tech4boomers
Helping to keep up with technologyArchive for FYI
Tech Health Tips in 2020
Tech4Boomers is working on how to give you more useful info and provide you with Tech Health, Tech Social Tips, and general technology advice from diverse resources.
In this time of CoronaVirus, and with the onslaught of various ideas for the well-being of our society, we are increasingly confronted with stressful situations arising from our connections with technology devices: computers, cellphones, tablets, etc. We are turning to these devices perhaps more than we want to, but we “have to”. Stress levels are running high.
- What can we do to ‘detach’ from this onslaught of discomfort, or at least soften, allay the feelings?
Before I retired, I worked for about 30 years as a ‘tech person’, i.e., Help Desk, System Administration. My days were ‘filled’ with problem solving resulting from computer issues. In those times, computer stress was a considerable concern for me and the team I worked with. - Flash forward to the complicated and extensively increased use of computers for our daily connection to the world. That stress is magnified in numerous ways.“For the sense of smell, almost more than any other, has the power to recall memories and it is a pity that we use it so little“. Rachel Carson
Best SmartPhones 2019
This year’s best smartphones are one of the things on my list to learn what are the best and new features, along with a reasonable price. It looks like the Pixel 4 is a contender.
Here are some links to what people are saying.
Tom’s Guide has a listing of the 10 best smartphones and the features that make them good choices.
♦ https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-smartphones,review-2223.html
♥ And don’t forget that Black Friday will be here before we know it.
November 29, 2019 — Read more here: https://blackfriday.com/news/when-is-black-friday-2019
♥ Cyber Monday is December 2, 2019 — Read more here: https://www.techradar.com/cyber-monday/cyber-monday-2019
♣ https://www.calendardate.com/cyber_monday_2019.htm
Archiving E Mail
Managing email is quite an undertaking these days. If your email box gets as full – as mine does – I am sure you are looking for ways to get it under control.
Gmail users can use their ‘archive’ feature. If you’re a Gmail user and want to understand how that tool works better, take a look at these two links. If you’re not a Gmail user, you may want to change what you’re currently using, and switch to Gmail.
Tips To Save Your Smartphone Battery
How many times have you been in a moment where your smartphone battery is very low, but you need to use it, and you don’t have time to charge it?
We’ve all been there right? So here are some guidelines for your Android or iPhone that will help save you from losing that power momentarily until you can get it charged.
Android Phone Users
You can have your phone turn on automatically when it’s at a low charging point. Click the link below.
https://support.google.com/android/answer/9079240
iPhone Users:
You can use Siri to turn on low battery mode. Click the link below.
https://www.iphonelife.com/content/use-siri-turn-low-power-mode-and
Phone Charger Recommendations
Recently, I have been challenged with the phone chargers I use. They are either not working, or they need charging before I can charge my phone! Yikes! 
So I looked for some suggestions about which chargers are the best. I found this article on Lifewire.com, a website I use for tech product information. I thought I would share it with you as well. Click on the link below. Enjoy your summer!
https://www.lifewire.com/best-wireless-phone-chargers-4138571
Road Trip – APPS Fun for the Kids
It’s that time of year again when many families pile into the car with the kids for their yearly road trip. It may be that some of the kids, coming 
from a ‘computer savvy’ generation, are not interested in remembering the license plate numbers/states while they are traveling. So what are the parents/grandparents to do? We are in luck. There are a few APPs that may be of interest to the entire family. Check out the Insect App available for free on iTunes. Learn about how the game works at the link below.
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/apr/23/for-summer-road-trips-a-new-app-turns-insect-splat/
Then load the APP onto your iPhone at this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/that-gunk-on-your-car/id1352752191
Here are some more ideas for APPS that may entertain your kids while they are in the car at the link below.
https://www.geekswithjuniors.com/best-apps-for-traveling-with-kids
Safe travels!
Budgetwise Smart Phone – Pixel 3A
Those of you who are looking for a new phone will want to read Brian X. Chen’s article about Google’s Pixel 3A, which apparently is the latest and greatest ‘reasonably priced’ smartphone. Yes! According to Brian X. Chen, Tech Fix, New York Times article, this is a phone worth looking at. Cost $400.00 – half the price of Google’s other phones. It is being introduced for those of us not wanting to pay $1,000 – $2,000 for a phone. Here are some of the features Chen is impressed with.
♦ Camera features from the Pixel phone are also available in the Pixel 3A. For example, Night Sight – where photos taken in low light look normal without the use of a flash.
♦ Pixel 3A shoots images with portrait mode – This puts the main subject in sharp focus while blurring the background.
♦ Includes a headphone jack.
♦ There are trade-offs: missing support for wireless charging, lack of waterproofing. Slightly slower, less accurate colors.
Brian Chen’s article is much more thorough. You can read the full review by clicking the link below.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/technology/personaltech/pixel-3a.html
New Android Apps
I’m eager for Android users to read about these helpful apps, reviewed by the Guiding Tech website.
♦ YouCamVideo – If you want to explore making videos click the link below, and then use the YouTube link for a tutorial.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.perfectcorp.ycv&hl=en_US
View the tutorial about YouCamVideo at this link – https://youtu.be/14kNIqcj4hI
♦ Aroundsound Audio Recorder– Would you like to keep notes for your brilliant ideas without having to write them down? This is the app for you.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aroundsound.audiorecorder
♦ Easy Pedometer – Use this app to keep track of all that exercise you have been doing.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=step.tracker.pedometer.stepcounter&hl=en_US
There’s so much to explore. Read more about other apps at the source link below.
https://www.guidingtech.com/best-new-android-apps-march-2019/
SmartPhone Help
iPhone users will love this trick that I found on Tom’s Guide.
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-get-better-4g-signal,review-5680.html
When you are done with that, help yourself with these FREE Mindfulness Apps at the link below.
https://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-apps-worthy-of-your-attention/
Transitioning Tech4Boomers
Greetings to all of my Tech4Boomers followers. For the past nine years, I have worked toward bringing you technology information that provides you with a better understanding of the equipment, information, and your continuing participation let’s me know that we have had at least some success with technology challenges we face and require skills to use.
This month tech4boomers will transition the type of information that is posted on the blog. More and more, the onslaught of information overload forces us to consider using technology to help us with our personal challenges. In the future, I’ll look for ways to use technology that can give us the opportunity to explore ways, such as, to relieve stress, play games, get fit, and be mindful of the time we are spending on our gadgets. Often, the recommendations will lead you to a link of apps that may help with various issues. I am continuing to work so that it will be useful for you.
Click the Link Below for the Best Anxiety Apps of 2018
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/top-iphone-android-apps
