Oh but I do love my phone - Page 3

Undertoad · 02-25-2012, 08:40 AM

Yes. It can only get worse: so many people have speakerphone capability on their phones, but don't even know it's there, or how to switch it on. The day they learn how... well it could be bad.

Undertoad · 02-25-2012, 09:30 AM

Google Maps + Google Navigation

All the phones have GPS in them now, and apps can retrieve your actual location on the planet. For Google Maps, this is a sudden blessing: hit the GPS button, and the map is instantly centered on you, with a "You Are Here" pinpoint.

Then, Google Navigation. Since the phone now has the same hardware that a dedicated GPS Nav unit has, the phone can now become a GPS unit, and that's what Google Navigation is.

thus no need to spend $200 on a GPS unit with a map update subscription. a smartphone is expensive, but it often saves you money...

Yesterday I suddenly got lost in a rather terrible section of town. The phone got me out of it, just like a dedicated GPS unit would. The difference: I was streaming Spotify at the time. When Google's Navigation voice came on to tell me to turn left, it politely turned the music down, gave the direction ("Turn Left onto Fox Street"), and then turned the music back up.

just like you would want it to

Oh and the phone's GPS unit gets your location really fast. I have an older Tomtom GPS that takes a few minutes to find the satellites when you first switch it on. I always curse at it at that point... "Come ON! In this day and age!" although of course I have no idea what it does and why it takes so long to receive and decode the signals from outer space.

jimhelm · 02-25-2012, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Oh and the phone's GPS unit gets your location really fast. I have an older Tomtom GPS that takes a few minutes to find the satellites when you first switch it on. I always curse at it at that point... "Come ON! In this day and age!" although of course I have no idea what it does and why it takes so long to receive and decode the signals from outer space.

white people problems.
(nsfw language)

zippyt · 02-25-2012, 10:31 AM

http://www.pcworld.com/article/25050..._disaster.html

Undertoad · 02-25-2012, 11:41 AM

Actual screen shot; it's easy to take a screen shot with Ice Cream Sandwich, just just hit the power button and the volume down at the same time.

This is the fastest speed test I've gotten in Verizon 4G LTE territory. The numbers are astounding to me. (I'm not bragging, I'm just talking about the tech!) This is faster than my home internet service, and that's FIBER.

It's so fast that you could outrun your monthly data plan in an hour! (luckily I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan) (NOW I'm bragging)

ZenGum · 02-25-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

When Google's Navigation voice came on to tell me to turn left, it politely turned the music down, gave the direction ("Turn Left onto Fox Street"), and then turned the music back up.

That is pretty good.

xoxoxoBruce · 02-25-2012, 06:21 PM

You can control your car from your phone.

The day is coming when you lose your phone they just void your birth certificate, because the phone owns your life.

sexobon · 02-25-2012, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Yes. It can only get worse: so many people have speakerphone capability on their phones, but don't even know it's there, or how to switch it on. The day they learn how... well it could be bad.

People are being taught to use their speaker phone capability in CPR classes so they don't have to delay/interrupt lifesaving cardiac compressions while communicating with 911 operators to call for an ambulance.

That covers the good, the bad, and the ugly is waiting around the corner when people discover speakerphone karaoke!

(You can edit out that last paragraph if your afraid the idea will spread.)

Gravdigr · 02-26-2012, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The day is coming when you lose your phone they just void your birth certificate, because the phone owns your life.

Whut he said.

Undertoad · 03-01-2012, 10:06 PM

It occurred to me today that this is not a phone; it's a portable computer that happens to take calls.

Or rather:

To people born before 1995, a "phone" is a device you use to make calls.

To people born after 1995, a "phone" is a highly portable computer, and one of its least interesting apps is the one that can be used to call people.

limey · 03-02-2012, 03:57 AM

I describe my iPod touch to people as "an iPhone with everything but the phone".

Undertoad · 03-02-2012, 01:57 PM

I've installed the app "where's my droid"

If I lose the phone, I can TXT a certain password to my phone, and it will ring.

I can TXT a different password to my phone, and it will TXT back messages with its latitude and longitude, a Google map link to where it is, and the nearest address to the device.

classicman · 03-02-2012, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I've installed the app "where's my droid"

If I lose the phone, I can TXT a certain password to my phone, and it will ring.

Even if set on vibrate?

Quote:

I can TXT a different password to my phone, and it will TXT back messages with its latitude and longitude,
a Google map link to where it is, and the nearest address to the device.

That is awesome!

Undertoad · 03-02-2012, 02:04 PM

I set up face unlocking.

