Yesterday, on our date night to the B Spot in Crocker Park, Westlake, OH, we did a visit to the Apple Store. Lisa was (finally) ready to upgrade from her iPhone 4 to a newer model. She ended up jumping to the newest, the iPhone 6 (there is a 6 Plus, but it is the size of a small SUV). I wanted to encourage her to move up to the iPhone 6, because whereas I tend to buy the "newest" technology (a.k.a. "early adopter" - wanna buy a Zune, or Surface RT?), she tends to get the almost-obsolete-but-it-will-work technology.
I said she was "finally" ready, because she has been using this iPhone 4 since December 5, 2011 (do the math). Her cell phone had officially died that day, so we went to our carrier and both got set up with the iPhone 4 smartphones. So, that was way past the two-year contract time that Verizon had us tied to, so the option to upgrade has been there awhile.
Sometime in the late spring of 2014 I upgraded to the Lumia Icon (the "flagship" Windows phone on Verizon). Again, latest and greatest. Of course, since then, the only way to get upgrades is to join the Developer Preview, which only helped with the OS upgrades. The firmware still needs to go through the carriers (Microsoft, you guys are morons), so I'm still waiting two firmware versions behind the phone maker.
My wife is using a laptop running Windows Vista. Yeah, I said "Vista". Me? I'm running Windows 8.1 on our desktop and Windows 10 Developer Preview on a laptop (again, "early adopter"). So, you'll understand why I was thrilled that she upgraded to the latest and greatest iPhone.
Why this blog article? Yesterday during date night, while walking into Walmart (what? You don't go to Walmart on YOUR dates?!?), I saw a display of Valentine's items and made the stupid comment: "I hope you like your Valentine's Day gift." She replied, "It finally took me nine years to realize that we don't do Valentine's Day."
Open mouth. Insert foot.
I have said for years that "we don't do Valentine's Day". Why? I believe that a holiday like Valentine's is just a reminder to men to do something nice for their lady, whereas I believe that men should do nice things for their lady all year round.
Husbands (boyfriends, etc.): you want to know how to be good in your "role"? Love her with everything that you have and are. Don't hold anything back. Make it a point to surprise her whenever possible. I make it a point of bringing home flowers when I'm NOT trying to apologize for being an idiot. She always tells me that I shouldn't buy her flowers, but I don't listen. And that is exactly the point. After all, she IS the latest and greatest.
And if doing something nice happens to fall on a holiday designed to remind men to not be idiots, so be it.
© Emittravel 2015
Showing posts with label Verizon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Verizon. Show all posts
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Monday, July 28, 2014
Stuck in Beta?
I just recently made the jump and installed the Developer Preview version of Windows Phone 8.1 (WP8.1) on my Lumia Icon phone.
(For those of you "non-tech-geeks" still reading this, don't worry - this isn't necessarily a "tech article", so you can keep reading.)
One of my co-workers was installing it on his phone and, through a chat, I decided to do the same thing. Only took about two hours in total (if that). There were multiple downloads and reboots that took place. Again, this is the Developer Preview version. When the "official" version gets rolled out via the cell phone carriers (I'm a Verizon customer), it should be the "complete" version (including updates and patches) and consist of only one download.
One of the neat features that came with WP8.1 is Cortana - a Siri / Google Now type interface. Previously, when you touched the search button on the phone, Bing search would launch and you would type your search (or, select the microphone icon and speak your search). Bing always provided textual results - like searching with Google on your desktop. Cortana replaces Bing (Bing is incorporated into Cortana), so Cortana launches when you click the search button. You can either type or speak your search. If you type, you get a textual result like before. If you speak, Cortana will respond verbally (and/or give you textual results if warranted.)
I noticed in the top right corner of the screen when Cortana is "running" the word "Beta". This is one of those terms that floats around that belong to the inner world of geeks and techies. I looked up a Wikipedia article on the Software Release Cycle that has a simple graph showing the testing and development periods of software. They are as follows:
Pre-alpha (a.k.a. development releases nightly builds)
Alpha
Beta
Release Candidate (a.k.a. Gamma Delta)
RTM (Release to Manufacturing) (a.k.a. Release to Marketing)
GA (General Availability)
Production or Live Release (a.k.a. Gold)
WP8.1 is either in RTM, GA, or Production - being that it is in the hands of carriers. As of this writing, AT&T has started rolling out 8.1, whereas Verizon still shows as "under testing". There is a firmware (software that directly affects the hardware - like drivers and such) update called "Cyan" that is due to be available at the same time as WP8.1, which was not available to download with the Developer Preview. When Verizon releases 8.1, it will include Cyan. But back to the Beta of Cortana.
