Get Smart
I was a little harsh in the past with my attitude to “smart” phones.
I had one that had all the gizmos on it but most were unusable as they either ddn’t work or were incredibly slow. Accessing the Interweb was nigh impossible so the only thing the phone was good for was making phone calls or brief texting.
The new one I have has kind of changed my attitude.
For a start it’s fast. In fact it is even faster than my laptop which is really saying something. I have switched to using WhatsApp for phone calls and texting, as I am usually connected to the home wifi [so all calls and texts are free]. Downloading a photograph from Daughter used to take about fifteen minutes but now it’s instant.
I am really impressed with the camera too. I haven’t had much chance to try it out yet as I have been mainly confined to barracks but have taken the odd snap.
![Evening sunlight on the weeping birch [and holly]](https://i0.wp.com/headrambles.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/EveningSunlight.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1)
There are quite a few features in the camera area that I haven’t even tried yet.
And talking about trying things, there are loads of weird stuff I haven’t even really experimenting with yet. For example, there’s a compass yoke in it which is fine [should I ever find myself lost in fog in the garden] but that also has a spirit level gizmo that actually is very handy. I have indeed used it in anger.
One weird one I found is a health monitor thingy. I’m not pushed about it but I discovered the other day that it is monitoring my exercising habits. That’s a bit daft as I don’t carry the phone with me at all times [unlike the modern generations] so how does it know what I am doing when it’s sitting on the kitchen table? Anyways, it tells me that apparently today I have walked .33Km [and burned 10 kcal?] and I have only been up a couple of hours. Since I got the phone I have taken 47,264 steps [of which 99% are around the house] but I haven’t climbed any stairs? Bollox to that!
Having said all that, I still can’t find how to make the damned thing boil a kettle.
you obviously need a smart kettle as well. I’m sure there is such a thing, probably controlled by Bluetooth or WiFi or some such ,like those doorbells , that as a postman scare the living shit out of me when a disembodied voice talks to me!
A smart plug or smart socket and a voice controller like Alexa, Google's voice control or Siri will work fine to have the kettle boiling by just saying so from anywhere in the manor. You'll have to fill the kettle yourself however, because your phone might be able to count steps but not to make any 😉
Okay, so it boils the kettle. I still have to make the tea by physically going to the kettle. All it saves is hanging around while the water boils. My time isn't precious, but my energy is!
What you're looking for is not called "smart phone" (or Barf), it's called "maid".
I am well used to disembodied voices. Herself loves to yell at me from the Attic. Easy enough to ignore.
I wish I could say I was actually tempted to buy one of these things…
…but I'm not.
It's not the gadgets themselves that's the problem. It's the blasted carriers and their "plans"–that's the problem.
Nice pictures by the way. Not a blur in sight.
The bubble picture was a thing where it took a series of very rapid images, allowing me to pick the best. A nice one to get an "action shot".
I' on a "pay as you go" thing. I toss a few bob into the account and then work away until my credit expires. As I am on a wifi network nearly all the time [and use WhatsApp] then my calls and texts are very few.
Your posts have brought home to me how crap my HTC is, though only four years old: hot spot internet barely reaches half, never mind 80Mbps. I gather you have a Huawei, may I ask what model?
It's a
HuwwayiiaaeuBarf all right – a "P Smart 2019". Dammit I expect some payment for that bit of advertising!I got it on "special offer" at €199. Normal price €199. I like a bargain.
GD, does the new phone connect via USB as a removable drive to a Windows PC without any hassle? My Samsung J3 will not have anything to do with this so I have to take out the SD card to transfer photos. Previously I had a HTC Desire (2010) and even that had no problems.
"to a Windows PC"? I can't answer that but it connects to my laptop [Linux] no problem. I just connect the cable and a screen pops up on the phone asking me whether I want to 1) Transfer photos, 2) Transfer files or 3) Charge only. I transferred the photographs using Files, as I wanted to know where they were going to end up!
I would imagine there would be no problems on Windoze [apart from Windoze?]
Thanks for the info GD, searching the net revealed the problem (they don't see it that way) is at Samsung's end. Page after page came up with queries on how to get around it and apparently some software has to be installed on the phone from Samsung but even this did not work. The settings are also different on my model than those stated anywhere on Google. I've also made sure that the cable is correct. Looks like I'm up for another new phone.
My telephone also had such thingys. The levelling device was great on the new washing machine.
Alas, no more. The telephone decided to part company with me last week, by disappearing into the canal.
I will very soon be on a new Barf hunt, once I am back onto solid ground.
I am not looking forward to that task.