What’s ‘appening??

What’s ‘appening??

Hi there

Thanks for popping in. Had a good day so far? I spent the morning putting the finishing touches to the TV prep, in readiness for Sunday, then turned my attention to other things…

Have decided to make a few adjustments to the way I do things. For example, doing a little light exercise. So I downloaded an app, to give me some structure.

Then the diet. Have decided to take a closer look at what I eat, and when I eat it. So I downloaded an app to help me look things up easily. Not that I’m going to start counting calories obsessively – but a little more awareness can only be good.

Apps are certainly taking over! There’s an app for most things now. When I look the number of apps I use and/or subscribe to, it’s interesting to note how they crept up on me. Do I have a favourite? I have 3 main ones: Audible, Spotify and Solitaire. Listening to music, reading books and playing cards. Sounds about right! Most obscure app? I’ve got a spirit level app, which is brilliant for pottery! Hands up who has some weird apps…

But surely, Barbara, surely you know how to do a little keep fit exercise, and what’s fattening and what’s not! Yes, of course. But apps are quite fun, and they keep you on track, that’s what I find. A bit of support and discipline?

You have to be careful about some repeat monthly subscriptions though. They suck you in with a special discounted introductory price, but then, unless you cancel by a certain day, the price doubles and is taken out of your account automatically every month thereafter. Naughty naughty.

It’s fascinating to see how we’ve evolved, isn’t it? When I was at university, our language laboratories were considered ground-breaking! They involved sitting in a cubicle with headphones on, and repeating what you heard into a microphone! This was recorded on a cassette, so that you could listen to yourself, and compare how accurate your Spanish accent was!! Fantastico !! And then the teacher would bark a correction at you from the front if you were way off beam. Vorsprung durch Technik, eh?!?

Nowadays, we each carry the entire knowledge of the civilised world in our tiny phones. Got a question? Google it! Want to know what Double-glazing is in French? Google it. And in the same moment Google will tell you what double-glazing is in every language, from Afrikaans to Samoan. So I can rest easy in the knowledge that, should I ever be in Samoa, and should I ever require double-glazing whilst there, I will know to ask for fa’aitala fa’alua. Want to know how to pronounce it? Ask Google.

I can only speak for myself. Maybe it’s my age, or maybe because I wasn’t born into this crazy computer age, so that it doesn’t come naturally, sometimes it can feel a little intimidating, all this App and online stuff. But in the bigger picture, I think our generation has adapted remarkably well – some of us with a lot of help from younger people! I guess the trick is to not be frightened of the worldwideweb, or be very frightened! Maybe tackle it with caution, decide which bits you like, which bits might serve you well, and which you don’t want in your life.

Quote for today:

Time is precious. Waste it wisely

Love always

Barb x x x

25 thoughts on “What’s ‘appening??

  1. I don’t have many apps but the one I do use and is FOC and tells me how far I’ve walked etc. Trouble is I don’t carry my phone around in the house with me, so I don’t get a true picture but as I always have it on a walk it gives me a good indication of the mileage done. What I cannot work out is why both myself and hubby walk the same route, but he always seems to have done more mileage than me (lol); go figure.

  2. Hi Barbara,
    Todays technology is amazing, however, I keep to the basics as I’m so terrible with electronics. If something goes wrong I lose patience and the air turns blue. I always need to get my friend to help me out when I’m in trouble.
    Having said that I couldn’t be without my mobile or iPad now. I tend to use the Google app and TFL great for checking train timetables.
    Todays quote is very apt….
    XX

  3. Don’t have these apps and I didn’t either grow up with internet.
    I have more groups on internet to follow like Clarity and other sites for card making and stitching.
    Take care Barbara and say you on Sunday

  4. Ok, hands up, I’m a dinosaur and hate it – give me a book to look something up any day. All this tech is good but what happens if you lose or get your phone stolen or the signal/internet is down. I have first hand experience of young people who can’t read a wall clock because they have never worn a watch they just look at their phone. I find it frightening in some respects but I guess it’s what you’ve been brought up with. Xx

  5. I used to laugh at my mum when she couldn’t put a video in the video recorder – now I’m getting like my mum being scared to use new technology🤣🤣🤣. Must be an age thing.

