An iPhone 5c (the plastic version with different colors) has lasted over 3 and half years. One time recently It was able to keep a charge (without being charged) for 2 weeks. It was shut off for quite a bit of that time.
running short on blog post so I thought I’d share that
Category: tech culture
Central Lakes College now offers some classes that do not use textbooks. There are some benefits to this.
- Students spend a lot of money on textbooks
- The paper textbooks can be very heavy causing back problems and even problems with brain and vision when carried in a backpack.
- Ebooks are nice, less to carry, and allow authors (and artist and photographers) to be paid for their work, however some formats do not work with every device.
- CLC leaves it up to the instructor to choose the textbook so different instructors will use different books anyway. Sometimes different books have to be bought for the advanced class after the beginning class.
- Some classes I had to buy textbooks that were never even used as part of the instruction of the class.
Categories
Technology and privacy
Some of my views on technology and privacy.
I’m not saying I’m right but this is the way I see it.
I have a very strict privacy policy. There are good and bad things about that.
The good:
- It safeguards privacy
- It gives a reason to deny request for private information
- It protects against some possible data breaches
The bad:
- When people ask for referrals I can’t always give them a referal
- I don’t contact customers even though they may want to be contacted
- It limits some of the business I’m able to do even though it may be beneficial to the customers
- I don’t always publish photos or videos, even though people want to see them.
- it limits the age to 13 or over for interacting with my web sites through forms.
My view on the new iPhone is it does not necessarily breach privacy any more than previous smart phones and definately not more than services like Facebook . Although there is the possibility it could with 3rd party apps.
My view on St Paul police departments with autism foundation app targeting disabled people and people diagnosed with autism disorders is a privacy breach,
The integration of records at Northern pines from 3rd party providers (Little Falls and Brainerd) may be a confidentiality and privacy breach.
I set table first. I put broken in thirds thin spaghetti in water with salt put the magnetic induction cooktop at 220 F timed to turn off in 9 minutes. Then put it in Another pan over the stove with the lid on it. I put rolls from a can on a cookie sheet sprayed with canola oil in the gas oven at 400 degrees fareignheight. set my timer on my smart phone for 10 minutes. Then started the sauce with vegetable spaghetti sauce and soy veggie crumbles at 220 F timed to automatically turn off 5 minutes then checked it cooked another 5 minutes. Turned off oven I got a bag salad, but added blue berries and strawberries on top. For my friend, salad I made for her was just berries. She came and left, my parents came, and she came back. I started putting it on the table.
early computer programmers had to do a lot of the computing (number crunching and other tasks) themselves.
http://www.pbs.org/video/2365794661/
There was a movie that came out called “Hidden Figures”. That taught the time era where there was segregation of people. A woman even had to go across to another building to use a rest room in high heals, until the supervisor finally made sure she was able to use the rest room closer to her. About getting into space the human elemant that you do not normally see.
People worked on many different projects showing they came from diverse backgrounds .
https://www.nasa.gov/modernfigures NASA web page
Here is my annual list of technology I like.
5. magnetic cook top with automatic off. I am currently using the Nuwave oven 2 with this technology cooks fast, energy efficient and less mess.
4. 3M Command strips & accessories. Although I’ve had some issues with some tearing when taking off walls, These can be very useful tools for chord management, picture mounting, mounting solid state drives (SSD), and tool organizing such as keeping my broom off the floor. They avoid holes in the wall too.
3. Internal flash storage (or SSD) in devices with network 
connectivity. All smart phones and tablets have this(although sometimes removable). Now we need to make sure we have in our desktop and laptop computers (if you aren’t going to substitute them completely with a tablet or smart phone). Also network connectivity helps eliminate the need to pull a card out and get rid of the need for optical drives.
2. Cloud technology. Most people have already taken this up at least a portion. Why waste money on DVDs, CDs, hard drives, flash drives, extra data centers/servers, and unnecessary traveling when we have cloud technologies.
- Renewable energy, energy efficient, and other green technology.
This includes cleaning tools such as a rubber blower (such as Rocket Blaster) and cleaning wipes that can make your electronics last longer. Solar keyboards (and solar power in general). Led lighting and redirecting natural sun light with fiber optics or high efficient windows. LED bicycle lights powered by DYNO wheel as well as bicycle accessories such as quick mtx pack or a trailer that allow me to avoid using automobiles.
