ever new, ever learning

well, I got my new "smarter-than-me" phone. I played with it for a while and realized I had to see the folks at T-Mobile to get a smaller SIM card. Bigger phone: smaller SIM.

I have been playing with it little by little, learning the various functions. I have discussed it with a few friends who have smartphones and asked their advice. I figured out the weather channel, the Home Depot app, instant messaging was easy, got the thing set up to get Email, connected to my secure WiFi modem, and took a few pictures. I dumped some of the energy sapping "bloatware".  I will get a storage card sometime in the near future, but that doesn't seem to be a high priority item just yet.

I will learn YouTube, NetFlix, and how to more effectively use the mapping stuff. I will peruse the apps available and decide what I want to pollute my system with. I did make one phone call. It was to my sister-in-law who was thrilled beyond reality that I chose to call her first. Made her day special after some not very happy things had happened.

I am updating my "contacts" list. I am realizing I do not have very many contacts. But I can fluff that out with doctors and restaurants and casual acquaintances. I will even set pictures alongside each of these names. Someday.

I have taken the thing with me on our evening walks with the dogs, and turned it on once or twice to amaze myself that it all still works out there in the open street. Walking two 70 pound boxers puts limits on how much playing I can do while walking.

And today, in the middle of the afternoon, I realized there was one thing I had not yet learned how to do. I think we can all agree that, even though capabilities have far exceeded original design, a telephone is basically designed for voice communication, or at least that was the starting premise. Well, my wife called me! And I had no idea how to tell the chunk of plastic in my hand that I was willing to talk with her. I saw the green and red symbols and I pressed them repeatedly. It was only after I came home that I played with he phone and realized I had to swipe to answer!

So the old dog learned a new skill today: How to answer a handheld computer that wants to also be a telephonic communication device.