    Even the phone frightens me especially when you get hacked.

    When I was at work I was fine with IT – but I’ve lost my confidence. Thank goodness I can use Facebook and WhatsApp and I love google.

    I spent 2 hours fixing my printer yesterday- nightmare!

    Much happier though with a pen pencil or brush in my hand – thank goodness for crafting.

  6. I have a calorie counter which I can add my meals to but rarely use it and one that counts my steps but I don’t carry my phone about in doors ! Audible, a couple of games and one of my favourites is the live bus times – don’t often go on bus but it’s great to know when one is coming and I don’t waste time at the bus stop ! Banking apps too are useful. I’m sure I have more …. X

  7. I’m with Beverley in the dinosaur park.OH is the techie in the family, just as well as I am useless. I have a fitbit type watch but only use the health bit to check weight, steps and sleep quality. Of course you then need a smart phone to access the data. Don’t use any of the apps on it, use Mah Jong , Clarity blogs and sales on my lap top, and do internet banking on a super secure computer in the office. That is my limit, just can’t be bothered with the rest. I WOULD RATHER BE CRAFTING OR READING A GOOD BOOK.
    Received an order mid afternoon, very pleased with it.
    Good that you are starting to take more care of you and your schedule. I think recent events were a wake up call for you, but if you slow down as you seem to be doing you will live a lot longer and happier.
    Love and hugs 🍒

  8. Hi Barb
    for two pence I would happily chuck the tech stuff in the river, but I am sensible enough to realise they can be useful tools (a lady alone in a broken down car miles from home?) Have always had a mobile phone in the car of one sort or another. But I like to use my brain and look around me. The best thing about apps is you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to. If they are so clever, why don’t they tell their users to look to see if it is safe to cross the road?
    Ah well, back to ignorance.
    Love
    Maggie (Bendy Yorkite)
    PS Bendy cat manages very well sans apps!

  9. My phone is turned off at least 23 hours a day (my phone said average 42 minutes a day)so I don’t have many app -just 2 word games to keep my brain active! I deleted most of the ones already on there as I never use them -just the news app and the weather app get used. Oh and one for my hearing aids to control them and check battery level. I sleep 1.30 am to 8.30 am and an hour in the afternoon! I drop off instantly! I’m glad to see I’m not the only technophobe.

  10. I am a dinosaur – I don’t have any apps. In fact I rarely use my mobile phone – mainly because with failing eyesight I can’t see to use it. It’s in my bag when I go out for emergency use. It’s only a PAYGO- as I get free landline – so why pay for a mobile!
    Mags

  11. I cannot be without my phone, but it is just that, a phone. Like many more I have had a lot to learn in order to be able to use my I pad, but during lock down I had to learn by trial and error in order to keep in touch. I’m very glad I did so I can join in with the shac Shack etc and local groups, family, friends craft Etc.
    Keep safe Barbara. X

  12. I do nothing on my phone except make calls and text. I use my iPad for Google, emails, FB and the Shac. I never do on-line shopping on iPad only on computer + on-line banking. I suppose I’m quite nervous of technology. If something goes wrong I haven’t a clue how to fix it. Worrying really in this day and age

  13. I love the website IMDB. For those times when your watching a movie and going nuts because you know you’ve seen an actor in something but cannot remember what. Saves so much time and allows me to enjoy a movie.

  14. I have a few apps on my iPad I wouldn’t be without, FB of course, only got it to follow the SHAC. Solitaire, Pyramid and Spider, which is my biggest time waster! Perhaps the oddest is a decibel meter. As a retired Teacher of the Deaf and Educational Audiologist I’m still fascinated by sound. (I’ll catch his snores one day!) I use very few on my phone as it’s just too small. How do people watch films and read books? Beats me.
    Glad we’re of the generation who can use technology but without the obsession of the young.
    Now to Google how to pronounce fa’aitala fa’alua. !! 🤣
    Xx

