Tag Archives: IPhone

Smart Phones Are Getting Just A Little Too Spooky For Me

15 Jul

High tech keeps changing.  To me becoming more and more intrusive into our lives.  Personally, I have never had allowed an Alexa in my home.  And although we have a smart doorbell with surveillance cameras, all of our cameras are outside.  There is nothing watching inside. To me that would be an invasion of privacy.  We now know that sometimes the information that these devices listen to is saved.  YUCK.

I do know that our smart phones can track us and know where we are. That does not bother me because I turned tracking off in my phone except when using certain apps. I even have my Siri turned off. But now my opinion about smart phones is changing.  These devices know more than what we think! 

My husband purchased a new car that arrived in late December. His new all electric Chevy Bolt replaces the Chevy Volt, hybrid plug-in, he drove for 11 years.  His new car does not have a separate navigation system, instead it uses his IPhone for the guidance. To me this has become an eye-opening experience.

The first time I knew something different with the navigation is when I got into the car to go to a friend’s home.  We go there once a week because I take a yoga class my friend teaches, while our husbands visit. But it was still surprising when my husband pointed out the map on the car’s screen.  The map popped up with a route already highlighted to their home.

“Wow! Look at that,” my husband announced. “The car knows where we are going!”  I was spooked.  How would the car know! My husband edited his remarks.  Well, it is my phone that knows because we go there once a week.  He obviously has tracking turned on for his phone.

I understand the concept of continuous tracking.  But still having the route already programed on the car’s navigation made my hair rise.

“What if you don’t plan to go there today?  Then what do you do,” I asked.  “Will the car let you change your destination?  Or is the car and your phone in charge.”

We both laughed.  But I was serious. Would the car let him change the destination.  I don’t know because he did not try.

On another day, when I went with him to our weekly Weight Watchers meeting, there it was: the route to Weight Watchers was highlighted.  Again, no big deal according to my husband.  His phone knew he went there weekly.   It still sent a little shiver through me.  I do not want my phone to know where I go each day! I like having my own personal space that even my phone should not register.

However, now I am not so sure that this is even a joke or ok or even acceptable because of what happened this week.  My husband and I made a condolence call/shiva visit to the home of someone we both really liked and care about.  We had never been to his home before.  After typing in the address, the navigation gave us great directions to his home.  We paid our respects. Stayed for the service and then got back into the car to head home.

As I explained we have never been to that house before and rarely go to that side of town.  Thus what happened next was just a little too spooky for me.  

As we turned on to the main road that would take us the six miles to our home, the navigation system changed.  Instead of the directions to take us home, it was now taking us to Cold Stone Creamery, my husband’s favorite ice cream store.  The only problem was it wasn’t taking us to the Cold Stone Creamery near our home.  No!  It is directing us to a Cold Stone Creamery we had never been to before, but it was very close to where we were driving.

My husband was amazed.  “Look at that!  It wants us to go for an ice cream My phone knows I am upset and wants to cheer me up! There is a Cold Stone Creamery here!”

Wait. That is not okay.  We did not type in Cold Stone Creamery.  We did not ask Siri.  We did not mention it.  We were just heading home.  And on its own volition, my husband’s phone put in a route to an ice cream store.

JUST WOW!

“So if the phone GPS wanted you to drive into a lake, would you do it?” was the thought that came into my mind.” But I did not say it.  What I did say is, “Let’s go home. We really do not need ice cream.” (I was trying to keep to our WW plan.)

I was wrong.  The thought was now in my husband’s mind.  He needed ice cream.  It would cheer him up after a sad moment paying his respects to the widow and family.  We followed the navigation system and had a delicious treat before the car’s navigation posted the directions home.

I have been thinking about this experience for several days now, trying to understand what happened.  I think I do now.  My husband does go to Cold Stone Creamery at two other locations. I guess his phone would be aware of that.  The Cold Stone Creamery his phone directed us to is right next door to the Apple Store, a store we have visited twice in the last year.  Could that be why the phone changed the navigation?  But then wouldn’t have wanted the Apple Store? Or perhaps my husband is eating more ice cream than I am aware of? 