One of the reasons I've read for how long Cortana will remain in Beta concerned the ever-evolving nature of the software. As more people use it, and it's database grows (and the software is tweaked with more features), Cortana will continue to become "more". At what point will Cortana leave the Beta stage is difficult to determine, mainly because of this type of growth.
Like I said in the second sentence of this article, the focus here is not "tech".
My question to you is, are you still in Beta? And if so, for how long?
Like Cortana, are you ever evolving? Are you constantly growing? Do you look for new experiences (and people) to facilitate this growth?
The bible makes reference to three basic salvations (being born again, born anew, or born from above - Greek shtuff). It says you've been saved (Ephesians 2:8), you are being saved (2 Corinthians 2:15), and you will be saved (Acts 15:11). It says you are saved by faith (or acceptance of…), not of works (you can't please your way to God - salvation is a gift, freely given, from God alone) (Ephesians 2:9). It also tells us to "work out your own salvation" (Philippians 2:12). Of course, this kind of "confusion" helps provide one of the reasons for all of the different denominations in Christianity. And yet, I don't think this is what the 5,000 foot view meant. And how does this connect with Beta? Continue!!
The bible considers that we are triune beings, made of Spirit (the part that is "like God"), the Soul (your will, intellect, emotions), and the Body (the physical part of you). When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, his Spirit is saved - or made new. That is the "been saved" (since the above references are from the letters written to Christians). When the rapture occurs (rapture is a word not in the bible - it is referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) the person receives a new body like the kind the risen Jesus has). This is the "will be saved". What about the "being saved"? This is where we get the "work out your own salvation" part. This is your Beta state. This is where you develop your Soul (your character, your intellect, your emotions, etc.).
You see, the Spirit part of you is pure - like God. You become "separated" from God by an act of your will (known as the age of "understanding"). When you are too young to understand the gospel (good news), your Spirit is still "connected" to God. Have you ever heard someone speaking in tongues? Sounds just like baby talk. Ever wonder why?
The Soul part is the part that communicates between the Spirit and the Body. We really see the connection with the Body. When any of the three parts is out of balance, there are problems. Mental illness, for the most part, is both a problem of the Soul AND the Body (issues with the brain that are often "adjusted" via medication).
This is why you and I are still in Beta - and will be for the rest of our lives. The only other way to get out of Beta is to stop updating. But, would you really like to consider yourself "perfect" at this point and stop experiencing new things in life?
I wouldn't.
© Emittravel 2014
(For those of you "non-tech-geeks" still reading this, don't worry - this isn't necessarily a "tech article", so you can keep reading.)
One of my co-workers was installing it on his phone and, through a chat, I decided to do the same thing. Only took about two hours in total (if that). There were multiple downloads and reboots that took place. Again, this is the Developer Preview version. When the "official" version gets rolled out via the cell phone carriers (I'm a Verizon customer), it should be the "complete" version (including updates and patches) and consist of only one download.
One of the neat features that came with WP8.1 is Cortana - a Siri / Google Now type interface. Previously, when you touched the search button on the phone, Bing search would launch and you would type your search (or, select the microphone icon and speak your search). Bing always provided textual results - like searching with Google on your desktop. Cortana replaces Bing (Bing is incorporated into Cortana), so Cortana launches when you click the search button. You can either type or speak your search. If you type, you get a textual result like before. If you speak, Cortana will respond verbally (and/or give you textual results if warranted.)
I noticed in the top right corner of the screen when Cortana is "running" the word "Beta". This is one of those terms that floats around that belong to the inner world of geeks and techies. I looked up a Wikipedia article on the Software Release Cycle that has a simple graph showing the testing and development periods of software. They are as follows:
Pre-alpha (a.k.a. development releases nightly builds)
Alpha
Beta
Release Candidate (a.k.a. Gamma Delta)
RTM (Release to Manufacturing) (a.k.a. Release to Marketing)
GA (General Availability)
Production or Live Release (a.k.a. Gold)
WP8.1 is either in RTM, GA, or Production - being that it is in the hands of carriers. As of this writing, AT&T has started rolling out 8.1, whereas Verizon still shows as "under testing". There is a firmware (software that directly affects the hardware - like drivers and such) update called "Cyan" that is due to be available at the same time as WP8.1, which was not available to download with the Developer Preview. When Verizon releases 8.1, it will include Cyan. But back to the Beta of Cortana.
