It has been indicated by several wiser, though not necessarily older friends that if I intend to maintain my successful presence on social media, I need to get myself up to date, gadget wise. Apart from the office laptop, less accessible now that the other Grumpy Old Sod is using it to job hunt, I also need the sort of mobile that does 'sent from my phone' stuff. As most of you know, I have a cheap Nokia rubbish phone, recently updated from the previous cheap Nokia rubbish phone when the back fell off and subsequently had to be held on by elastic bands.
So, ever eager to please, not to say gullible, I trekked to the XXX shop (not sure whether I can advertise, so pretend you don't understand that last bit), and asked the 14 year old behind the counter whether I could Tweet and access my emails on my current mobile. Showed him mobile, and when he had stopped laughing, he pointed me to the sort of sleek, scary looking devices I should be using and proceeded to explain how they worked. I stared at them for a while, making 'Uh-huh, mmm' noises indicating (erroneously) that I understood every word of his explanations. Then I left. Do they not do subtitles for the bewildered in these places?
Interestingly, this also coincided with the Year 11 Mock GCSE school exam season - I work as an invigilator at a rather affluent local secondary school. It's better paid than stacking shelves at Asda, and you get a nice green lanyard with your name on it and a card to activate the carpark barrier, though sadly, my boss has not yet bought into the concept of a high-viz jacket with Invigilator on the back in raised studs. One of those, and I could do door work in the evenings. ('If I say you're not coming in sir, then you're not coming in. Do not mess with me. I'm an Invigilator!')
Anyway, halfway through an exam, someone's mobile went off. Crime of huge magnitude. I took the box of collected mobiles outside, located the offender (an iPhone 6) and fiddled with it to make it stop. I was watched by one of the ground staff. 'Look,' I remarked, waving the offending item. 'A Year 11 with an iPhone 6.' He replied : 'You want to check out Lost Property; they've got a whole draw full of them. Kids just lose them, and their parents buy them another one.'
I am trying not to go down the logical pathway on this because I am, at core, an honest person, but oh my, it is very tempting ......
I'm in the same predicament, Carol. I also have one of those old push button type phones (it was very smart in its day, it really was). And yes, about the box full of phones in Lost Property, you must be very very tempted...
ReplyDeleteMind, I wouldn't know how to work it, would I?
DeleteAs Carol knows, I am not with-it when it comes to phones, either - when we met, we discovered we had the same model! And with it I shall stay, cracked screen and all :)
DeleteBring back two baked bean tins and a piece of string, I say!
ReplyDeleteI love my iphone6 as it's such a good camera but I don't download my email to it. My luddite side comes out whenever I see a self-service till.
ReplyDeleteM checks emails, takes pice and recently did some *facetime* with Hannah...weird.
DeleteStick with the push buttons, Carol. As long as you can text and phone, what more do you need. Smartphones take over the world - I'll never forget, in Singapore, last year, on Valentine's day, watching tables of young people surrounded by hearts and flowers, on their phones and not talking to each other!
ReplyDeleteApples are strictly for eating i say!
ReplyDeleteToo right!
DeleteFacebook doesn't like me and I don't like non-edible apples. Although the camera in Milady's iPhone is nice. Laptop and my cheapo Korean Smartphone still work fine. And touchscreens are a pita
ReplyDeleteI actually LIKE my Nokia because raised keyboard is easy to type on with elderly arthritic fingers...sadly I see they are becoming scarcer and scarcer...and no, I don't wnt to carry a 'wand' around...one more thing to lose..
DeleteTouch screen keyboards are even easier.
DeleteHave one of these wand things. Looks like a pencil with the eraser on the wrong side. Typing text messages isn't working better with it. And this auto correct feature is just as dumb as can be
ReplyDeleteI object to how small it is all getting, I'm always mis-spelling and I don't like the predicted text either.
ReplyDeleteI have arthritis in my hands, so really struggle with mobiles... so frustrating
DeleteI thought my husband was the only one with phone held together with rubber band. But he has now succumbed to an IPhone, having seen how useful it's been for me! Having said that I do find it fiddly to tweet etc using it - perhaps it's an age thing!
ReplyDeleteMy *writing* comp isn't connected to the internet...as a safety precaution...
DeleteI agree with every word. Proud Nokia owner. However, I do have an iMac in the office a MacBook for lugging about and an iPad. The only reason I would need a smartphone is because a) the camera is good and b) if I wanted to tweet and Facebook on the move. As I don't...
ReplyDeletesee, that's the other thing...people start amassing gadgets that they never need or use. Then they lose them/drop them/break them and panic.
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