Mobile Phones

[Tizer]

Ask the youngsters to show you how when they next visit. It'll only take them a few seconds.

[Stanley]

[Tizer]

We've now got the What3Words app on our smartphones. It has been mentioned a number of times in the news in recent months because many of the emergency services have taken it up. It splits the world's surface up into 3 metre grid squares and gives each one an identity consisting of 3 simple words separated by dots, such as frog.house.book which is easy to pass on when your lost somewhere. The group who had to be rescued from Ben Nevis a week ago were found quickly because they gave their 3 words to the Mountain Rescue Team. It's also used in a more mundane way by shops, restaurants, pubs etc. What3Words

[PanBiker]

We have a custom made wooden plaque with a picture of Penyghent and a Yorkshire Rose and the What3Words reference for where we scattered some of Dan's ashes. It was produced by a friend who manufactures such things, ///pizza.joints.astounded.

[Tizer]

I've just entered the address and seen the spot. As I put in the address it seemed to offer me three very different places but then I realised the words were not exactly the same, so we have to be careful about accuracy when using the app. This is what came up - at least it was obvious which one was correct! (I wonder if they ensure that similar results are in different countries in order to cut down on confusion?) I see from their guide that we can now scan an address into the smartphone as long as it's printed in a normal font. Here's a web page with a 13-page PDF of the instructions. LINK

[Stanley]

I never thought I'd say it but I am warming to my new Moto G7 Power phone.....

[chinatyke]

I never thought I'd say it but I am warming to my new Moto G7 Power phone.....

I started to use mine when I was in hospital and discovered it was really a pocket computer and I could email and communicate on the internet, even pinpoint my exact position, a whole new world. I was even pleasantly surprised by how much auto-correct has improved. Good old Huawei.
I put £20 credit on it and that usually lasts about 9 months. My mate calls me a cheapskate for using so little, but it does all I need for that cost.

[Stanley]

I am on Pay as you go China at £1 a week. So far this has proved adequate for my use. If this changes I shall have a re-think.

[Tizer]

I'm on PAYG with 1p Mobile. I pay £10 every 4 months. What you haven't used gets rolled over into the next month. Very simple, had no problems with it. I think Tripps might be on it too. 1p Mobile

[Whyperion]

We've now got the What3Words app on our smartphones. It has been mentioned a number of times in the news in recent months because many of the emergency services have taken it up. It splits the world's surface up into 3 metre grid squares and gives each one an identity consisting of 3 simple words separated by dots, such as frog.house.book which is easy to pass on when your lost somewhere. The group who had to be rescued from Ben Nevis a week ago were found quickly because they gave their 3 words to the Mountain Rescue Team. It's also used in a more mundane way by shops, restaurants, pubs etc. What3Words

I might get confused with such things, normally the phone charge (or no coverage )has run out when I get to back.end.ofbeyond

[Whyperion]

I'm on PAYG with 1p Mobile. I pay £10 every 4 months. What you haven't used gets rolled over into the next month. Very simple, had no problems with it. I think Tripps might be on it too. 1p Mobile

I got caught out when I left mobile data on and everytime I went out it checked for new emails, a fiver for emergency calls lasted only 10 days, re-done that phones settings now (I mainly use it for photos or call backup when the main phone runs out of charge (a reasonalbe £15 a month on a two year contract for a the less featured new phones range good ish for me but a little wide for my small hands to feel comfortable with.

[Stanley]

Thanks for that, you triggered me to check that Wi-fi calls was on and Mobile and Roaming data were off. I'd forgotten them.

[Stanley]

A huge discovery this morning! I got a video call from Margaret in Perth via Whatsapp and we had a good chat! First time I have ever used this facility and even now I'm not sure how I did it but a notable first! Lovely to see them all. Isn't it a miracle, me sat in Barlick and them 10,000 miles away.

[chinatyke]

A huge discovery this morning! I got a video call from Margaret in Perth via Whatsapp and we had a good chat! First time I have ever used this facility and even now I'm not sure how I did it but a notable first! Lovely to see them all. Isn't it a miracle, me sat in Barlick and them 10,000 miles away.

