Sunday Sundries--Aunt Julee Explains It All for You

A close friend does technical support for cell phones and she's heard some disturbing problems people have had that could be easily prevented. Now, mind you, this is the kind of cell phone I have:

Well, not really, but you catch my drift.

One of the first things we need to do is regularly turn the @#$% thing off. My first phone, I had problems with this, because the manual said to press the button to turn it off, but it didn't work. I finally called the tech support line and they explained you have to hold the button down for three seconds. Now, as a writer, I asked why didn't it say that in the manual? The guy explained it was translated from the original Korean. But, the deal is, if you turn it off and back on after a few seconds, it gives a chance for the software updates to go to your phone. My friend also suggested that many problems can be resolved on Android, iPhones and Blackberries by popping out the battery and putting it back in while the phone is off too. Who knew, right?

She also told horror stories of people who have lost tons of pictures, contacts, emails, applications, music, etc., because they didn't back their information up on their computer or on one of those mini SD cards. Your phone can only hold so much, people. Think about if it (God forbid!) were stolen? My point is, if you have over a couple hundred pictures, emails, files or whatever on the thing, your phone will start deleting stuff and it might not give you the choice. So, get the USB cable out if you aren't "synced" wirelessly (stuff going to the phone and computer) and while it might be easier to do it on the computer, if you have 500+ emails or files, periodically clean house. Save them to a thumb or flash drive, because you need to clean and back up your computer too.

Your phone will thank you for it with faster speeds. Also, you need to remind yourself to occasionally clean out the cache, cookies and history on the phone and computers. On the phone, it usually gives you the option under Settings or Options. While I love a good cookie (chocolate chip with oatmeal and nuts are my fave), these aren't necessarily the good kind. It seems every time you go to a website, said website leaves a little bit of data on your phone and/or computer. This stores up, if you're a surfing fool and may slow your phone down or:

I hate it when that happens, but that is a mighty cute kitty.

It's really hard to believe, that I took my first computer class before many of you were born. The actual computer was room-sized and I physically punched cards on a machine to do the most basic programs. Now, all the "Star Trek" fans have their communicators (flip phones) and tablets and they have more memory and computing power than the Apollo command capsules that took people to the Moon. This is a cool picture--I remember this printer in the lab in college:

Yes, because I'm old. Now, shut the #%@$ up about it. I really stress about learning new technology, especially when some of the young 'ens whip through their phones like it's the simplest thing.

But, I have to be honest, I force myself to get off the phone/computer to do real life things, like clean house so we don't get condemned by The Health Department.

Just a couple more things: