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Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: Joe K on August 14, 2013, 01:24:46 pm

Title: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Joe K on August 14, 2013, 01:24:46 pm
Hey All,

My 6 year old cellphone finally died and I decided to join the smartphone culture with a HTC One.  I'm amazed at how much functionality this phone has and I imagine it will take me months to explore it completely.  So far, the most ingenious feature I've discovered is the ability to use the camera flash as a flash-light.  As I said, I'm new to all of this, so it doesn't take much to impress me.

Joe
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Joe K on August 14, 2013, 02:09:06 pm
Hey All,

My 6 year old cellphone finally died and I decided to join the smartphone culture with a HTC One.  I'm amazed at how much functionality this phone has and I imagine it will take me months to explore it completely.  So far, the most ingenious feature I've discovered is the ability to use the camera flash as a flash-light.  As I said, I'm new to all of this, so it doesn't take much to impress me.

Joe

edited to add:  Android has added device manager for consumers and this is a good article that describes how to use the service.  You can use it to locate your phone and even wipe the device if lost or stolen.

http://www.howtogeek.com/170276/how-to-locate-your-lost-or-stolen-android-phone-and-wipe-if-necessary/
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Miss Philicia on August 14, 2013, 02:13:51 pm

edited to add:  Android has added device manager for consumers and this is a good article that describes how to use the service.  You can use it to locate your phone and even wipe the device if lost or stolen.

http://www.howtogeek.com/170276/how-to-locate-your-lost-or-stolen-android-phone-and-wipe-if-necessary/

This is very important in case one loses their fancy-pants smartphone or tablet in the men's room of Frankfurt Airport.
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: J.R.E. on August 14, 2013, 02:37:07 pm
Hi Joe,

Have fun with your new smart phone. Ed and I still haven't taken that plunge yet, but we know it's coming somewhere in the future.

We still have one of those pay as you go " ATT- Go phones".  ;D      Very basic, flip phone but works OK.  And neither of us talk that much, so the costs run about $100.00 a year, for the plan we have. We each have one, with a separate number.

We decided to drop the landline home phone.  That saved us about $38.00 a year, but....We know that sooner or later, we're going to get one of those smart phones.

I hate trying to figure out new devices.  :P


Take care---Ray   8)
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: tednlou2 on August 14, 2013, 03:30:51 pm
My partner went with the HTC One, while I preferred the Galaxy S4.  His audio does sound a little better, with the front speakers and the Beats Audio.  His also takes better low light pics.  The low light pics are brighter and the colors more brilliant-- in low light.  I also like the Zoey feature.  He can take pics of some event, and it automatically puts the pics in a video-maker format, where it adds music and adds the photos.  Unless I was just imagining things, it seems like it knew when to add the more dramatic pics to the dramatic points in the music. 

Other than that, I still like my S4.  I like my screen, it does have a better cameras--except the low-light issue, and has longer zoom.  My camera is also voice activated.  i can say, "Capture, shoot, or record," and it takes the pic or video.  That does help, when you are trying to get a steady pic, or take one with one hand.  My calendar is better designed.  His is kinda basic, looking black and white.  His does come with that flip news board, but mine has something similar. 

Anyway, you made a good choice.  It can take a while to learn all they can do.  Oh, the HTC One is like the IPhone.  It doesn't have a removable SD card, so you need to make extra sure you back up pics and files, in case you should drop it in the toilet.  SD cards usually survive water damage.  And, if the battery dies, you can't just swap it out.  But, still a very great phone. 
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: buginme2 on August 14, 2013, 03:41:10 pm
My partner went with the HTC One, while I preferred the Galaxy S4.

Other than that, I still like my S4. 



I have the S3 and I absolutely hate it.  I hate it so much that I'm turned off by Samsung.  Is the S4 a big improvement over the s3? 

I'm hoping the new iPhone has a bigger screen in the next incarnation.  The new operating system (from what I've seen online) looks great.  I'm thinking when it comes out ill take the penalty and throw my s3 in the ocean and get the new iPhone.

Unless anyone wants to buy my s3?
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: bmancanfly on August 14, 2013, 05:59:26 pm
The battery on my flip phone is about die,  and I know that I need to join Joe in the 21st century,  but the number of choices is overwhelming.  I feel lost.

Can anyone recommend a good one for a beginner?
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: mecch on August 14, 2013, 06:13:27 pm
The battery on my flip phone is about die,  and I know that I need to join Joe in the 21st century,  but the number of choices is overwhelming.  I feel lost.

Can anyone recommend a good one for a beginner?
iPhone is a good enough, and very easy to use for people on Mac computers.  Thats all I know.
Everything is easily integrated. 
I think iphones are kinda heavy, though.

Whatever phone you use, put a rubber protector on it. Or keep it in a flip wallet-type protector.  Something a bit sticky like rubber is ideal.

Install a "find my phone" feature and also the remote wipe.

