Thing 4 - Keeping Up

So, for Thing 4, we were supposed to install an app to collect RSS feeds, blogs, news, etc. that we may be interested in.

As someone who tries to keep up with a basic knowledge of new technology, I have been aware of RSS feeds for a long time.  But I've never participated.  There's something about only getting the news & blog posts that you know you'll be interested in... never seeing stuff you know you'll disagree with, be upset by.

Living in the country, well outside the Twin Cities, and 5 miles outside our hometown of Faribaut, we can't get a Twin Cities paper, let alone a national paper, delivered.  We do get the local paper - a 5-days/week paper - but it's pretty spare on the national and international news.  My husband reads the Mpls Star-Tribune online, as well as the Washington Post, every day during the winter and when he can during the farming months of April-November.  I scan headlines from the Strib and MinnPost, and skim through other headlines during the course of my day - reading in depth what catches my eye & what I have time for.  So, I guess I'm kind of doing what an app like Flipboard will do for me.

I installed Flipboad and set up a few magazines and threw some content into each of them.  I also subscribed to a couple of RSS feeds from sites I already visit.  I've not been sure how much I like reading on my phone (my device is an iPhone), but it gives me something to do when I'm waiting in line, in a waiting room, alone at a table (without a book!), and so on.  Of course, reading eBooks does the same thing... but I don't find myself doing that often enough to finish a free (library)  eBook before it's return date.  So maybe this will work better for me.  Staying informed about our nation and the world is important to me - personally and professionally.

Thing 3 - utilities

I added another browser (Chrome), RedLaser, and a wi-fi finder to my phone.

I've been mostly pleased with Chrome on our home computers. We live out in the country and get our Internet through a wireless modem.  The speed is not exceptional, but using Chrome has helped some.  So it might help occasionally when Safari bogs down.

RedLaser is something I might use occasionally - I shop online a lot and much prefer a full screen to do that - the phone screen is just too small to be helpful.  But it may make me look cool and up-to-date in front of friends... And just like I occasionally whip out the phone to look up a quick answer, I may use RedLaser to look up a price/scan a QR code/whatever. I like having options, even if I don't need/use them often.

The wi-fi finder will be helpful.  Whenever I can find free wifi, I log onto it to save using the data from my phone plan - which is limited and expensive.

Since I was installing 3 new apps, I finally got around to organizing the apps on my phone into folders. For example, I have 3 mapping apps on my phone: one it came with, and 2 I downloaded.  None of them can find my home address.  What is it with mobile mapping apps?  The full software programs find my home just fine - the mobile apps not so.  I have reported the problem to all 3.  Mapquest was the only program that was at all responsive. They at least claim to have reported the problem to TomTom, from whom they get their maps.  TomTom may choose to update the maps someday, but it hasn't happened yet.  Reporting to the other 2 apps seemed like it might have worked, but my report may also have gone into a black hole somewhere since I got no reply or acknowledgement.  Because I know that the apps can't find my home address, I also know to take all of the directions they offer with a grain of salt - and continue to use full map software programs and paper maps before going somewhere totally unknown.