The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Computers => Topic started by: roamer_1 on May 08, 2018, 09:21:57 pm
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Alright, my ol lady (I've got one now) talked me into one of those lousy smart phones... So I got me a refurbed Droid S4 and that's what I am working with...
Total n00b mode - I do not have my geek on.
I am doing alright - I can get around ok, and get the basic functions... This whole thing started over emojis - which seem to be prerequisite, and standard txt smileys are no longer preferred (I was actually told that my age is showing)...
After much research and farting around, I finally figured out to install Google Messenger and Google KB (GBoard), and now I have a much better all around txting experience than the standard Samsung affords, not to mention a far better (and easier to apply) emoji selection.
But that got me to thinking about jumping ahead of my learning curve a bit wrt improving basic functionality, and that caused me to pose this question to all y'all:
With regard to BASIC FUNCTION AND UTILITY- If you have to nuke and pave your phone, which apps will you certainly go DL when the reset is done?
TIA for helping out the ol codger.
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S4? Holy crap why dont you upgrade to a chisel and stone
:)
I dont worry about what to install. Can't seem to fill my s8 up
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S4? Holy crap why dont you upgrade to a chisel and stone
:)
I dont worry about what to install. Can't seem to fill my s8 up
My kid has an s7 coming up for sale - so that's where I will be this summer... This is just a 75 dollar POS to get me started... Training wheels.
But I'll tell you what, I don't think I need much more... I will never fill this thing up.
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Apple, ack! :cross:
On, my phone, the apps I use frequently are (text)Message, email, Kindle, Waze, Clock, and The Weather Chanel, PaleMoon browser or Firefox. Oh, and phone if I have to. I don't like Google and rarely use anything googlish.
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My kid has an s7 coming up for sale - so that's where I will be this summer... This is just a 75 dollar POS to get me started... Training wheels.
But I'll tell you what, I don't think I need much more... I will never fill this thing up.
I'm about to step back to a flip phone. Tired of computers
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Apple, ack! :cross:
AGREED. PC, Droid, or Linux... I don't ever, ever do Mac.
On, my phone, the apps I use frequently are (text)Message, email, Kindle, Waze, Clock, and The Weather Chanel, PaleMoon browser or Firefox. Oh, and phone if I have to. I don't like Google and rarely use anything googlish.
Yeah... partly why I don't want smartphone. It's all google, one way or the other... Especially Droid. But here I am.
Thanks for Waze... Though I doubt it works out here... But I was mainly looking for replacements for function... Is there a better phone app... a better camera app... messaging, contacts, etc... The stuff that makes it function.
I already have Firefox on it, and mail apps, but all that is secondary to phone functions. See?
I would like a better weather app - the stock one won't update unless location is on... If I could find one that works by zip so I can leave location off, that'd be a find.
Thanks for the suggestions @Sanguine :beer:
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I'm about to step back to a flip phone. Tired of computers
@driftdiver
I would have never left my flip phone, having my druthers... Heck, I hardly ever had it even on - I am on my business line enough while at home that I don't want the dang thing around when I finally get shook loose.
But love makes a man do some things he ain't proud of... Like stupid kissy face emojis... And electronic leashes :shrug:
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I see, I did answer the wrong question.
I have a Samsung and most of the software is Samsung, not Google. I can go through the Samsung store rather than the Google store. I've had a Samsung for a number of years now and am very happy with them. Since they quit selling Windows phones.
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My kid has an s7 coming up for sale - so that's where I will be this summer... This is just a 75 dollar POS to get me started... Training wheels.
But I'll tell you what, I don't think I need much more... I will never fill this thing up.
Have been android from the start. HTC 3 times, now an LG. Apps web browser, email, text, calendar, calculator, camera are my basics. For fun YouTube for videos. Maybe some music. I have SiriusXM satellite radio too, for news, talk, music etc. You can load music on a micro SD card, and playback for free--not using your phone data charges.
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Don't kid yourself, that memory goes fast! Hardware suggestion: Get the biggest SD card you can, and make sure your camera dumps pictures and video to it. 1) It will save space on you phone and 2) it will make it much easier to transfer all your photos to your new phone when you get it. Also, go to the App manager and have each program save all the Saved Data to the SD. Same 2 reasons.