I don't usually lock the phone, because most of the time I'm just at home and nobody cares.

But now I'm going into North Philly regularly, so I better get with the program.

So I set it up. You take a picture of your face using the front-facing camera, from a normal arm's reach away; and then when you want to unlock, you look at the phone, and it identifies your face as being the same as it pictured before, and unlocks the phone.

It works great.

Undertoad · 03-02-2012, 02:07 PM

Yes, "Where's My Droid" overrides any particular settings at the time, and rings at full volume. Also I have it set to use a "white noise siren" instead of a normal ringtone, so it's unique.

It will also turn on the GPS if you have that turned off. The only thing it can't do is make sure your battery hasn't run out so that it can do all these things.

02-25-2012, 10:31 AM	#34
zippyt LONG LIVE KING ZIPPY! per Feetz Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arkansas Posts: 7,661	http://www.pcworld.com/article/25050..._disaster.html __________________ "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. " Brother Dave Gardner

02-25-2012, 06:21 PM	#37
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	You can control your car from your phone. The day is coming when you lose your phone they just void your birth certificate, because the phone owns your life. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-02-2012, 03:57 AM	#41
limey Encroaching on your decrees Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: An island within the south-west coast of Scotland Posts: 7,016	I describe my iPod touch to people as "an iPhone with everything but the phone". __________________ Living it up on the edge ... of civilisation, within the southwest coast of

02-25-2012, 08:40 AM	#31
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Yes. It can only get worse: so many people have speakerphone capability on their phones, but don't even know it's there, or how to switch it on. The day they learn how... well it could be bad.

02-25-2012, 09:30 AM	#32
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Google Maps + Google Navigation All the phones have GPS in them now, and apps can retrieve your actual location on the planet. For Google Maps, this is a sudden blessing: hit the GPS button, and the map is instantly centered on you, with a "You Are Here" pinpoint. Then, Google Navigation. Since the phone now has the same hardware that a dedicated GPS Nav unit has, the phone can now become a GPS unit, and that's what Google Navigation is. thus no need to spend $200 on a GPS unit with a map update subscription. a smartphone is expensive, but it often saves you money... Yesterday I suddenly got lost in a rather terrible section of town. The phone got me out of it, just like a dedicated GPS unit would. The difference: I was streaming Spotify at the time. When Google's Navigation voice came on to tell me to turn left, it politely turned the music down, gave the direction ("Turn Left onto Fox Street"), and then turned the music back up. just like you would want it to Oh and the phone's GPS unit gets your location really fast. I have an older Tomtom GPS that takes a few minutes to find the satellites when you first switch it on. I always curse at it at that point... "Come ON! In this day and age!" although of course I have no idea what it does and why it takes so long to receive and decode the signals from outer space.

02-25-2012, 11:41 AM	#35
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Actual screen shot; it's easy to take a screen shot with Ice Cream Sandwich, just just hit the power button and the volume down at the same time. This is the fastest speed test I've gotten in Verizon 4G LTE territory. The numbers are astounding to me. (I'm not bragging, I'm just talking about the tech!) This is faster than my home internet service, and that's FIBER. It's so fast that you could outrun your monthly data plan in an hour! (luckily I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan) (NOW I'm bragging)

03-01-2012, 10:06 PM	#40
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	It occurred to me today that this is not a phone; it's a portable computer that happens to take calls. Or rather: To people born before 1995, a "phone" is a device you use to make calls. To people born after 1995, a "phone" is a highly portable computer, and one of its least interesting apps is the one that can be used to call people.

03-02-2012, 01:57 PM	#42
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I've installed the app "where's my droid" If I lose the phone, I can TXT a certain password to my phone, and it will ring. I can TXT a different password to my phone, and it will TXT back messages with its latitude and longitude, a Google map link to where it is, and the nearest address to the device.

03-02-2012, 02:04 PM	#44
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	I set up face unlocking. I don't usually lock the phone, because most of the time I'm just at home and nobody cares. But now I'm going into North Philly regularly, so I better get with the program. So I set it up. You take a picture of your face using the front-facing camera, from a normal arm's reach away; and then when you want to unlock, you look at the phone, and it identifies your face as being the same as it pictured before, and unlocks the phone. It works great.

03-02-2012, 02:07 PM	#45
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Yes, "Where's My Droid" overrides any particular settings at the time, and rings at full volume. Also I have it set to use a "white noise siren" instead of a normal ringtone, so it's unique. It will also turn on the GPS if you have that turned off. The only thing it can't do is make sure your battery hasn't run out so that it can do all these things.

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