Don’t Leave Home Without It

Episode 564

November 23, 2019

In days gone by, would you have left home without your keys, ID, money, address book and calendar?

Nowadays you only have to remember to bring your phone.

An iPhone can lock and open the front door of your house.

It allows you to drive your Tesla.

Passwords that admit you to virtual locations, such as your bank, shopping and other websites, are stored in the iPhone.

In California, a bill was passed in 2015 to study the feasibility of a digital driver’s license app, but was vetoed by the Governor. In Arkansas digital driver’s licenses have been issued since 2017.

Apple Pay allows you to fill your electronic wallet with all your credit and debit cards. A tap on a terminal with your iPhone pays for your merchandise.

Cash money will soon be obsolete. In Sweden only 15% of payments involve cash transactions. Buses in Sweden do not accept cash. ATMs have been removed from Swedish banks.

The address book shared online by your computer, tablet and phone updates instantly across all devices. Gone is the business calling card – replaced by Airdropping your vCard from one iPhone to another.

Calendar apps allow for instant addition of events from email or text message. Included with most calendar apps are reminders, warnings and locations. Locations link to map apps for turn by turn directions to your event. Proximity reminders can nudge you to stop at the grocery store on your way home.

Much of what your phone will do is at the beck and call of Siri.

“Hey Siri: Tell my wife i love you.”

On the iPhone, Siri is always listening for her name. “Tell” means write a text message. “My wife” is known by Siri because i set Paula up in the “spouse” field of my card in the Contacts app.

i say, “i love you” because Siri is literal and if i said “Tell my wife i love her” Paula would get a text message saying “i love her.” Paula might wonder who “her” is.

“Hey Siri: Give me directions home.”

“Directions home” means use the Maps app to plot turn by turns to the location for “home” in my card in the Contacts app. When i am lost in a neighborhood and need to get out to a familiar street or freeway i use this feature.

i lean heavily on the Reminders app. It has all my lists. i cannot shop without the “Grocery”, “Hardware store” or “Stuff to buy” lists.  i share these lists with Paula so that either of us can shop. Other essential lists are project lists like “Do Today”, “Red House”, “Books to read”, “Car repairs”, “Movies to watch”, “Places to go” and “Bucket List”.

The Notes app on my iPhone is a direct connection between my brain and my life. i record random thoughts, the text of my bLog, tech tricks and compositions destined for long communications. Notes even allows me to attach URL references, documents, photos and videos.

For long term bulk storage that does not fit on the iPhone there are online data bases like Dropbox, iCloud drive and Google Drive. Google Drive is also a collaborative space where i can work on documents cooperatively with others.

The camera in my iPhone is an essential part of my memory. The other day i was returning some unmarked hardware at Home Depot. The customer service employee could not find the SKU for the items so i went to the bin, photographed the price label and SKU. She was able to scan the bar code in the photo, connect it to my credit card, find the item and refund my purchase price.

Camera also documents my adventures. Remember that awesome sunset during our walk last month? Here it is in the Photos app.

My iPhone has replaced some of the shop tools. Level, Calculator and Measure apps replace my bubble level, long hand math and tape measure.

i’m never bored when i have my iPhone. At my fingertips is all the music, video, news and entertainment that i can consume. i can even use the iPhone as a remote control for my Apple TV.

When getting dressed i may want to know what the weather will be.

“Hey Siri: What is the weather like today?”

“Weather” means, well, “weather” to Siri. She will look up the forecast. She will tell me what the weather is like where i am, because she knows where i am. Try asking Siri, “Where am it?”

The iPhone keeps me connected. i can send text messages or email. A teleconference is easy with FaceTime. 

Oh yes… the iPhone is also a telephone. i can speak to someone anywhere in the world with my iPhone.

We have become cyborgs with our senses augmented by our smart phones. Augmented reality will push our virtual awareness even farther. Looking at a sidewalk through the Camera app with arrows and instructions superimposed will make getting to our destinations simpler. 

You may not want to leave home without your iPhone, but remember to take an occasional break. On your evening walk, leave the phone at home.

Commune with nature using the good old fashioned five senses that served you so well in days gone by.

One Response

  1. Terry December 3, 2019

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