Once you get settled into the body of DL apps you like, it's easy to get them into your new phone. In the Play Store (where you get the apps), there is a place called "My Apps and Games." You can install them en mass on your new phone, which beats looking for them all over again. When you first get the new phone, be sure and log into your Gmail account, it uses that to tie all your apps to you. It will import all your contacts, and restore all your text conversations too.
Added: check out one of the "Compass" apps. They're cool. There are some flashlight apps that use the flash LED too.
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Have been android from the start. HTC 3 times, now an LG. Apps web browser, email, text, calendar, calculator, camera are my basics. For fun YouTube for videos.
Thx @truth_seeker About mine too - though I am suffering through whether and what for my calendar/tasks (currently through google, maybe going to shift to MS), so I am currently entertaining two (both) full email/PIM services, plus Yahoo mail. Calendar, txt, and phone are the main things I need it for.
Browsing is incidental, as I can't see the dang thing anyhow.
But the cam (and cam as magnifier) have turned out to be remarkably handy in a utilitarian way... Not a photo hog, but man is it nice to pic/zoom in on a motherboard and read them itty bitty numbers and such. Nice for taking something complicated apart too - I can take pics along the way to ref when putting it back together...
Maybe some music. I have SiriusXM satellite radio too, for news, talk, music etc. You can load music on a micro SD card, and playback for free--not using your phone data charges.
That's big for me too - I have about 35g of music in my lib, and still contemplating whether I want to shove it all on there... currently using HANKFM's app (local country station) or YouTube when walking around, trying to get a hang on data limits... If my normal use as such is well below threshold, I won't bother as much, and just put a few select albums in storage (in case of no cell/wiffy available). :shrug:
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I see, I did answer the wrong question.
I have a Samsung and most of the software is Samsung, not Google. I can go through the Samsung store rather than the Google store. I've had a Samsung for a number of years now and am very happy with them. Since they quit selling Windows phones.
I really wish there was a decent Windows phone. I'd be all over that, just for local networking and sync...
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Don't kid yourself, that memory goes fast! Hardware suggestion: Get the biggest SD card you can, and make sure your camera dumps pictures and video to it. 1) It will save space on you phone and 2) it will make it much easier to transfer all your photos to your new phone when you get it. Also, go to the App manager and have each program save all the Saved Data to the SD. Same 2 reasons.
@Cyber Liberty
Yeah, already there. Got a 64g in it, and hoping it will take a 128... Kinda incidental in the end, because it is going to be backing to my ftp server once I get all that pounded out (@xx:xx pm IF wiffy, and especially IF LAN[home])... I am a data freak and I already know all about the need to back it up. My ftp folders equalize into my data backup, so pics for instance, will automagically just hit my main store... same music and vid...
Once I can hack the thing, I will get to where anything over a month or two old will automatically delete after backup. So I won't be packing the thing full of pics, music, and vids.
But I am very serious that I won't endanger mem/storage limits. I hate TSRs (being a tech for a couple decades now) and keep extremely organized storage. If I don't use it, it won't be on that phone for long.
Once you get settled into the body of DL apps you like, it's easy to get them into your new phone. In the Play Store (where you get the apps), there is a place called "My Apps and Games." You can install them en mass on your new phone, which beats looking for them all over again. When you first get the new phone, be sure and log into your Gmail account, it uses that to tie all your apps to you. It will import all your contacts, and restore all your text conversations too.
YEP... Already been there done all that... it is currently being treated as volatile, so no data onboard.. I have messed it up bad enough that I am quite familiarized with the reset procedures.
Added: check out one of the "Compass" apps. They're cool. There are some flashlight apps that use the flash LED too.
Thanks, I will check that out. I mentioned upthread that I am using the cam as magnifier, and man is that a neat trick.
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Weather app. Gas Buddy is a great app too. A news app if you like and a solitaire app. Those would be the minimums I think.
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@roamer_1 Sorry, forgot who I was talking to. :laugh:
One I don't think I saw above: Get a Barcode scanner that can read QR codes. QR codes are ubiquitous. I found the UPC part really handy when shopping for a Blu-ray player, because I wanted to drill down into the features before I bought. The descriptions on the boxes were too vague. I could actually read the manual from the manufacturer website.
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Weather app. Gas Buddy is a great app too. A news app if you like and a solitaire app. Those would be the minimums I think.
I like Weatherbug. Nice radar imaging.
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I like Weatherbug. Nice radar imaging.
