Done with so-called smart technology!

Indie guy said:

No offense but when I hear or read something along the lines of "I love my smart phone and can't live without it", I know exactly the kind of person that is because I see it all the time, and it's not good. Call it being stereotypical but I'm judging by what I see everywhere.

A few weeks ago I was driving on a street in my area and some stupid woman walks across the street staring at her phone in the middle of traffic, not in a crosswalk and obviously doesn't have the right of way, but there she was walking slowly and everyone had to slow down for her. Perfect example of the kind of people I'm talking about.

They're addicted to their phones and other tech devices, and as far as I'm concerned it's no better than being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

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Alright, I'm glad I withheld judgement then.

Thing is, many of use our cell-phones for business stuff. Texting clients, checking emails, using Waze to get to clients, keeping track of deliveries and orders, etc. In fact, I've got a current client group that insists on communicating by text, and we often communicate several times a day including on some days when I'm not even actively working on their behalf.

Many if not most people doing what I do use an iPad for these tasks above, while a few like me prefer a small pocket-able device like my phone.

Perhaps oddly enough, I don't post on DP using my phone. I'm far faster and more efficient using a laptop. But for me, a laptop only really works well when I am stationary and going to have a fixed period of time to use it. Otherwise, I'm all phone.

Indie guy said:

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

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My cell phone was forty nine dollars. I don't call them smart phones because they are machines that need a human to operate them.

Chomsky said:

Perhaps oddly enough, I don't post on DP using my phone. I'm far faster and more efficient using a laptop. But for me, a laptop only really works well when I am stationary and going to have a fixed period of time to use it. Otherwise, I'm all phone.

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Oh icckkk, I tried using Tapatalk to post to DP on my phone...worst app ever.
I can't stand trying to post to anything on a phone.
Maybe a one or two liner on FB or something, that's about as far as I ever take it on the rare occasions that I try.

Yes, I do like having the smart phone but I view it like the old saying about watching a dog walk on its hind legs:

"They don't do it very well, but it's amazing that they can do it at all, or would bother to."

Also, I wind up "fat-fingering" most of the time when I try to type on the glass.

Indie guy said:

In the last 4 years, I've gone through 2 smart phones which certainly aren't cheap to replace - both of them were dropped and the glass shattered. Since I rarely use a phone except for the occasional text message, and its original purpose which is to make a call and actually speak with someone, I decided to ditch the smart phone and revert to a flip phone. Go ahead and laugh but it's practical, much cheaper, and way sturdier - it doesn't break if dropped!

Another reason I'm done with smart phones is the addiction so many people have to them. I could never understand the fascination of constantly being glued to these devices, and for what? To be on social media, watching stupid youtube videos, playing ridiculous games, or checking texts and email every freaking minute? No thanks, I have a personal computer for those kinds of things which I only use when absolutely necessary.

Also, I'm saying thanks but no thanks to other so-called smart devices like TVs, doorbells, cars, and whatever else. We as a society have become tech nerds to the point where we rely on robotics to do everything for us. Most of all, smart technology is not exactly safe because of the hackers. I realize a standard desktop computer on an internet cable line can be hacked too but the smart devices stand a greater chance of this because of the wireless technology.

These are just a few of the reasons why you won't catch me buried in a phone or those other worthless contraptions. I'm smarter than the so-called smart devices because I actually prefer human interaction and life in the real world!

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I was opposed to smart tech but, like you, got the phone because I "had to". Then, when visiting my brother in the Seattle area, just decided to try something goofy. I pulled out my phone, activated the voice assistant and said, "Siri, find me directions to xxx house". Next thing I know I have a map back to my brother's house on my phone. I didn't really need it but it was amazingly convenient. I can also use Siri to schedule meetings. If I say, "Siri, schedule a meeting with Bob at Joe's cafe for 3pm on December 15th" it will simply show up on my calendar. It syncs to the radio in my car and my truck. I can ask to find a certain store then call that store without lifting a finger. I can take a picture of a receipt and save it for reference later on. I can take a picture of something in the store and make sure it's the one I'm supposed to get. I can look up product information in seconds. I can set an alarm that sounds like my phone ringing so that when I'm with one of those clients who I know will keep me LONG past their scheduled slot I can fake a phone call and escape.

