Benefits from Smart Phones

[snafu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkScwIwXrI

I wish people would re-evaluate the benefits they can derive from their smart phone. There are Apps that are easy to use to solve a great many of life's challenges. Just using Evernote time management features has potential to give you a great feeling of satisfaction for time well spent. SA participants value ways to save money but I hope others agree that saving time is also a valuable commodity.

I'm still bewildered by folks who maintain land lines when their mobile phone will facilitate communications. Now even security systems are operating on the cell phone network. It bumps me down memory lane as a tyke with great grandma who believed the telephone was an instrument of the devil. In her era, no one ate until everyone was at table for the evening meal. Inevitably the phone would ring and someone would jump up out of their seat to answer. She was of the opinion that these calls we made to disrupt conversation and enjoyment of the meal.

[disneysteve]

Nice video. Some practical stuff. Some not. But at least it points out how incredibly useful smartphones can be when used to their full potential.

I was a holdout for a long time. I actually had a thread here about my own debate about getting one. But once I did, the only thing that upset me was that I had waited so long to get it. I didn't realize how much I was missing out on.

[FLA]

I think people have landlines for 2 reasons- to get the lowest cable/internet prices, you have to bundle it in. Whenever I try to drop it, my bill goes up $50! Ridiculous and seems like shady business practices.

The other group that seems to cling to them are non-techie people who tend to be on the older side. My mother refused to get a basic phone to just be able to call for help. As she got sicker yet still insisted on driving, we told her we had her keys and she could have them back when she accepted and learned to use a cell. She took the cell, she occasionally can dial out on it, but can never manage to answer it in time and you can't leave a message because she refuses to let me set up her voicemail. My mom was a receptionist for a busy dept at an university. She could work their complicated phone system, no problem. But she claims she cannot figure out her phone to answer calls. BS, she has an iPad mini that she has learned to use for many things. She is capable of pushing the button to talk. Half the time she has it off and has no idea. She is a prime example of someone who cannot and will not give up their landline.

[FLA]

I'll watch this. I use my smartphone but I know there are apps and tricks that would make it easier to use or help me with a problem I didn't know I have, lol. if anyone has good app suggestions, please share!

[MonkeyMama]

if anyone has good app suggestions, please share!

Agreed. I don't utilize my phone as much as I should. I do love the Waze app for navigation.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

i use mine a ton. But i still have a landline for my kids. Well it's a VOIP actually and I sometimes wonder if I don't need a landline in case of emergency. My VOIP is also Obihai so it was cheaper than the others

[corn18]

I ditched my landline this year. No one ever called it except telemarketers. Our family and friends always called our cell phones. Now I use google voice. I use the google voice number for everyone except family and friends or someone I actually want to talk to. Everyone / everyplace else either gets my old land line number that goes nowhere or they get my google voice number that requires them to press a button to get through. That filters out ALL the junk callers. I really like google voice.

[FLA]

I ditched my landline this year. No one ever called it except telemarketers. Our family and friends always called our cell phones. Now I use google voice. I use the google voice number for everyone except family and friends or someone I actually want to talk to. Everyone / everyplace else either gets my old land line number that goes nowhere or they get my google voice number that requires them to press a button to get through. That filters out ALL the junk callers. I really like google voice.

how do you use and access your messages on Google Voice? Do you need a special device or can you get to it through your smartphone?

[corn18]

how do you use and access your messages on Google Voice? Do you need a special device or can you get to it through your smartphone?

You can access it through your smart phone. I have mine set up so the caller has to press a button to get to my phone or they can leave a message directly with google. If they leave a message with google, it translates it for me and sends it to me in a text. I like that. If they press a different button, they have to say their name and google rings my cell. When my cell rings, the callers ID shows up and I can decide whether to answer it at all. If I answer, google asks me if I want to take a call from "what they said their name was", or send it to VM or just hang up. I swear this is the most beautiful setup ever. It's like having my own personal assistant screening all my calls. No marketeer has made it through the labyrinth. Anyone important gets my direct cell number.

Best part is it's all free.

Tom

[FLA]

I swear this is the most beautiful setup ever. It's like having my own personal assistant screening all my calls. No marketeer has made it through the labyrinth. Anyone important gets my direct cell number.

Best part is it's all free.

Tom

you sold me, sounds too good to be true!

[moneytips101]

price match

I like to price match using my cell phone. Best Buy, WalMart, Guitar Center and many more will price match if you can physically pull up an amazon (or any competitor's) listing.

This has literally saved me hundreds over the course of the years and makes my smart phone worth it

[sv2007]

My first smart phone was a Palm running webOS (so their 2nd generation OS); prior to that I'd carry my Palm m500 and my dumb phone. Why? because a lot of my secret info is on my Palm.

As soon as I got the Palm smart phone, I wrote an App for it to keep my secrets and ditch the old m500. Life was good.

Then I switched to Android because of , well, you know Palm.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Question for those who ditched their landline phone, what did you do with your phone number that is linked to so many accounts (ie, bank accounts, utility accounts, etc). Question for Tomhole, does Google voice allow porting my landline phone number over to Google voice?


Ten years ago I had AT & T landline ($40/month). Since that time I ported my phone number over to Magic Jack ($40/year or $1.50/month). Saved a lot of money over that time. Considering porting my phone number to Google voice if possible. However, I keep hearing every year that Google Voice will start charging but never charge. I'm afraid that as soon as I switch to Google Voice they will then start charging.

[corn18]

A quick search shows you can't port your home phone to Google voice (easily). This shows how it is possible:

http://www.oldtownhome.com/2015/3/19/How-to-Transfer-Your-Telephone-Land-Line-to-Google-Voice/

We had already transitioned anyone important to our cell phones over about a year before we cut the landline cord. The only calls we were getting on the landline when we shut it down were junk calls. I still give out that old number whenever someone asks for it and I don't want any calls from them.

Tom

[Thrif-t]

We still have our land line but it's digital from Time Warner. I use Nomorobo https://www.nomorobo.com/ and it blocks all the unwanted calls. Honestly my home phone hardly rings. But I still enjoy yacking on the phone with my friends yet I hate talking on a cell phone. I don't like the sound quality on a cell. So my friends and family know to call the home phone first and if I'm out and about then call the cell if you absolutely need me. But honestly, I'd rather not be bothered on my cell unless it's an emergency or my kids.