My personal list of Tech dislikes
7. The way people use their mobile phones, and tablet devices. I like my phone to a point, but I try to change the settings so it is less of a distraction. The main reason I like my phone is for the camera – not the phone, texting, or web. (even though I have dedicated digital cameras). I admit I have taken selfies (self-portraits) even before mobile phones, but the extent people are doing it now is a little out of hand. I actually like using my computer as a phone/video phone, for texting and web better than my mobile phone.
6. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday. Although not a technology in itself there are many sales with technology items. Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday were implemented with web technology when started. Black Friday (the turning of red negative numbers into black positive profit) I avoid because of the crowds in person. I also avoid these sales because of overspending and buying things that are not useful for me or the people I give them to. Small business Saturday to me as having a small business with mostly local customers is more of a gimmick since people rarely expect me to work on a Saturday even if I want to. Also, it’s sponsored by big business American Express. I also don’t buy into the argument that more dollars stay local when shopping at a brick and mortar business vs online, although in some cases this is true, that all depends on the business.
5. Technology (often outdated) that is noisy, bulky, takes a lot of energy, or needs to have batteries replaced. This goes from the fake bell tower, to grass sprinkler systems that get in pedestrians way and run while it is raining, to walky talkies, film cameras, remote controls, and some toys.
4. Watches and fitness bracelets (and any accessory or clothing (like dress shoes/high heals)that can be uncomfortable). One of the reasons I still use a mobile phone is I hate watches. Watches are easy to lose and can be a safety/ health hazard. The best way in my view to be active is to have a written plan on how you are going to stay fit, have support from friends/family, and do it.
3. Printers (and typewriters, paperbooks, and paper) see paperless
2. Weapons of any kind – I know some people like to hunt for food or do archery, but we can’t always just blame people for all of our problems when it comes to these.
- Personal automobiles – They are dangerous. Noisy. bad for the environment. Sometimes used as weapons. Bad for health. People are also starting to use more bad behaviors with these such as honking with remote controls locks/car alarms constantly as well as leaving them running or pets/kids in vehicle. They can actually take away productivity and make us less social in a positive way to the people close to us. more in my ebook that I’m in progress of writing. Also sometimes people consider it to be too personal of an item forgetting they are in other peoples space when using their car or in a parking lot.
Many people are fighting back against the use of computers, tablets, social media, and newer technologies. Usually using new media to send these messages.
There are real problems created by technology but there are also real solutions. And the solution is not to avoid technology completely or to ignore it but to limit certain uses that become bad habits or unsafe.
“phubbing” or phone snubbing is nothing new and came long before smart phones. Just the word is new (and maybe the problem and awareness is greater). When there are other people around (or even when they aren’t) you don’t want to be constantly distracted by your phone doing things that aren’t related to what is around you.
I had personally some trouble with this. I’m not sure how much it bothered other people, It actually caused extra headaches looking down at the small phone screen for too long (reading paper can do the same thing for me but worse).
To help reduce constantly being interrupted by my smart phone and to increase battery life and save money: I took the following steps. (some may be extreme)
- Turn off alerts except for the most important items. (these will vary by your preference) I turn off alerts for email since I only check it often. Turn off alerts for Facebook except for direct messages.
- dropped the cellular data package and only use wifi, texting, and less than 300 minutes
- relay phone calls with my smart phone (iPhone) through my (Mac) computer. I also do video calls more with my computer than phone.
- gps turned off most time
- turned off clock updates
- turn off blue tooth
- got rid of head phones
- kept cable but got rid of wall adapter and use a surge protector with built in USB instead
- turn off background refresh for apps I don’t use often, and since I have wifi only – leave it on for the apps I check often such as the weather – sometimes when I get away from my network I am still able to see a cached version
- turn off the phone while I sleep, while watching a movie, or at meeting (unless I’m looking at my phone for notes)
- Use Do not disturb feature on the iPhone
- Use timed forwarding with google voice.
- Got rid of car and usually my phone is quiet enough I don’t hear while walking or biking.
On my computer
- I set it to turn off or go to sleep automatically at night
- I leave laptop and phone (tablet) unplugged from power except when it needs charging.
- I use reminders on my computer and phone to help remind me of things I need to get done during the day such as brush my teeth and eat breakfast. Sometimes also called to do list. Microsoft one note is another program with this capability. I also use reminders as a paperless shopping list. Some stores have their own app for shopping lists but it is usually specific to their store.