It doesn’t matter.  I am still stunned into disbelief that after a shiva call the car and phone directed my husband to get ice cream, the one thing that would really cheer him up after a sad moment.  Phones know us more than we are aware, and that is very spooky.  A bit too Spooky for me.

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Help! My Life Has Become an Episode of Star Trek!

1 Dec

In Season 5, Episode 6, of Star Trek: the Next Generation, the crew is attacked by a video game trying to turn the crew into video game zombies. They have the first case I can remember of what the show called, “Virtual Reality Addiction.”

The writers had precognition! I feel at times that I am turning into a zombie addicted to games on my IPhone.   Since I got my IPhone 6, with its bigger screen and better graphics, I find myself playing these games much more often. Yes, I was always a ‘Words with Friends’ addicted person. I had to play it several times a day. But now, I find myself playing Dots and Solitaire and Blitz, when I should be doing something else. I do not even like those games that much!

For example, when I used go to a doctor’s office and knew I have to wait for awhile, I would bring my crocheting and work on my current project. But today, I went to the dentist, and did not bring my crochet bag. Instead, even though there was a sign asking that people turn off their phones, I sat in the waiting room with others playing my games. I was not the only one. There were other phone addicted people on their phones as well!

What was that about? I should have been working on one of my projects. I have a baby blanket that needs to be done!!! The baby was six weeks early, and my blanket is only part way completed. I should have worked a few rows while I waited. But the Phone and the games had me bond in their control!

Then there are my early mornings. When I first get up, I usually watch the news for 30 minutes before I get out of bed. But now, I get up for a minute to get my phone and take it into bed with me while I watch the news. Why?

At least I do not sleep with it like some people do. But I do check my mail first thing in the morning. As I listen to the news, I play games and watch television at the same time. Why?

Then there is the information from my UP. On my phone is an ap that tells how long I slept and how many steps I have taken.   Why do I need to check several times a day. Isn’t once enough. NO!

I have to force myself to put my phone down.   And each time that happens, I flash back the Star Trek episode called “The Game.”   I am there. I could have easily fallen prey to that evil game that controlled the crew members’ minds. This has got to stop!

I never understood my son’s affliction to playing video games whenever he could. He had Nintendo, PlayStation, X Box, hand held video game things! And whenever he was not in school or working on school work, he played games. I could never get into it even though he tried to teach me. I would ask why he was wasting his time. He should be outside running around. It was not that bad as he did do gymnastics and tae kwon do. So he had lots of exercise. But those hours playing games made me crazy.

But now I understand! My I Phone has me cornered and in its control. I would take the games off. But I know I cannot. I force myself NOT to add more aps. They would only take up more of my time. It has to stop! On the few occasions I leave my phone at home, I feel disconnected. I don’t see on my dashboard the words, “connected to phone.” And I worry. What if someone needs me. But before cell phones, I was fine. So I force myself go about my way without a phone for a few hours. And I do survive.

I have to add an another fact to this evil addiction. In the show it was William Riker who brings the game back to the ship. He has visited the planet, “RISA.” This is scary. That is my younger sister’s name.   She has been trying to be in control for over 50 years. But I stay in my role of older sister. Perhaps, however, she has a plot to take over my mind through games.   Wait that sounds paranoid. Those games are getting to me. She cannot be plotting this? Can she?

I do have to wonder sometimes who is in control: me or the games and information on my IPhone?

Is this really a good thing? I know I am not the only one caught up in the game aps. Look at all those little children playing on their own IPads! It could be that we are all inside a Star Trek episode.

Maybe this is an alternate universe? Maybe Data did not destroy the program and it now is putting all of us in the middle of a Star Trek episode.

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Upgrading My IPhone Turns Into Drama!

26 Jul

I made the plunge. I upgraded my Iphone from a 4 to a 6. It was dramatic and traumatic. The young man, Ian, at the Verizon store was friendly and competent. He and my husband talked about my phone and got me the upgrade I wanted. The wonderful blue Mophie case is stunning and will keep my phone charged.

I phone

But there was a little problem, which they sort of blamed on me. I had not backed up my old phone for a while. Okay so I forgot, big deal. And it was not on the I Cloud at all.

