The "Smartphone Abuse Test" : try it !

[Handmaiden50]

Barbara,

I like Google Maps better than Mapquest. Have to say that, while I'm usually old-school about a lot of things (eg. books vs. a Kindle) I prefer the GPS on my phone now over a Rand-McNally paper map, 'cause you can adjust the size of the screen and it's easier on my eyes. I do have a paper map for my area that isn't being used, but I guess I should just get an inexpensive magnifying glass so I would be able to read it if need be

BTW, looking up gasbuddy.com on your phone is a good resource to compare gas prices at local stations if you are driving.

[Barbara]

Thanks for the info, Handmaiden !

So, here is another reason to be careful about so-called smartphones : the batteries used in some of them.

1 minute video : " The World's Most Dangerous Battery "

Here is one comment after the video :

"Li-Po batteries are using in some cellphone and smartphone companies like: HP,HTC,Asus,Nokia,Apple,Samsung my mother said "the future will be too dangerous because of these batteries...."

The problem MAY have been fixed later, according to another commentator.

Note, though, that it's worth looking into to make sure YOUR cell phone battery is 100 % SAFE !

[Barbara]

Here's another adjunct to cell phones / smart phones problems.

Apparently, there's a big scam centered around ring tones. Fake companies offer them, charge lots of money,
don't let you out of the agreement, or don't do so easily.

Here is a section devoted to this problem from a Australian Government warning website. Except for a few local variations, we can be sure that the same general dynamics apply to North American and European cell phone scams.

A few details are available here :

http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/ind ... gToneScams

I had no idea that ring tones are actually for sale ! I mean, for purchase from legitimate companies.

I wonder what Orthodox-related ring tones might be offered.
Has anyone heard any from fellow parishioners' people's phones - ?

Now we know, though, to emphatically decline if a slick salesman with a heavy accent offers us "The Bells of Sergiev Posad Lavra" on a free trial basis. Besides being a possible provocation, it might "wring" our wallets dry...