I am a reasonably technological person. I have been on a computer since 1980 and have most of the normal toys. A few things have passed me by, and being an old guy I get sensitive here, as I want to be able to do everything! However, some things do get away from me. Friends of mine complain that they need a teen aged boy, preferably a geek, to be around when they get new stuff.
I usually go to Les Drysdale, sculptor and tech guy, when the going gets rough. As well, he was the one who walked me through Torrents, with not only directions, but a detailed explanation. Les is a young guy, relatively speaking, but he can be a great source of tech knowledge.
I never did figure out how to get the right time on my VCR for all those years, and I never cared if it blinked. I was not fastidious about me tech stuff.
I have had cell phone since 1993. For five years I had a car based one, with a hands free device, so I was able to easily drive and talk. Now, that’s become much more difficult, and I do understand the desire to change those laws.
Currently, when my cell phone rings, I have to turn off my MP3 player which is broadcasting the latest book that I am listening to, and it just can’t be turning off the sound, because the story will continue, so I have to turn off the player itself, no mean feat. Then I have to find the phone, slip it out of its case and get it to my ear before the caller gives up. I do this usually while negotiating the curves up or down the mountain here in Hamilton, through the woods. The luckiest creatures on my way to and from work are the deer I have yet to kill while doing this.
So, for almost four years my wife and I have had our cell phones, and they have gradually been losing parts. They have been held together by epoxy glue and it’s obvious that we needed new ones. Finally, last week, on Sunday, we took the plunge. First, on Saturday, I had to cancel my existing service, which is no mean feat itself because they will do anything to stop that from happening. I played the “old guy” card which I find now works as well as “dumb husband”, which I will get to in a later rant.
On Sunday morning we were ready to go after our new phones. Our kids already had phones from Koodo, a TELUS company brand, which was a good deal. I liked their way of working and it had proved successful for us so I was sure what we wanted and which plans we needed, so our questions were few.
We went to Future Shop where the same guy that had sold us the kids phones worked, and he walked us through the process easily.
We left with our new Samsung Slyde phones, chosen so we could use the text feature so used and enjoyed by the kids. Neither one of us had ever used text before. I once had to use it and asked our secretary Deanne to do it for me because I didn’t know how to do it myself. I felt like a jerk, and sounded like all the old guys I knew who couldn’t do stuff.
I was sure it would all be intuitive. Of course it had better be, because the book and downloads are hard to decipher, and are made for some other persons. The real users intuit! I knew this.
It is now a week later (almost) and I can use my phone (sort of). My wife can text with the best of them. I have sent text messages, but only one was ever returned, and that was to and from my wife. The kids refuse to respond, maybe because I sign off, XOXO, Gossip Girl!
I have unlimited texting, in case I ever need it. My daughter will go away to school on August so I can send stuff then but for now, I have nothing! I got my voicemail up and running today, and will someday get to the camera etc. I have cameras and M3 players (several) so I could care less about this stuff, but it must be good for me to know this.
I did install my own huge TV and all the paraphernalia, what the hell. I am tech man!!!!
I usually go to Les Drysdale, sculptor and tech guy, when the going gets rough. As well, he was the one who walked me through Torrents, with not only directions, but a detailed explanation. Les is a young guy, relatively speaking, but he can be a great source of tech knowledge.
I never did figure out how to get the right time on my VCR for all those years, and I never cared if it blinked. I was not fastidious about me tech stuff.
I have had cell phone since 1993. For five years I had a car based one, with a hands free device, so I was able to easily drive and talk. Now, that’s become much more difficult, and I do understand the desire to change those laws.
Currently, when my cell phone rings, I have to turn off my MP3 player which is broadcasting the latest book that I am listening to, and it just can’t be turning off the sound, because the story will continue, so I have to turn off the player itself, no mean feat. Then I have to find the phone, slip it out of its case and get it to my ear before the caller gives up. I do this usually while negotiating the curves up or down the mountain here in Hamilton, through the woods. The luckiest creatures on my way to and from work are the deer I have yet to kill while doing this.
So, for almost four years my wife and I have had our cell phones, and they have gradually been losing parts. They have been held together by epoxy glue and it’s obvious that we needed new ones. Finally, last week, on Sunday, we took the plunge. First, on Saturday, I had to cancel my existing service, which is no mean feat itself because they will do anything to stop that from happening. I played the “old guy” card which I find now works as well as “dumb husband”, which I will get to in a later rant.
On Sunday morning we were ready to go after our new phones. Our kids already had phones from Koodo, a TELUS company brand, which was a good deal. I liked their way of working and it had proved successful for us so I was sure what we wanted and which plans we needed, so our questions were few.
We went to Future Shop where the same guy that had sold us the kids phones worked, and he walked us through the process easily.
We left with our new Samsung Slyde phones, chosen so we could use the text feature so used and enjoyed by the kids. Neither one of us had ever used text before. I once had to use it and asked our secretary Deanne to do it for me because I didn’t know how to do it myself. I felt like a jerk, and sounded like all the old guys I knew who couldn’t do stuff.
I was sure it would all be intuitive. Of course it had better be, because the book and downloads are hard to decipher, and are made for some other persons. The real users intuit! I knew this.
It is now a week later (almost) and I can use my phone (sort of). My wife can text with the best of them. I have sent text messages, but only one was ever returned, and that was to and from my wife. The kids refuse to respond, maybe because I sign off, XOXO, Gossip Girl!
I have unlimited texting, in case I ever need it. My daughter will go away to school on August so I can send stuff then but for now, I have nothing! I got my voicemail up and running today, and will someday get to the camera etc. I have cameras and M3 players (several) so I could care less about this stuff, but it must be good for me to know this.
I did install my own huge TV and all the paraphernalia, what the hell. I am tech man!!!!
I knew the day we got our own computer in 1993 that I would become a computer widow. I have now added to the list blackberry widow, ipod touch widow, mp3 widow, big screen tv widow, gps widow, portable dvd player widow, cell phone widow. I'm sure I missed something but all those tech items belong to Leslie.....I have a second hand cell phone.
ReplyDeleteBarb
So this is what I do. Pair my phone via bluetooth to the gps. Load my MP3s into the gps, then set the gps instructions to play in its internal speaker or if im not going anywhere that I need instructions I turn the instructions off. The mp3s are set to play on an fm station via fm modulator in the gps as is the phone. I set the gps to answer my text and phone. The gps will read my text on the radio and answer the phone at the touch of the screen simultaneously pausing my mp3s. I can talk on the phone handsfree via the gps. My phone remains in the case without having to touch it. Just a suggestion. Oh and just because someone knows about torrent technology doesnt mean the use or condone or use of such stuff. It might be an infringement on some laws somewhere:) God I love this stuff.
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