  15. Hi Barbara
    Take about strange apps I have been diabetic for years have coped well with it. But every check up you have to take a wee sample in but this time I had to do it on an app. Doesn’t involve what you think but it can tell if you have an issue brilliant. Here is another fascinating invention. If you are deaf you can get glasses that you use with blue tooth and when someone talks to you it displays subtitles on the glasses, can even translate it into 7 languages.
    All exceptional stuff.
    Love Ruth and Jackie xx

  16. Hi Barbara.
    I hate technology, but do use my phone for certain things.
    Strange apps! Well, I use Squeezy. Haha, can you guess what it is?
    Lots of exercise without moving, hahaha.
    It’s an NHS app, one off payment of £2.99.
    Have you guessed yet?
    Well, we all need to look after our pelvic floor don’t we. Programme set for 3 rimes a day.
    Yes, that includes you gentlemen out there too. There’s one for men.

    So, happy planning your exercises, and happy squeezing. Well, you did ask!

    Keep getting better.
    Love Sheila x

  17. Oh My! How your picture took me back to my school days and also reminded me of the technology that was around when I started my accountancy training. Computers? Not on your nelly! We used something called a Borough’s Sensimatic Ledger Posting Machine – a huge beast that required about 5 keys to be pressed simultaneously in order to get a total. Just looked them up on good old Google and found that they have one in the National Museum of American History. Blimey – didn’t realise I am that old – but every day is a blessing!

  18. Weather, calendar, FB, Instagram, YouTube, Bank, are my regulars so I know what to wear, what day it is, what’s happening! Learn from groups on the following three, then get a shock on how much money I’ve spent on my hobbies! Happy days

  19. Hi Barb, yeah you are so right about all the apps, and so many do have these sneaky costs. If I get stuck with technology (strange for someone working in the IT industry right?), call the son, who always sorts it, but then again he has a masters degree in mechatronic engineering and builds his own computers, so he would know! Todays quote is one of my favourites. I had a wall stencil with it on in our downstairs study, but then we painted, had to remove it and change it for another, which now says “It doesn’t matter where you go in Life, it’s who you have beside you”. Maybe I need to get another one of my favourite for my craft room. Looking forward to the shows. Take care and stay warm and creative everyone. Bx

  20. Technology does seem to have taken over a bit but for many of us over the last few years it has been a lifeline – FB lives, Zoom meetings/classes etc. Even my 94 year old mom took on Zoom enabling her to continue her church services & speaking to her friends & still does now. Games on the Ipad keeps our minds active although I do sometimes get engrossed & time flies by. (Hence I am writing here now & not last night – LOL) I stick to the free ones even if it means having to tab through the adverts but everyone has a choice.
    I do like a paper diary though as I can have everything in one place for everyone. Although it is now a page per day one !!
    I used to work with a lady who always said she was born BC – the younger members of staff would look at her & she would just say Before Calculators !!

  21. I love tech. Got loads of apps on iPad and phone and watch such as banking, art, astronomy, I can point the camera at the night sky and it tells me what the stars or planets are. Hive, camera, printer and so on. An old favorite is the Harp app. I couldn’t live without YouTube as that’s where I discovered Groovi and Clarity 🙂

  22. Ha ha the language lab! That photo brought back memories! I’m the same age as you and I think we were the first class to use it, but it didn’t really meet our expectations (I’m not sure WHAT we were expecting….but it all seemed really dull!) Our German teacher was a Scottish lady with a VERY strong accent and I remember her getting very cross with my best friend who couldn’t say “durch” (as in durch, fur, gegen, ohne , um, wider). We all thought it was hilarious, but she was furious and thought my friend was just taking the mickey. She wasn’t……I think it must have been the braces on her teeth that prevented her from saying it correctly. Oh the things you remember!! As for Apps…..I’ve tried using them but my phone keeps telling me I’m running out of memory, so I end up deleting them. What’s App is great though (is that an App??). I took an elderly relative food shopping yesterday, and while I was waiting for her, I was receiving messages and photos from a friend in America. No idea how it all works…..but I’m thankful that it does!!

  23. I love my colouring by numbers app and one called Woodoku. I also use Spotify all the time and wondered how I ever survived without WhatsApp! The funny thing is that if anyone found my phone, they would think I have some serious problems, as I download a lot as research for work. I have everything from addictions to domestic violence, anxiety to PTSD!

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