One of the reasons I've read for how long Cortana will remain in Beta concerned the ever-evolving nature of the software. As more people use it, and it's database grows (and the software is tweaked with more features), Cortana will continue to become "more". At what point will Cortana leave the Beta stage is difficult to determine, mainly because of this type of growth.
Like I said in the second sentence of this article, the focus here is not "tech".
My question to you is, are you still in Beta? And if so, for how long?
Like Cortana, are you ever evolving? Are you constantly growing? Do you look for new experiences (and people) to facilitate this growth?
The bible makes reference to three basic salvations (being born again, born anew, or born from above - Greek shtuff). It says you've been saved (Ephesians 2:8), you are being saved (2 Corinthians 2:15), and you will be saved (Acts 15:11). It says you are saved by faith (or acceptance of…), not of works (you can't please your way to God - salvation is a gift, freely given, from God alone) (Ephesians 2:9). It also tells us to "work out your own salvation" (Philippians 2:12). Of course, this kind of "confusion" helps provide one of the reasons for all of the different denominations in Christianity. And yet, I don't think this is what the 5,000 foot view meant. And how does this connect with Beta? Continue!!
The bible considers that we are triune beings, made of Spirit (the part that is "like God"), the Soul (your will, intellect, emotions), and the Body (the physical part of you). When a person accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior, his Spirit is saved - or made new. That is the "been saved" (since the above references are from the letters written to Christians). When the rapture occurs (rapture is a word not in the bible - it is referred to in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17) the person receives a new body like the kind the risen Jesus has). This is the "will be saved". What about the "being saved"? This is where we get the "work out your own salvation" part. This is your Beta state. This is where you develop your Soul (your character, your intellect, your emotions, etc.).
You see, the Spirit part of you is pure - like God. You become "separated" from God by an act of your will (known as the age of "understanding"). When you are too young to understand the gospel (good news), your Spirit is still "connected" to God. Have you ever heard someone speaking in tongues? Sounds just like baby talk. Ever wonder why?
The Soul part is the part that communicates between the Spirit and the Body. We really see the connection with the Body. When any of the three parts is out of balance, there are problems. Mental illness, for the most part, is both a problem of the Soul AND the Body (issues with the brain that are often "adjusted" via medication).
This is why you and I are still in Beta - and will be for the rest of our lives. The only other way to get out of Beta is to stop updating. But, would you really like to consider yourself "perfect" at this point and stop experiencing new things in life?
I wouldn't.
© Emittravel 2014
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A Phone-Flavored Phone
Recently, news broke that Verizon would be carrying the iPhone as part of its arsenal of "smart phones". This was a much talked about rumor for quite awhile that has stepped over into reality. It is funny that the announcement came from Verizon and not Apple - I guess it would not do good for Apple to publicly announce that AT&T was not the BEST carrier for its product (it is just not the ONLY carrier for its product). Though there is a Verizon commercial that states it for them ("I can hear you NOW.")
Full disclosure: I own an iPod Touch. I use it to read, listen to podcasts and audio books, and play the occasional game (though my attention span, as limited as it is, makes them just extra baggage. Once I was asked to join a company softball league. I had to decline. I told them the problem was that softball was seven innings long; my attention span is only an inning and a half!). It is a replacement for my old Tungsten T3 Palm Pilot that hit the ground one-too-many times and lost the ability to hold an SD card (which is the storage for audio files). I also have, what I call, a "phone-flavored" phone.
If you ask my wife, she will tell you that I LOVE gadgets. Simply LOVE them. But I don't own many of them. I don't go out and buy the newest item out there. This means I'm also not paying companies' R & D costs by buying the stuff when it hits the market either. I'm also one who will really research something before buying. As my bio states, I'm a "fiscal conservative"; that's not (just) a political stance. I'm a chincy, frugal, penny-pinching, cheap b*st*rd! I do spend money, but try to think it through before making purchases.
That being said . . .
I have a "phone-flavored" phone. I've been using the same cell phone for about five years now. That's three years beyond the two-year contract. I've been eligible for a new phone for three years, but haven't taken the plunge. Not really interested. Why? The reason for this blog entry (finally):
6-999-0-44-88-6-22-555-33-0-22-88-8-0-2-222-222-88-777-2-8-33-0-666-7-444-66-444-666-66-0-666-66-0-222-666-6-6-88-66-444-222-2-8-444-666-66-0-2-66-3-0-3-33-888-444-222-33-7777
(Ooo - a secret message! Welcome to MY world!! But if you figure it out, please don't post it in the comments and give it away!)
