So, I forgot to charge my phone last night.

[Xist]

I could not remember where I left it, either, so I used the landline to call myself. Somehow my cell phone glitched while ringing. The screen stayed black, but it kept stuttering the ring, for about five minutes while I held down every button, then put "Where's my Android" into Google and told Google to call my phone. Somehow that stopped the glitch.

Annoying indefinite ringtones are annoying.

I hope that doesn't happen again!

[redpoint5]

See, time to upgrade to a phone made within the last 5 years.

[oil pan 4]

Yeah I need a new phone too. I use Samsung s5.

[Xist]

At least that has a removable battery and USB 3 port.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

See, time to upgrade to a phone made within the last 5 years.

That would be "downgrade" :-)

[MetroMPG]

Google can call your Android? News to me!



I have an old keyboard-slide-out phone... but I really only use it (A) as a camera; (B) to check e-mail while travelling; (C) and do some limited web surfing.

Oh, and (D) to play a couple of games.

But it's dying!

A relative gave me an old iPhone 5 earlier this year, and I started using that. But then my brother lost his phone on a trip to Las Vegas (whatever phone goes to Vegas stays in Vegas!), so I gave him the iPhone.

Back to the 10 year old LG!

I may actually get a phone that can be used as a phone next summer.

[redpoint5]

I'm normally a technology curmudgeon, but I've given in to the usefulness of a fully featured cell. Back in high school, a kid told me he was setting up a wired network in his home, and I said it was stupid, why would anyone need a home network when you can just transfer files with a floppy disk.

Then when internet was available on cell phones, I said that was stupid, because I have home internet and it's way better.

I use my cell to:

• deposit checks to my bank
• send and receive money from people with no transaction fees
• navigate with real-time info about where hazards and cops are
• find the cheapest gas stations
• control and monitor power draw from smart outlets
• view security camera footage
• make grocery lists
• sell items I want to get rid of
• track sleep/feeding schedule of my daughter
• track my weight, bodyfat, etc
• stream music
• listen to podcasts
• topo maps
• organize/book travel
• find wind speed and direction
• check weather forecast
• check my speed
• set reminders
• calculate
• photos
• video chat for troubleshooting purposes
• alarm clock
• hail an Uber or Lift
• get grocery store discounts
• fly my drone
• identify celestial objects
• watch 3D movies
• store photos of important documents like insurance cards
• surf the web
• record conversations that might be useful evidence in court
• make phone calls
• text
• play games
• much more that I'm sure I'm forgetting

For people that use a cellphone all the time, it make sense to invest in an expensive one. I'm always telling people to spend their money where they spend their time. If you watch a lot of TV, but a really nice TV. Travel a lot, buy nice luggage. Drive a lot, get a comfortable/reliable/efficient car. On your phone a lot, get a nice phone.

Is it crazy that some phones cost $700; sure it is. Maybe it's worth it if someone uses it all the time, to the full extent of the capabilities, and there are plenty of very nice phones for under $200.

[MetroMPG]

• identify celestial objects

Ooh, yes. I have that on the old LG. One of my favourite apps.


Though its accelerometers/compass are backwards ... I turn east, it goes west. Have to find things "manually".

[Xist]

The top iPhone is $1,400.

How many of us have bought cars for less than that?

Yesterday I was rushing from one client to another and turned on my phone just to make sure that they did not cancel and to check the GPS to make sure that I drove straight there. I had only seen one client since leaving home. As far as I know, my phone was fully charged when I left. I drove for twelve minutes and then turned off the phone during that session. How much battery could my phone have used while idle for 720 seconds?

When I turned my phone on it rang and died. I turned it back on, saw that it said 0%, and it died again.

Those clients were a no-show. I should try to make up that session. If I make up dozens of sessions I can buy a brand-new iPhone!

Several dozen sessions?

Last night I noticed that my phone did not charge above 79%, so I turned it off, and it later claimed 100%. This morning I went out to my car to call some clients and this guy was barking at me from the front lawn:



I took the picture, got in my car, and tried posting it to Facebook to see if anyone recognized the dog.

My phone died.

So, that is a bad sign.

The $16 Amazon battery arrived today, as well as the $16 daughterboard, and replacement adhesive.

Also my replacement Galaxy S6. I plugged it in and tried to set it up on the wifi, but it died. Hopefully it will be good for a few years. I spent $160 on it!

I also hope that I can fix up my old one.

What would I do with two working phones?!

I still have my old Samsung with a slide-out keyboard. I forget why I replaced it and I felt frustrated that there were not any then-new phones with keyboards. A crazy girl that I periodically mention said "I don't need a keyboard! I have Swype!"

Swype is awesome, but she was terrible at it. I asked to see her phone and correctly wrote a sentence with Swype.

That was my first time trying.

I have a bluetooth keyboard somewhere, but it is not the same.

I forgot what I was doing, but the other day I changed to the virtual keyboard that was basically just the arrow keys.

My Stratosphere II had arrow keys!

My previous phone was a fake Blackberry by ZTE, but I set an alarm for something important, it didn't go off, and I bought the Samsung. Apparently ZTE came out with a phone two years ago with dual screens. I guess that you could put a virtual screen on one and actually see stuff on the other, but why?

[redpoint5]

Physical keyboards rule, but alas, iPhone won't even spare the tiny room for a camera now. We went from devices that had great utility, to devices that have great entertainment.

Someday we'll all be wearing glasses that beam the image directly to the eye with lasers, creating a screen as wide as your visual field of view, or anything in-between. Then at some point we'll just have a chip implanted in our head that directly stimulates the neurons responsible for visual perception. Some people will immerse themselves in that virtual visual space for such lengths of time that they "unlearn" how to use their eyeballs.