored me. Thanks son. You knew I could figure it out, right?

Again, there is probably an easier way. I located a little curly "back" arrow and voilà, I got out of the page.

I find that I learn best in small doses with time to absorb information in between. I think I'm almost ready to tackle some apps. That'll be a new experience since the most exciting thing I used on my old phone was the alarm wakeup feature and a Bon Jovi ringtone.

Now if only I knew how to answer my new phone when it rings.


***I have learned some new language along the way including the phrase "pocket dialing".I found this little article to be amusing. 

Car thief pocket-dials 911 on himself not once, but FOUR times! | Sync™ Blog

Lost in the Galaxy - Part One

There's nothing more enjoyable than trying to figure out a new cell phone. The learning curve gets slightly larger as one gets ever so slightly older. And even though it's hard to believe, I'm ever so slightly older.

First, I felt soooo successful just having found the "on" switch without the instructions. I located the "contacts" icon and I entered and saved a few telephone numbers, not all, just some. It was tedious work trying to copy them from my old phone. When I made errors touching the new screen with my giant fingers, I tried to find a delete button or trash can. Not much luck with that yet. My phone list currently looks something like this...under the "A's"... ADmam, AgNufs, IIIIIIAi, AaVrrll, and so on.

Oh, by the way, if you were one of the many people who got a hang up phone call today, it wasn't me. Ok, it was, but it was an accident. Well, not exactly an accident. I was trying to input telephone numbers but the phone thought I was trying to call people. Ummm...sorry. No doubt there's a better way. I'm determined. I'll find it.

Also, anyone who received a picture from me on their cell phone, please ignore that as well. I was unaware that I sent it anyplace. I was playing with the camera feature. My daughter recognized my body parts and was kind enough to send me a text. "Is that your new phone number mom? I can show you how to send pictures so it doesn't cost you anything."  Uh oh...did anyone else get a picture of my socked feet today?

When the screen went black, I panicked. Actually, I was kind of relieved. Did I wreck my new phone already or was it telling me I needed a rest? Fortunately, this phone is so clever that it messaged me to plug it in. A bit of rummaging in the box revealed a cord and eventually, a plug. It is now happily charging for more of my experimenting tomorrow. BTW...I know it works while plugged in, but I'm pretending I don't.

Cellular Technology Amidst Cellular Degeneration

As a part of my first blog ever, December 2009, I wrote that eventually "technological advances will surpass my ability to comprehend them". Despite having had another birthday, I am not yet ready to succumb.

The 70's were the days of LCD watches, laser printers, the walkman and of course, early computers. I took classes in the use of the Commodore PET. The instructor told us everything except how to turn the contraption on. After each session, I lugged home giant computer parts and reassembled them in an attempt to figure out this new technology. It included a cassette tape player of some description, and lots of games. The games were fun. The rest was not. This for me, was the beginning of years of bigger albeit simpler challenges.

At the very end of that same decade came something new, something revolutionary...the mobile phone. At first, it was the size of Maxwell Smart's shoe phone and the cost was somewhat prohibitive. Later, this type of device became smaller, and gadgets were added. The 90's, were rife with technology and cell phones were commonplace.

I always tried to keep up with the latest. That didn't mean I had to own everything. It meant, I knew how to use computers, I had a digital camera, a nintendo gaming console and, I owned a cell phone. Above all, I knew how to send text messages. At the time, my children's friends were amazed and impressed.

  This, the latest of several phone blogs will start with a confession. I've become lazy. By that I mean I have a cell phone that's a dinosaur. I have seen the hype and the annual lineups for games, for iphones and other newer, more state of the art pretigious electronic devices and somehow, I haven't paid attention. I have now, fallen behind.

 

 Let's see if I can catch up.

 

Whereas I would have been perfectly happy not to replace my current model of phone, I felt I needed to do so. This week, I bought myself a gift. The instruction manual is miniature and in a font size that I haven't been able to read for the last ten years. Good thing I have a magnifying glass. I hope that by the time I learn to use this, neither of us will be obsolete.