Eletelphony
Dec. 26th, 2014 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thanateSo my old extremely stupid phone started mysteriously turning itself off some months ago, which in the context of a toddler and no home phone seemed like a problem. And while I wasn't really mentally ready for the smartphone age, I also didn't want to commit to another two years of stupid phone. Which has resulted in my acquisition of an iphone 5s, as this was the smallest (mostly) contract-funded option available through Credo Mobile. Without the case I got for it, it even stays in the back pocket of my jeans when I use the toilet. (with it, not so consistently. Boo.)
Grauwulf says that for someone who was so anti-smartphone I spend a lot of time looking at it. I said that was *why* I didn't want one: they're addictive little things, and I am generally supposed to be paying attention to the Megatherium, not my pocket-computer. (I have this thing in my pocket, and it's supposed to be interesting.)
I find that mostly what I do with a mini-computer 2000 times the size of my first laptop is check the weather constantly, and take pictures of my child. Now I have to figure out how to get those pictures back off the phone-- I am hoping that it'll play nice with my computer even though I deleted iphoto years ago for being stupid and annoying, but haven't tried yet.
So far my app acquisitions include a couple games, Merlin Bird ID (which plays bird sounds!), pinterest, a dictionary, a couple craft store coupon apps, a metronome/tuner, and vTree (tree id).
Have you the internets anything you use and love? Or do you know how to delete the stupid stock market app?
Things I think I want include something like the running from zombies game only without zombies and maybe running towards rather than away, a good recipe & shopping list app, or particularly good early learning (alphabet, numbers, suchlike) games for the Megatherium once she turns two. (we're still trying to avoid formal screen time until then, despite the difficulty of explaining to certain relatives that actually this child is ready for picture books but not movies without criticizing the way her cousins are being raised.)
Grauwulf says that for someone who was so anti-smartphone I spend a lot of time looking at it. I said that was *why* I didn't want one: they're addictive little things, and I am generally supposed to be paying attention to the Megatherium, not my pocket-computer. (I have this thing in my pocket, and it's supposed to be interesting.)
I find that mostly what I do with a mini-computer 2000 times the size of my first laptop is check the weather constantly, and take pictures of my child. Now I have to figure out how to get those pictures back off the phone-- I am hoping that it'll play nice with my computer even though I deleted iphoto years ago for being stupid and annoying, but haven't tried yet.
So far my app acquisitions include a couple games, Merlin Bird ID (which plays bird sounds!), pinterest, a dictionary, a couple craft store coupon apps, a metronome/tuner, and vTree (tree id).
Have you the internets anything you use and love? Or do you know how to delete the stupid stock market app?
Things I think I want include something like the running from zombies game only without zombies and maybe running towards rather than away, a good recipe & shopping list app, or particularly good early learning (alphabet, numbers, suchlike) games for the Megatherium once she turns two. (we're still trying to avoid formal screen time until then, despite the difficulty of explaining to certain relatives that actually this child is ready for picture books but not movies without criticizing the way her cousins are being raised.)
Re: ooh, a subject on which i am qualified to bloviate!
Date: 2014-12-26 07:37 pm (UTC)I am regretting not upgrading to Mavericks while I had the chance. Boo. (Have not yet bitten on yosemite, though the only thing worse than deciding to upgrade to stupid is finding out that the free period has expired & I have to pay for it.) My fist problem, however, appears to be connecting the phone at all. Will investigate further.
I have iBooks pre-installed, but put that in the folder of things I don't anticipate using much. (The non-back-lit e-reader works better visually, also toddler minding.)
Review sites sound useful; reducing the great hordes of options helps. Thanks!
Re: ooh, a subject on which i am qualified to bloviate!
Date: 2014-12-28 06:06 pm (UTC)Stupid "we know better than you do what you want" era of apple. :(
Oh, that reminds me: turning off iOS ad tracking is more complex than it needs to be.
Also, I don't know if Find My iPhone is automatically installed these days or not, but if it isn't that's a good thing to have.
Also also, I am told that with iOS 8, 1Password now plays much better with other apps, so that's recommended.
Game/entertainment-wise: Andrew Plotkin (Zarf) is having a bit of a sale: buy Hadean Lands and get his other two IF games for free, or buy Meanwhile (a choose-your-own-adventure comic book with a fantastic iOS implementation) for two bucks. And Bastion (action-adventure with a decent plot and great music & voice acting) and King of Dragon Pass (sort of Civilization crossed with Choose Your Own Adventure in a very well-thought-out Iron Age fantasy world) are on sale.
Enjoy!