"Reach out and touch someone" was an ad slogan that I really could relate to. Nothing better than being close enough to someone to touch them. I'm not talking an invasion of personal space, but with the tech onslaught of late, the personal space circles seem to be growing out of hand! Phones should be tools to keep us together, not replace us BEING together. Unless you are a large distance apart, a phone should be an avenue to set up a time to get together face-to-face. Before my wife and I got married, she lived in Westlake, Ohio and I lived in Akron, Ohio. A full 50-minute ride from each other using freeways and the turnpike. The phone was a "life-line" during the work week; until we could get together during the weekends, and allow me to gaze into her beautiful eyes.
I'm a writer, and love the written word; although my background as an administrative assistant dampers that a bit. I can't even read a novel without catching the typos. That may be one of the main reasons why I HATE texting. It may be ruining the written language. I know what you are probably thinking: "Ur jk rite?" Text messages are supposed to be quick little statements. You type them fast and send them off. Most people (apparently) don't even read what they send. The grammar and spelling is usually horrendous! Listen, if you send me a text and I send back a "???", I'm talking to YOU!
Texting is okay for short notifications to individuals when you think a ringing phone may be an interruption (like, say, the person may be in a meeting; it's during working hours or church; or very late at night when you don't want to wake the household). But come on! I've been told stories by parents of being in a car with their two children in the back seat TEXTING EACH OTHER!! It's about as annoying as those commercials where the woman is breaking up with the guy and it's via text message, and Facebook and Twitter posts; but it's okay: she has (whatever company) so it doesn't cost much.
Come on people. Talk to each other. Reach out and touch! Go grab a cup of coffee and sit across a table and GAB! Don't lose your analog self for the digital self.
Talk with your mouths, talk with your eyes, and even talk with your hands, but please, stop talking with your thumbs!
© Emittravel 2011
Full disclosure: I own an iPod Touch. I use it to read, listen to podcasts and audio books, and play the occasional game (though my attention span, as limited as it is, makes them just extra baggage. Once I was asked to join a company softball league. I had to decline. I told them the problem was that softball was seven innings long; my attention span is only an inning and a half!). It is a replacement for my old Tungsten T3 Palm Pilot that hit the ground one-too-many times and lost the ability to hold an SD card (which is the storage for audio files). I also have, what I call, a "phone-flavored" phone.
That being said . . .
6-999-0-44-88-6-22-555-33-0-22-88-8-0-2-222-222-88-777-2-8-33-0-666-7-444-66-444-666-66-0-666-66-0-222-666-6-6-88-66-444-222-2-8-444-666-66-0-2-66-3-0-3-33-888-444-222-33-7777
(Ooo - a secret message! Welcome to MY world!! But if you figure it out, please don't post it in the comments and give it away!)
 |
| I did a search for "touch" and look what came up! |
 |
| Me and my beautiful wife! Yeah, I'm gonna reach out and "touch"! |
So you can see, I see only a very few reasons to spend enormous amounts of time on the phone. I see even fewer reasons to use "text".I'm a writer, and love the written word; although my background as an administrative assistant dampers that a bit. I can't even read a novel without catching the typos. That may be one of the main reasons why I HATE texting. It may be ruining the written language. I know what you are probably thinking: "Ur jk rite?" Text messages are supposed to be quick little statements. You type them fast and send them off. Most people (apparently) don't even read what they send. The grammar and spelling is usually horrendous! Listen, if you send me a text and I send back a "???", I'm talking to YOU!
Texting is okay for short notifications to individuals when you think a ringing phone may be an interruption (like, say, the person may be in a meeting; it's during working hours or church; or very late at night when you don't want to wake the household). But come on! I've been told stories by parents of being in a car with their two children in the back seat TEXTING EACH OTHER!! It's about as annoying as those commercials where the woman is breaking up with the guy and it's via text message, and Facebook and Twitter posts; but it's okay: she has (whatever company) so it doesn't cost much.
 |
| http://www.flickr.com/photos/digimist/ |
Come on people. Talk to each other. Reach out and touch! Go grab a cup of coffee and sit across a table and GAB! Don't lose your analog self for the digital self.
Talk with your mouths, talk with your eyes, and even talk with your hands, but please, stop talking with your thumbs!
© Emittravel 2011
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