Getting acquainted with my new phone is still taking up a lot of my time - and I keep oscillating between frustration and revelations... ;-)
Out on a short chilly walk on Sunday (just my usual turn around the cemetery for exercise) I had my first attempt at shooting some outdoor photos. Or so I thought. Turned out when I got home that what I had actually done was shoot some very short, shaky and blurry videos (of things not supposed to move!).
Being used to actually pressing a physical button to take photos (even on my old phone), I guess I probably pressed the "screen button" on the new phone too hard...
Yesterday was sunny (even if still rather chilly), and a better day for outdoor photography. I managed a few shots in and near the park downtown; and then at home also experimented with creating collages. Some crocuses had shown their face again after the snow-shock that must have buried them the other day; and I spotted a couple of more unusual ducks among the usual mallards in the river.
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Some of my other experiments have been related to sound rather than images. The new phone turned out to have no headphone jack; so the day after I bought the phone, I decided to also invest in a couple of new wireless (Bluetooth) earbuds. They don't even have a cord between them to keep the pair together... So far I haven't dared use them outside the flat! ;) They're surprisingly comfortable, though.
You turn them on/off and change volume etc by tapping on the earbuds themselves. I've still not quite mastered that art... Sometimes if I want to increase or decrease the volume, I manage to turn them off instead. Or suddenly an automatic voice cries "GAMING MODE" in my ear... It seems I'm also supposed to be able to answer a phone call by a tap, if I happen to be wearing them when the phone rings. (That still remains to be tested.)
Getting the earbuds also inspired me to look into how to transfer music to the phone from my laptop (where I have pretty much all my old vinyls and CDs saved as mp3-files). Grasping how to do that turned out another headache. I'll just sum it up by saying I tried things more than one way without success... Finally, yesterday, I somehow managed to transfer two (2) albums, though - still hadn't got a clue why only those two (out of several more attempts) were successful!
Somewhere in between, it also occurred to me to explore Spotify (music streaming app). Wow... Somehow I've been under the impression that the free version of this app would also involve lots of unwanted ads and interruptions. (Perhaps in the beginning it did?) But I find now that it does not! And so easy to find old favourites... And once I started marking those, the app started making automatic playlists for me, and bringing up even more suggestions that I hadn't thought of... But you can also listen to full albums. (I bet some of you are laughing at me now. You probably knew all this since like forever.) Anyway, I got spellbound for hours yesterday afternoon, just exploring this whole world of old/new music... Conclusion at the end of the day: No need to have tons of music files downloaded now - only perhaps a few, if I also want to be able to listen offline sometimes.
Still... Always unsatisfied with unsolved mysteries, today I returned to the problem of how to transfer music from the computer - and think I managed to figure it out. Somehow, after the two successful downloads yesterday, I must have broken off the procedure and failed to start over correctly. Like it seems essential that I turn on the phone first, before connecting it (by cord) to the computer... Never mind the rest of the steps, as it probably varies between devices anyway (which apps are involved etc). Suffice it to say that I have now also downloaded a limited number of my own albums for "offline" listening.
However, in the process, I've probably also developed an addiction to continue exploring Spotify...
You did great with the photos and collages! I have done that. Once I kept snapping and snapping and nothing happened. Then when I got home, I saw that I had been doing videos! I know absolutely nothing about Spotify. Did you make it an icon on your home page or what? I am going to use your link to find out more, I think I would like it. I have never used earbuds.
ReplyDeleteGinny, you can download Spotify as an app. At least if you use Android (which is what I do).
ReplyDeleteLovely clear photos. The quality of the light really gives the impression of a cold, crisp day.
ReplyDeleteThanks JC. And yes, it was such a day.
DeleteThe new phone's camera is amazing - so much detail and excellent colour. You have so much patience - well done for sorting through the problems - and finding Spotify. I've heard of it, but never accessed it..
ReplyDeleteCarol, getting new devices is always a challenge, but the struggle to "get to know them" can bring some useful new revelations as well :)
DeleteI don't know how to do any of this except for taking photos and videos and collages etc. I don't listen to music very much, very rare in fact, and although spotify came on the iPhone, have never tried it.. you might want to think about the wearing out of the battery unless you are somewhere you want to listen to music other than home, listening to it in other ways will not use the phone battery. I find the more we use the phones the shorter the battery lasts. it gets weaker and weaker, watching videos/music is a real drain. good to have when away from home though. I would like to have the ear phones, but I want the ones that could connect to the tv also. like blue tooth. will your connect to other devices than the phone?
ReplyDeleteSandra, just now I'm using the phone a lot more than I normally do just because I'm in the process of setting it up, figuring things out and getting to know it... Normally at home I use my tablet, laptop and TV more than the phone. The phone is my main audio book player though (more than music). The Spotify app as well as the Audible app I also have on my tablet, though, so can use that instead if I want. And Spotify also available on my laptop from the website.
ReplyDeleteBesides the streaming services I have my own CDs and LPs (+ some of my brother's) stored as mp3 files on a drive connected to my BRD player and TV/sound system in the living room.
The Spotify app comes in handy in the bedroom, though. Or to just quickly look up a song or artist that happens to come to mind, etc.
The new earphones I suppose will work with any Bluetooth device even if I've only tried them with the phone so far.
I'm sure the