Covid19 Spare time

KARNUT · March 7, 2021

We recently switched to a new provider and purchased identical unlocked phones from Costco. My wife and I are working hard to master these devices. The most frustrating challenge is making phone calls! (new provider issue)

A few years ago I was traveling during the Astros playoffs. I had at the time my local tv provider on my iPhone. The hotel didn’t have that playoff. I bought and brought with me an adapter that allowed me to plug the phone to the TV. Accepting the HDMI cable. Just like it was a cable box. It amazing how much technology has advanced in a few short years.

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Grumpy Bear · March 7, 2021

56 minutes ago, Donstar said:

We recently switched to a new provider and purchased identical unlocked phones from Costco. My wife and I are working hard to master these devices. The most frustrating challenge is making phone calls! (new provider issue)

I use it for allot of things but what I bought it for was phone calls. If that is all it did I'd be good with that.

Donstar · March 7, 2021

51 minutes ago, Grumpy Bear said:

I use it for allot of things but what I bought it for was phone calls. If that is all it did I'd be good with that.

We still maintain our landline....

KARNUT · March 7, 2021

We still maintain our landline....

For grins we pulled out an old rotary phone we had. The grandkids totally freaked out. They spent hours calling their friends and sending pictures. They couldn’t wrap their heads around being tied to the wall. We still have a land line as part of our bundle. Even though we usually have it unplugged. Damn constant sales calls. Most people I know don’t have land lines anymore.

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Grumpy Bear · March 8, 2021

Okay, my Uncle Bob, the one with the million mile Ford Flathead had a crank phone at the farmhouse.

Phillis connect me with Lisbon 362.

Your party line ring came when she got your connection completed.

Donstar · March 8, 2021

I remember an instructor telling me something like 98% of the invention of the current automobile is found in the Model T. The idea is that we have simply added refinements. The same comparison can be made with the telephone. The invention is represented in Uncle Bob's phone. The phones we all carry with us are amazing, but I imagine the initial phones must have been a much more mind blowing experience! Last night I was reminiscing about telegrams as my wife was texting with my daughter while both were watching the same show thousands of miles apart. The big difference is that when we are notified of a text, we are usually happy. When we received a telegram, chances are it informed us of horrible news! My replica pay phone and Karnut's rotary phone provide excellent story starters for the grandkids! For me, the greatest positive of the pandemic was our ability to maintain free and easy contact with family. It was in my adult lifetime that a phone call to family in Europe was a serious budgetary consideration!

KARNUT · March 8, 2021

I remember an instructor telling me something like 98% of the invention of the current automobile is found in the Model T. The idea is that we have simply added refinements. The same comparison can be made with the telephone. The invention is represented in Uncle Bob's phone. The phones we all carry with us are amazing, but I imagine the initial phones must have been a much more mind blowing experience! Last night I was reminiscing about telegrams as my wife was texting with my daughter while both were watching the same show thousands of miles apart. The big difference is that when we are notified of a text, we are usually happy. When we received a telegram, chances are it informed us of horrible news! My replica pay phone and Karnut's rotary phone provide excellent story starters for the grandkids! For me, the greatest positive of the pandemic was our ability to maintain free and easy contact with family. It was in my adult lifetime that a phone call to family in Europe was a serious budgetary consideration!

Let’s not forget beepers. Then looking for a pay phone. Oh yea calling cards.

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Bash74 · March 8, 2021

Video game players have been practicing for this. [emoji1787]

https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/zombie/index.htm

Grumpy Bear · March 8, 2021

7 hours ago, Donstar said:

I remember an instructor telling me something like 98% of the invention of the current automobile is found in the Model T. The idea is that we have simply added refinements. The same comparison can be made with the telephone. The invention is represented in Uncle Bob's phone. The phones we all carry with us are amazing, but I imagine the initial phones must have been a much more mind blowing experience! Last night I was reminiscing about telegrams as my wife was texting with my daughter while both were watching the same show thousands of miles apart. The big difference is that when we are notified of a text, we are usually happy. When we received a telegram, chances are it informed us of horrible news! My replica pay phone and Karnut's rotary phone provide excellent story starters for the grandkids! For me, the greatest positive of the pandemic was our ability to maintain free and easy contact with family. It was in my adult lifetime that a phone call to family in Europe was a serious budgetary consideration!

Oh boy. When dads bothers were overseas a call to Germany or Korea was a months overtime.

BIGDOGx · March 9, 2021

16 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Oh boy. When dads bothers were overseas a call to Germany or Korea was a months overtime.

Nothing compared to the mid 90's flip phone craze and roaming charges, if people think cell phone plans are expensive today lmao.

Grumpy Bear · March 9, 2021

49 minutes ago, BIGDOGx said:

Nothing compared to the mid 90's flip phone craze and roaming charges, if people think cell phone plans are expensive today lmao.

Yes! I did all long distance LAN at that time. Who could afford roaming charges?

BIGDOGx · March 9, 2021

1 hour ago, Grumpy Bear said:

Who could afford roaming charges?

Apparently not me at the time as an 18 year old haha. First monthly bill was nearly 400 dollars, my father laughed at me when i asked for help paying it.

Donstar · March 10, 2021

Long distance calling is what kept us with a landline for the past 20+ years of carrying a cell phone! It is still cheaper for us to keep our home phone for long distance calling. On the subject of outdated technology, my effort to transfer VHS tapes to digital format came to a halt on my second tape. My VCR stopped working with no viable options for repair. Over the years, I've disposed of or donated a few VCR's and was not going to devote a lot of money to a replacement. I went to a thrift store and found a very clean looking and working unit for $9.99! I went home and while hooking it up, I discovered I had purchased a mono player! This is not a problem for my purposes but conjured up another technological revolution for baby boomers!

Transient · March 10, 2021

Long distance calling is what kept us with a landline for the past 20+ years of carrying a cell phone! It is still cheaper for us to keep our home phone for long distance calling. On the subject of outdated technology, my effort to transfer VHS tapes to digital format came to a halt on my second tape. My VCR stopped working with no viable options for repair. Over the years, I've disposed of or donated a few VCR's and was not going to devote a lot of money to a replacement. I went to a thrift store and found a very clean looking and working unit for $9.99! I went home and while hooking it up, I discovered I had purchased a mono player! This is not a problem for my purposes but conjured up another technological revolution for baby boomers!

Have you ever heard of WhatsApp? That's what my wife and I use to communicate whenever she's out of country. It's free. You can use it to text, do phone calls, and even do video calls.

Speaking of boomers v millennials, remember they fantasy about video calls in the 80s and 90s? It's a daily thing now.

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Donstar · March 11, 2021

20 hours ago, Transient said:

Have you ever heard of WhatsApp? That's what my wife and I use to communicate whenever she's out of country. It's free. You can use it to text, do phone calls, and even do video calls.

Speaking of boomers v millennials, remember they fantasy about video calls in the 80s and 90s? It's a daily thing now.

I hadn't heard of WhatsApp and now, thanks to Google, I know a little. We have used Skype since it was new. These programs appear to be similar but I will look into this a little more. I do remember when I was young going to the Pacific National Exhibition and seeing futuristic video phones. The prevalent argument of the time was nobody was going to want to spruce themselves up before every phone call! Now the appeal of a video call is watching others as they are normally. My granddaughter for example will Skype us when she is doing chores or we may Skype her while we're doing something else like baking. The more everyday normal the experience; the better! I appreciate hearing about any apps/programs that helps to minimize separation from family or friends. I used so much of my Covid19 increased home time honing in on strategies to keep close relationships. I have peers who have not embraced the growth of technology and have missed out.