There are cases and glass protectors you can get to keep from smashing your phone. Lord knows how many times I've dropped mine but suffered no ill effects. The tech might seem excessive but there is so much there that if you keep looking you'll find a reason you won't want to go on without it. I mean, I have a duck call app just because I can!

Airyaman said:

My son doesn't even use a case, he hates them for some reason. Most of my cases were cheapo ones from Amazon. We are simply not careless (or clumsy, it seems).

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I get my cases from Amazon, too.

As to your son not liking cases, I thoroughly understand. It took me awhile to find a case that is thin, robust, and made of a material that does not stick or interfere with the phone easily slipping in & out of a pocket.

For my use, since I'm pretty active with my phone when out & about, I feel the case does protect my phone during the occasional mishaps that seem to occur once in awhile. My phone is constantly going off & on its magnetic car holder on my dash, and it gets bounced around a lot. However my wife's work car has Apple Car Play, which is great, and I'll probably move in that direction the next time I buy.

RAMOSS said:

I have a smart phone that I vastly underutilized the capabilities of. I use it to search for information, and also the GPS. There are occupations I use the social media to communicate with someone, but in general, I have those apps not activated.


The GPS has been very useful.

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I find Nav indispensable, to be honest.

I use mine as a pocket watch..

Chomsky said:

I find Nav indispensable, to be honest.

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If GPS enabled nav had existed back in the 1980's I would have made six to eight times the money I made shooting freelance news.
I had to rely on the infamous "Thomas Guides", which while indispensible for their time, were still ghastly and primitive by comparison.

Chomsky said:

I find Nav indispensable, to be honest.

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I can't quit Waze. Sometimes me and Google hook up, but mostly for the restaurants.

Moonglow said:

I use mine as a pocket watch..

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My first phone was canceled because I realized I was paying $40 a month for a watch.
We have a flip phone in the glove box now because we're pretty rural and my wife feels better knowing It's there.

Grand Mal said:

My first phone was canceled because I realized I was paying $40 a month for a watch.
We have a flip phone in the glove box now because we're pretty rural and my wife feels better knowing It's there.

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I live in the country and need mine since I can't walk far..and to tell the time...

Indie guy said:

Fine, go ahead and waste your money on smart-this and smart-that. Good luck getting your life together if, god forbid, the system fails and your smart devices go down, becoming essentially worthless. Or if you're hacked, and chances are pretty high that you will be.

I refuse to buy anything from Apple, but I'm invested in their stock which is at an all-time high lately. I look at it this way - I'm saving money by jumping off of the so-called smart technology bandwagon, but I'm making money off suckers like you who spend probably half of your income buying and upgrading all your contraptions.

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I am on my 5th iPhone. I haven’t dropped a single phone.

The problem is that you are a klutz.

Stick with your flip phone. iPhones clearly aren’t for the uncoordinated.

Airyaman said:

Hey, my mom is 75, she has a flip phone too. Try Consumer Cellular.

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If he needs a tablet, maybe he can go with Leap Frog, or maybe GrandPad. They seem to work well for people who drop things a lot.

Chomsky said:

I've had smart phones for quite a few years too, and never broke one either. I do buy good cases for them, and I believe that helped in the few inadvertent mishaps that occurred.

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I always keep my iPhones in an Otter Box, with Gorilla Glass. Never had a problem.

Checkerboard Strangler said:

It's clear that you didn't actually read my post carefully, because I made mention of the fact that for us, this is potentially lifesaving technology, and certainly money-saving, if you understand what replacing a broken down security door costs.
If it prevents fire and EMS from having to break down the door even one time, it pays for itself.