“I don’t want people stealing my stuff!” I announced to Ian and my husband.

The young man smiled, the same sort of smile my son makes when I comment on the internet and the web and the cloud and all that stuff. I even said, “You are making the same exact face my 24 year old son makes.”

“I am 24 also,” he admitted. I was not surprised. They all have the same expressions some times when talking to parental age adults. He then told me that Apple has made the Cloud more secure and the hackers do not go after normal people like me on the Cloud.  Really? How can he be sure?

Fine. So he could not transfer my info at that moment. He and my husband agreed that this could be done easily at home. My husband knew what to do. We would just take both phones home. Plug my old phone, update to my ITunes account and all would be just fine.

HA!  As I left the store I told him to be ready for a call.

The first part went fine. I plugged in my old IPhone 4 and backed it up to my ITunes account. No problems. I was happy. Then I turned it over to my husband.

He made some noises. They were not polite noises.   He turned to me, “When was the last time you updated you OS? Your Operating System?” He demanded. “You are way out of date.”

So. What’s the big deal. I was happy.

I have not updated my operating system for a while. I admit it. So what? I did not need anything. All was going just fine till now! So what that I have not been able to update my ITunes because I did not update my operating system? My I tunes worked with my old phone. But this then became a problem because the new phone could not speak to the old I Tunes. Shucks.

Then my husband started the process of updating my operating system. In the meantime, I had no phone. NO Phone. In this day and age, I felt cut off. I needed to call my son because we were volunteering for a National Council of Jewish Women’s event, and he had to come and get me.

“Yes,” my son said as he answer the phone.

“Are you still going with me?” I asked.

“Sure, text me about 15 minutes before we need to go. Do you want me to drive over there?”

So I told him I could not text him because my phone was no longer working and we could not get my new phone connected and the operating system was taking forever to install and I need new I tunes. Okay, maybe I was whining a little bit. Maybe I sounded like a two-year old.

But at the exact same moment, the exact moment, my husband and my son both said simultaneously (yes I know I am redundant!), “You are being way too dramatic, it will work out!”

Me! Dramatic! Okay, maybe a little.

My son showed up 15 minutes early to check out the progress. The computer was still thinking. Did I tell you that I have a five-year-old computer. I was really worried they were going to make me get a new computer too. That would have been a disaster!

We left the house. My son and I volunteered, while my husband sat and watched the computer think and update.

When I got home close to 11 pm, my husband was in bed. The computer was not quite done. But after about five more minutes, the new operating system was installed. So I tried to install ITunes 12. But it would not work. My computer’s operating system was still not good enough. However, I could install I Tunes 11 something.

And I got it to all work. My new I Phone connected to my computer. It spoke to my I Tunes account and my backed up information flowed through a wire into the new phone. I was successful. I did not need my husband or my son. I did all on my own.

I updated my phone’s apps.   All seemed well and good.But I noticed something odd. Some of my apps, although they are still visible in my settings, do not appear on the phone. Hmmmmm. I had to work for awhile to get those all sorted out. Eventually they reappeared as icons on my phone.  Success!

However, I then got into my car to go volunteer again. My phone would not sync with my car. Of course not! I now had a new phone. I had to delete my old phone and re-sync with my new phone. But I forgot to download my phone book.  It only took a moment once I figured out what to do, but I had to figure it out.

Getting a new phone is really a hassle.  Over and Over again I had to reinter passwords…but first I had to remember them.  I had to reinstall my Jawbone Up and re-sync the phone to the Up.  I had to re-enter my wifi password.  I spent many hours getting everything up to date.  But I also did not need to call Ian at Verizon.  I was able to do it all myself,  well with some help from my husband and perhaps a few bouts of anxiety!

I was feeling very badly for myself because of all the hassles of the past 18 hours, until I was telling my tale of woe to another volunteer. She said, “I know what you mean. My family wants me to update my phone, but I am not sure.”

Then she pulled out an old phone with a keypad. She did not even own a smart phone. I looked her and smiled. “You are in big trouble!” I said.

“I know,” She responded. “I am not sure I can handle a smart phone. “

I admit, updating my phone was very traumatic and dramatic for me. But she is in for a big shock.

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