Figure out how your phone can automatically back up / refresh all the time. 

Things I never thought I would do with a phone are routine now. Namely:
1) Watch/listen to daily news as podcasts, and put comedy series on it - the ones you don't really need to "watch" super closely to enjoy.
2) music
3) daily agenda
4) alarm clock

Things I don't do - not all that much texting, never do video calls unless forced. Never go on the Internet. Never check email, etc. Its just not my cup of tea to work with text on such small screen and or having to be super coordinated with touch manipulations.

I stopped wearing a watch about a year ago. First I noticed I stopped wearing it.  Now it doesn't seem odd.



Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: WillyWump on August 14, 2013, 07:01:59 pm
Welcome to the 21st Century Gramps Joe! Hope you enjoy your new fangled device  ;)
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Jeff G on August 14, 2013, 07:57:41 pm
I was the proud recipient of one of Joe's first international calls , it was nice to put a voice with the handsome face .
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: bmancanfly on August 14, 2013, 08:58:35 pm
Things I don't do - not all that much texting, never do video calls unless forced. Never go on the Internet. Never check email, etc. Its just not my cup of tea to work with text on such small screen and or having to be super coordinated with touch manipulations.

Yeah I don't see myself doing much of that on a 4" screen either. 

I really mostly just need a phone to make phone calls.   But I'm open to the possibilities.  All the choices make  it confusing since so many of the features I don't even understand.
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: mecch on August 14, 2013, 09:52:30 pm
well, with itunes you can manage your music and all the news and shows you want to watch if they are podcasts.  Your computer's iTunes can manage putting just the most recent ones on your phone, and throws away the old ones. 

You can put tv/movies you want to watch on it, but then you have to take it off again.
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: tednlou2 on August 14, 2013, 11:23:33 pm
I have the S3 and I absolutely hate it.  I hate it so much that I'm turned off by Samsung.  Is the S4 a big improvement over the s3? 

I'm hoping the new iPhone has a bigger screen in the next incarnation.  The new operating system (from what I've seen online) looks great.  I'm thinking when it comes out ill take the penalty and throw my s3 in the ocean and get the new iPhone.

Unless anyone wants to buy my s3?

I went from the S2 to S4, so I am not familiar with the S3.  I have heard several say they want to trade their IPhone for a S4.  I love the S4.  I like the android system better.  My battery often lasts 2 days.  I got almost 3 days out of it, when I was not doing much web surfing.  I don't actually talk much on it.  Mainly text, web surf, navigation, and looking up businesses.  And, it is my calendar.  The hand gesture movements come in handy, if you have dirty hands.  It works well to swipe between screens.  And, when you look away from a video, the video pauses.  It is suppose to be able to follow your eye movement, while reading, but does not work too well.

As IPhone is about to introduce a new phone, I hear Samsung is about to introduce a new S-series.  I think this must be the smaller version of the S4, that the Sprint rep told me about. 

I saw this at Walmart.  You think this phone is too big?  Phones are going back to huge phones, like we had in the 80's and 90's.  Samsung is introducing a new version of The Note, that is going to be even bigger, with a screen like 6.5 inches. 


(http://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv22/tedunk/20130814_205045_zps6edfded2.jpg)
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: klassykitty on August 15, 2013, 09:14:33 pm
bmancanfly--I have a pantech, it's a low-end smart phone.  It doesn't have the memory that the other smart phones do but it was fairly easy to figure out once my brother explained some of the stuff to me.

Joe-I was told that there is an app for a flashlight.  Not sure if it's true but it probably is.  I have found an app that has cats making all different kinds of meows and use it to harass my cat with.  ;D

Michelle
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: AlanBama on August 16, 2013, 01:34:59 am
Hey Joe!  My sister-in-law surprised me with an iPhone 4.  I sure have enjoyed it, so far.  I'm sure I am using about 10% of the phone's potential.

MICHELLE, I also have that cat meowing app..drives our two cats insane!

Yes there is a flashlight app! A cool one my psychiatrist recommended is "Mindfulness"; it's a meditation app..check it out.

hugs, Alan
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Joe K on August 16, 2013, 12:31:19 pm
Thanks everyone.  The real reason I got the phone is that Verizon is coming to Canada and it has our telecom companies running scared.  For $55 monthly, I get unlimited text, video, messaging and 3g of data.  I also have unlimited calls to both Canada and the States.  Montreal is covered in WiFi spots, so I should be good and the best part is I can dump my land line.

As to tormenting my cats, I run an aquarium screensaver that drives my kitten insane, but nothing beats a laser mouse for making the cats fly.

Joe
Title: Re: Joining the 21st Century
Post by: Habersham on August 16, 2013, 12:37:13 pm
Verizon would probably charge about $120 for that here in the states. I understand someone wants to sell their old Iphone. Maybe we can have an online yardsale like on FB.   NOT!