And while you're certainly welcome to nurture doomer/prepper theories about the system going down, during the 99.99999999999999% of the time when it's operational, it's adding security and safety to our home, and to my disabled wife.

Have not been hacked, ever...not ever, not even once.

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He does have that prepper vibe going on, doesn’t he?

Checkerboard Strangler said:

It's clear that you didn't actually read my post carefully, because I made mention of the fact that for us, this is potentially lifesaving technology, and certainly money-saving, if you understand what replacing a broken down security door costs.
If it prevents fire and EMS from having to break down the door even one time, it pays for itself.

And while you're certainly welcome to nurture doomer/prepper theories about the system going down, during the 99.99999999999999% of the time when it's operational, it's adding security and safety to our home, and to my disabled wife.

Have not been hacked, ever...not ever, not even once.

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Like I said, that's fine if you want to spend your money on those devices if you believe they give you security.

You may not have been hacked ever - yet - but the more smart devices you have and the more you use them, the greater the chances of a security breach. Read the below links if you care to.

Couple Describes The Day They Learned Hackers Breached Their Smart Home Devices | Dr. Phil

Smartphones are more valuable for hackers to attack - CNET

Chomsky said:

Alright, I'm glad I withheld judgement then.

Thing is, many of use our cell-phones for business stuff. Texting clients, checking emails, using Waze to get to clients, keeping track of deliveries and orders, etc. In fact, I've got a current client group that insists on communicating by text, and we often communicate several times a day including on some days when I'm not even actively working on their behalf.

Many if not most people doing what I do use an iPad for these tasks above, while a few like me prefer a small pocket-able device like my phone.

Perhaps oddly enough, I don't post on DP using my phone. I'm far faster and more efficient using a laptop. But for me, a laptop only really works well when I am stationary and going to have a fixed period of time to use it. Otherwise, I'm all phone.

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Everyone's different but I can't see how a phone can be used mainly for business. You can't print documents from a phone but you can with a desktop computer/printer. Now a laptop - that's another story, and it's more useful for business purposes.

Most people I know use their phones for personal stuff - watching videos, texting, social media, selfies, listening to music. Sometimes I listen to music and watch videos on my personal computer which is equipped with speakers, and the visual-sound quality is 100% better than what you get on a phone.

Superfly said:

I am on my 5th iPhone. I haven’t dropped a single phone.

The problem is that you are a klutz.

Stick with your flip phone. iPhones clearly aren’t for the uncoordinated.

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Congratulations on the purchase of your 5th phone.

I hope you continue to waste your money on those devices because it stimulates the economy. Most of all I hope for my sake that you buy Apple products because that contributes to the stock price being what it is, and it raises the value of my investment account. I make money on spendthrifts like you.

Superfly said:

I always keep my iPhones in an Otter Box, with Gorilla Glass. Never had a problem.

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Never heard of 'em, but damn - great names! :thumbs:

Indie guy said:

Like I said, that's fine if you want to spend your money on those devices if you believe they give you security.

You may not have been hacked ever - yet - but the more smart devices you have and the more you use them, the greater the chances of a security breach. Read the below links if you care to.

Couple Describes The Day They Learned Hackers Breached Their Smart Home Devices | Dr. Phil

Smartphones are more valuable for hackers to attack - CNET

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I am well aware of the risks.
I'm also well aware of how to remain secure in high risk environments.
Thank you.

Indie guy said:

Congratulations on the purchase of your 5th phone.

I hope you continue to waste your money on those devices because it stimulates the economy. Most of all I hope for my sake that you buy Apple products because that contributes to the stock price being what it is, and it raises the value of my investment account. I make money on spendthrifts like you.

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When I can pay my bills based on your opinion, the above might mean something. As of today, my bills are paid by me, and if I choose to spend my money where I want, I’ll do that without your encouragement or permission, thanks.