- I use a computerized calendar on my computer and phone to remind me of appointments and birthdays (using contact info).
Do computers cause more testing of students in schools?
No, but computers allow testing to be done more easily so it is a factor. It is one of those things that people need to set limits on what they do whether it is computerized or not.
What about social media?
There are both good and bad things about social media so you have to be careful how you use it. There are many extreme hurtful viewpoints, so you will want to be careful about what you post. Will you be ok with your neighbor, grandparent, parent, child or grandchild seeing what you post?
Also be careful who you follow, and whether you or your children sign up for social media accounts. Children should be at least 13 for social media or email accounts, possibly older.
Does social media make people more or less social in everyday life? Again this is another thing that depends on how it is used. In my personal case it has made me more social both with social media and in the real world. But if all you are doing is playing games, reading long articles, and videos non-stop it can make someone less social.
Does computerization make people learn less or more? I tend to think more. Since computers can be highly adaptive, it can enable people with disabilities or simply those that need extra help do more. It may be a little less memorization and sometimes less hands on, but again this will all vary by individual.
Are computers good or bad for the envioronment?
The answer is both.
Computers, tablets, smart tvs, smart phones all take materials and energy to make and use. If not recycled properly the chemicals and materials they are made from can also be bad for the environment.
However the things that these devices have replaced actually can be beneficial for the environment since you are using less energy and able to perform certain tasks faster. Smart phones and computers have essentially combined many different tools into one complex device. Typewriters, film cameras, photo copiers, paper mail, driving to deliver information have all been reduced and sometimes eliminated.
The portability of newer electronics can also help reduce the weight that people carry.
When things in your business or organization are going good and maybe even getting better it is good thing to congratulate the people that made that happen.
On the other hand if things aren’t going right you don’t want to blame that on people.
I hear a lot of emphasis on people versus technology however people have always relied on some sort of technology or tools to survive.
- think of the tools we use to prepare and eat our food.
- Think of the shoes on our feet that can prevent cuts and diseases.
Marketers (and sometimes managers) want to put things in that start with the letter P. Just since it is simple to remember, however it is important not to get stuck on a letter and not to get over emphasize on one word.
Examples are People, Place, Process, Promotion, Product, Price.
Technology can be the Process, but it can also be part of the promotion, and it can also be the product or service. Technology can even be part of the place or location.
Sometimes when technology fails, it is blamed on people (or the technology) rather than solving the problem with the right technology.
Examples of technology vs technology
- Using computers and phones versus vehicles some people think meeting in person is the best thing, but if you are big distances apart or repeatedly going short distances in a vehicle it actually may be more personal to do something like a video call or web meeting then be stuck in traffic for an hour or 2 using an older technology called an automobile.
- Using computers, tablets , smart phones instead of (or to reduce) paper. This also means don’t use your computer just to print things off. Even radio, television, or a message board (electronic or not) could also be considered a way of using technology for reducing paper depending on how they are used.
Using technology such as robotics and computers can eliminate work that people do not want to do, that is too dangerous to do, or to assist people do get there work done. Although there is talk about these eliminating jobs, sometimes some of these jobs shouldn’t be done by people or can’t. Sometimes they assist with jobs. Some examples:
- Robots can be used in doing the dangerous work in manufacturing cars, or going to other planets.
- A robot can assist a people vacuuming their floor, when it may not otherwise get done on a regular basis.
- A computer can do mass calculations in a split second, can control heating and cooling systems so they are more efficient. As well as give a person with a disability an ability to do things independently.
Although people using social media may say all we need is people, not technology or expertise; People, technology, and expertise can all fit together.
Categories
today in nanocomputing
Apple introduces new iPhone, with larger megapixel display, and new 64 bit nano processor.
Apple also announced new payment system.
Apple Watch announced. Automatically has accurate time. Fitness device. Uses “digital crown.” Tactile feedback, heart rate monitor. Jewelry and sports options. Having an iPhone is currently required for the watch.
I won’t be getting the watch, because my phone replaced all the watches I would constantly loose years before what we call smart phones now. And I don’t want to restrict my blood flow by wearing a watch, and I don’t wear a watch due to safety while running or biking.
There are of course already android and other “smart watches”