I agree with you Stanley, miraculous technology. My wife uses a similar app to video call her daughter in California almost every day and all for no charge. Brilliant!

[Stanley]

Just think China, only fifty years ago it would have been witchcraft! It reminds me that Big Harry told me over 20 years ago that all telephone calls should be free because they were only a fraction of the data being transmitted hourly on the web and wouldn't even be noticed. It sounded far fetched at the time. Even then, working at Salomon Brothers' bank in London, if he rang Janet half a mile away at another merchant bank the call was routed via Hong Kong because that was the cheapest way to do it.

[Tizer]

`Coronavirus: Smartphone sales collapse amid pandemic' LINK
`Sales of new phones have collapsed in the biggest fall since the invention of the smartphone. Research firm Strategy Analytics said shipments in February fell by 38% year-on-year. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China had a huge impact, report author Linda Sui said. "Some Asian factories were unable to manufacture smartphones, while many consumers were unable or unwilling to visit retail stores and buy new devices," she said. The report said that smartphone shipments dropped from 99.2 million in February 2019 to 61.8 million in February 2020. February was set to be a big month for the phone industry, with its major annual Mobile World Congress showcase, where many new phones are unveiled for the first time. .'.

[Stanley]

I am gradually getting more acquainted with the Moto G7. Nice!
I suspect that story of plummeting activity is going to become common Tiz. In the final analysis economic damage could be the biggest killer. I don't think that's pessimistic, it's recognition of reality.

[Tizer]

Perhaps someone can help me with this. My cousin has an iphone and we have a Samsung smartphone. For us to communicate does she use WhatsApp and we use the android version Google Duo, or do we both have to have the same app. When I read a number of articles on the web they all seemed to imply that I'd need Google Duo because you can't use Whatsapp on an android device. Do the two different apps link with each other? (I can't try it at the moment because she's not available but we're going to try linking up later).
Thanks

[Big Kev]

Perhaps someone can help me with this. My cousin has an iphone and we have a Samsung smartphone. For us to communicate does she use WhatsApp and we use the android version Google Duo, or do we both have to have the same app. When I read a number of articles on the web they all seemed to imply that I'd need Google Duo because you can't use Whatsapp on an android device. Do the two different apps link with each other? (I can't try it at the moment because she's not available but we're going to try linking up later).
Thanks

Whatsapp for Android

My wife is in a 'Whatsapp Group' for work, there is a mix of Android and iphone users in the group

[PanBiker]

Yes, we use a number of groups on Android Whatsapp for both family and Bosom Friends groups. Various members use different platforms, the App is the common denominator across platforms as Facebook would also be. Whatsapp is a Facebook extension of course. I also use it on my Windows laptop but you do need the mobile phone on at the same time as that is the linking device, (full size keyboard is a bonus though).

[Tizer]

Thanks for that guys! It prompted me to go and install Whatsapp on Mrs Tiz's phone - but then I found it's installed already! I'll need to switch on its settings.

[Stanley]

I use Whatsapp of course and it's hosted on my Moto G7. Not sure how he did it but Pluggy installed Whatsapp on my computer and the smartphone reads a square thingy on the screen to set it up.

[Whyperion]

`Coronavirus: Smartphone sales collapse amid pandemic' LINK
`Sales of new phones have collapsed in the biggest fall since the invention of the smartphone. Research firm Strategy Analytics said shipments in February fell by 38% year-on-year. The outbreak of the coronavirus in China had a huge impact, report author Linda Sui said. "Some Asian factories were unable to manufacture smartphones, while many consumers were unable or unwilling to visit retail stores and buy new devices," she said. The report said that smartphone shipments dropped from 99.2 million in February 2019 to 61.8 million in February 2020. February was set to be a big month for the phone industry, with its major annual Mobile World Congress showcase, where many new phones are unveiled for the first time. .'.

I think its the Samsung S20 that has recently been released to the UK. China itself is restarting some economic activity, the sales will come, just not at the rate or timing expected.

[Big Kev]

Pluggy installed Whatsapp on my computer and the smartphone reads a square thingy on the screen to set it up.

QR code is the square thingy.

[Stanley]

Bar codes are about my limit Kev......