Chomsky said:

Never heard of 'em, but damn - great names! :thumbs:

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They aren’t that cute, but they certainly protect your devices. I did have a cool one that was dark blue and had the texture of a basketball, with a big orange SU on it (for Syracuse University). Thinking of buying another for my newest phone.

Indie guy said:

Everyone's different but I can't see how a phone can be used mainly for business. You can't print documents from a phone but you can with a desktop computer/printer. Now a laptop - that's another story, and it's more useful for business purposes.

Most people I know use their phones for personal stuff - watching videos, texting, social media, selfies, listening to music. Sometimes I listen to music and watch videos on my personal computer which is equipped with speakers, and the visual-sound quality is 100% better than what you get on a phone.

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I don't normally print from my phone but I can do so easily, to any printer that the phone has access to, and that is the purpose of things like NFC, bluetooth, etc.

I never watch movies or TV on my phone. I may watch the occasional amusing YouTube clip, and that's about it.
In fact, that's one of my pet peeves, having been in the industry...spending month after month of fourteen hour days on set, crafting beautiful picture and sound, only to have some nimrod dimwit watching it on a four inch screen.

Still doesn't change the fact that I love the convenience of having such great technology.
Look here, Mister Indie Guy...I AM the ONE who should be playing YOUR role in this humorous one-act drama.
I refer to myself as a "recovering analog dinosaur", because I grew up in the vacuum tube era, in the height of the Space Age, in fact.
Do you understand why I don't behave the way that you think I should?

It's because, up until about two years ago, I kept myself on the bleeding edge of motion picture technology, as it was my job.
I am not a software engineer or a programmer, so I cannot say that I am a computer geek. Persons like Mr. Eohrnberger probably qualify.
But I am a power user, and I am indeed quite familiar with the risks, thank you very much.

Without going into detail, let's just say that the way I arrange my public profile is such that the payoff isn't worth a hacker's time in my case, because my public profile with regard to vulnerabilities is small potatoes.
I don't keep enough in my publicly visible accounts to bother with, everything else is not visible nor accessible online because everything else does not "exist" online, only one small account with very little in it unless I am about to make a purchase.

My identity is fully protected. It has to be because I sell films retail online, and in certain music and film circles I'm fairly well known.
No, not like a Hollywood mogul, just some weird guy who is "the guy" if you hanker for a certain kind of music.

My home is my castle, it is well protected, too.
Now, understand that no amount of dire warnings or hand-wringing, or Luddite protestations is going to cause me any paranoia.
I cannot control the outside world, and I cannot control the desires of the criminal element in this world.
What I can do is make it not worth their time, and make it exceedingly dangerous for those who would seek to physically enter my home without permission.
That is all anyone can do, save for hiding their heads in the sand and becoming a recluse.

Thank you for your concern.

Grand Mal said:

My first phone was canceled because I realized I was paying $40 a month for a watch.
We have a flip phone in the glove box now because we're pretty rural and my wife feels better knowing It's there.

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If you're rural, I recommend you purchase a big fat Class E FRS or GMRS two way radio. Motorola makes the really good ones, or you can go the "almost ham radio" route and get a cheap Baofeng handheld ham rig, which will have both FRS and GMRS frequencies and the extra power for more range.
Technically, it is illegal to use on FRS and GMRS but in an emergency, "Uncle Charlie" (the FCC) will not stand on ceremony over it.
I recommend this because cell service in the rural areas is spotty at best, so you need a lot more than 0.5 to 1 watt to "get on the air".

Ham operators are very keen on monitoring the bands for emergency SOS calls, so even if you never get interested as a hobby, that one time you use it might just save your life.

Superfly said:

When I can pay my bills based on your opinion, the above might mean something. As of today, my bills are paid by me, and if I choose to spend my money where I want, I’ll do that without your encouragement or permission, thanks.

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I don't care who pays your bills.

I'm just thanking you for being a frivolous consumer of these silly gadgets because you're contributing to a thriving economy and increasing my net worth. Tim Cook thanks you for helping him become wealthier too.