I also have lots of room for photos. Yaaaay. Photos !
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Brave Browser, Waze, ES File Explorer, Compass, Wifi Analyzer
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I also have lots of room for photos. Yaaaay. Photos !
I like live backups. I shoot the picture and Wham! It's on the web. If you know how to set the permissions correctly, you can hot-link those pictures without having to upload them here. It's nice because you can resize the pics on a thread.
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@roamer_1 Sorry, forgot who I was talking to. :laugh:
@Cyber Liberty
No worries... I need to be treated as a n00b on this thing. :beer:
One I don't think I saw above: Get a Barcode scanner that can read QR codes. QR codes are ubiquitous.
oh, that's a great idea! Thx!
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Weather app. Gas Buddy is a great app too. A news app if you like and a solitaire app. Those would be the minimums I think.
Thanks @Freya ... Still trying to find a weather app that doesn't rely on location (uses zip) That location thingy sucks battery. **nononono*
Not much for news anymore... can't find any that isn't spun six ways to Sunday. :shrug:
But I DO like Solitaire!
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Brave Browser, Waze, ES File Explorer, Compass, Wifi Analyzer
That's about the third of fourth time I have been recommended ES File Explorer... Thanks @Elderberry :seeya:
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Thanks @Freya ... Still trying to find a weather app that doesn't rely on location (uses zip) That location thingy sucks battery. **nononono*
Not much for news anymore... can't find any that isn't spun six ways to Sunday. :shrug:
But I DO like Solitaire!
Get weatherbug. You can turn off the Locator and use zip code to select a location.
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That's about the third of fourth time I have been recommended ES File Explorer... Thanks @Elderberry :seeya:
What's astonishing is the phone doesn't come with a file browser. 9999hair out0000
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Get weatherbug. You can turn off the Locator and use zip code to select a location.
Thank you VERY much
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@roamer_1 I like solitaire too,i don't know what you can run but I'm sure you'll find something.
I do highly recommend Gas Buddy it tells you the prices of gas in your area so you can save money!!!!
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What's astonishing is the phone doesn't come with a file browser. 9999hair out0000
There is on mine (MyFiles), but it is pretty crappy.
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I do highly recommend Gas Buddy it tells you the prices of gas in your area so you can save money!!!!
@Freya
Thanks for that... But I don't pay it much mind... I always go to the Conoco or the BP... You have to remember I am pretty rural... there ain't a lot of choices to choose from, and they are all pretty competitive... :shrug:
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@Freya
Thanks for that... But I don't pay it much mind... I always go to the Conoco or the BP... You have to remember I am pretty rural... there ain't a lot of choices to choose from, and they are all pretty competitive... :shrug:
I smell....COLLUSION! Bwaahaahaa.
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Grocery IQ is a big one for me. I have lists for grocery store, hardware, pet shop, etc.
I'm sure there's apps for online shopping as well if you're into that.
I take a lot of pictures of holes in the ground. For example, I recently ran a sprinkler line under my driveway. If I ever need to find it again, I've got pictures to reference.
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I smell....COLLUSION! Bwaahaahaa.
LOL! Nope! Just two companies in the area... Most of the whistle stops and the truck stop are Exxon... and the rest are Conoco... :shrug:
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LOL! Nope! Just two companies in the area... Most of the whistle stops and the truck stop are Exxon... and the rest are Conoco... :shrug:
So here I am, in the big suburb with gas stations up to my armpits, and I fill up about once a month... :shrug:
(1 mile each way commute.)
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So here I am, in the big suburb with gas stations up to my armpits, and I fill up about once a month... :shrug:
(1 mile each way commute.)
Unless I go to walk off, or go off a ways fishing, my monthly gas bill is around fifty bucks... And that is in a 1/2T pickup. I am mostly between my cabin and the farm - about a mile away, and I run around in town around twice a month.
I will have my minivan going again sometime this month, now that the snow is well off... It will still cost me about 50 bucks, but I will be running around a whole lot more.
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Unless I go to walk off, or go off a ways fishing, my monthly gas bill is around fifty bucks... And that is in a 1/2T pickup. I am mostly between my cabin and the farm - about a mile away, and I run around in town around twice a month.
I will have my minivan going again sometime this month, now that the snow is well off... It will still cost me about 50 bucks, but I will be running around a whole lot more.
Huh. Never pictured you as a minivan guy. I guess I never thought of it....
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My kid has an s7 coming up for sale - so that's where I will be this summer... This is just a 75 dollar POS to get me started... Training wheels.
But I'll tell you what, I don't think I need much more... I will never fill this thing up.
Training wheels? An S4 in this day and age is like swimming with cement blocks under your arms. They are built like tanks though. I get a new phone every 2 Samsung models and my daughter is still using my old S4 to listen to music and play games and she treats stuff like shit.
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Huh. Never pictured you as a minivan guy. I guess I never thought of it....
'Computer tech' looks better showing up in a minivan rather than a hillbilly pickup... It has step ladders on the top too - because computer guys need step ladders... :whistle: :shrug:
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'Computer tech' looks better showing up in a minivan rather than a hillbilly pickup... It has step ladders on the top too - because computer guys need step ladders... :whistle: :shrug:
You never know when you're gonna have to go up in the attic to change the ethernet fluid. :whistle:
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Training wheels? An S4 in this day and age is like swimming with cement blocks under your arms. They are built like tanks though. I get a new phone every 2 Samsung models and my daughter is still using my old S4 to listen to music and play games and she treats stuff like shit.
Mrs. Liberty and I had S4s for quite a while, it seems. I liked them better than the Moto Droids we had before that. We like our S8s a whole lot, though. I don't think it's the age of the phone that kills it, it how much bloatware you've allowed to accumulate that kills them.
I treat stuff like shit too. It's good for it, breaks it in.
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You never know when you're gonna have to go up in the attic to change the ethernet fluid. :whistle:
LOL. Top Notch.
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You never know when you're gonna have to go up in the attic to change the ethernet fluid. :whistle:
LOL!
It's the dumbest thing. I think a ladder rack is a general purpose universal 'service guy' sign. A good portion of my new clientele comes from neighbors of my current clients or from folks taking the phone number off the van while in transit... Before vs. after the ladder rack, I will bet my business went up 25%... And I don't think I took a ladder off there but maybe 3 times all last year.
Go figger... :shrug:
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Training wheels? An S4 in this day and age is like swimming with cement blocks under your arms. They are built like tanks though. I get a new phone every 2 Samsung models and my daughter is still using my old S4 to listen to music and play games and she treats stuff like shit.
Don't discourage me Frank. It won't take much to put me back on my flip phone... And I'll tell my ol lady it's all your fault. You don't want that to happen. She'll find you out. That hilljilly gal can track a mouse fart through a windstorm.
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What's astonishing is the phone doesn't come with a file browser. 9999hair out0000
It does. I don't use it. The ES one is much better. It works better, I think, moving files across my network.
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Training wheels? An S4 in this day and age is like swimming with cement blocks under your arms. They are built like tanks though. I get a new phone every 2 Samsung models and my daughter is still using my old S4 to listen to music and play games and she treats stuff like shit.
I got tired of replacing the screens on my Sony Ericsson. The last time I broke the screen on the same day I had replaced it. So I looked for a rugged phone and went with the Samsung Rugby Smart.
I ended up leaving it in my pants pocket and into the washing machine it went. Once I figgered that was where it might be, I felt around in the washer. Of course I ran it on hot water. It was down on the bottom of the tub. I pulled it out, activated it, and made a call. Everything worked fine, except for the speaker. Later that day the speaker dried out. The screen saver got smeared some with the agitator.
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I got tired of replacing the screens on my Sony Ericsson. The last time I broke the screen on the same day I had replaced it.
That's another thing I don't like about smart phones... I routinely have to replace a flip phone a couple times a year... But it's a flip phone... Who cares, right? It's $25 and a half hour...
Get a few hundred bucks involved in a smart phone and drop it in a 5 of paint... lose it on the trail, leave it out in the rain all night, run it over with a tractor...
Even this S4, which in smart phone world, is already nearly antiquated, cost me 75 bucks... Lose or break that a couple times a year, and it's a whole different thing, not to mention the three or four hundred per phone to get anything decent.
And they don't store well on you either... They are prone to being in the way... prone toward destruction.
I wish you could tie two phones to one number. even if only one could be on at a time... I'd keep a flip phone around for rugged duty and keep that spendy smart phone in a drawer for around the house and town...
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Once I figgered that was where it might be, I felt around in the washer. Of course I ran it on hot water.
Did it shrink?