Technology update!

If you've been following me, you know that sometimes technology and I don't get along.  I LOVE technology - so many things we can do with it, but when devices can't connect or don't work - my level of frustration goes through the roof. I have ZERO tolerance for things not working! I still won't even attempt to print from my home computer! I forward stuff to be printed. And I'm not frustrated!

This is a story about when technology has seamlessly done something cool.

The other day, DH and I were chatting about loyalty cards. You get too many of them, you want to have them accessible, but don't want to carry them around. Not just loyalty cards, but other cards as well.

We downloaded an app called Stocard to our smartphones. He went ahead and put in all his loyalty cards and a few other cards as well.  I have not - but I will!

He happens to be away this week and apparently, a library book came in that he had reserved.  He e-mailed me his "library card". I opened it up (not in Stocard) - wow, this looks easy. I zipped to the library and used my phone with his "library card" and I got the book.  Now isn't that just the coolest thing?

I'm super excited about it and I'm thinking that if I were to load in the loyalty cards that I have, my wallet would be that much lighter.  Of course, this will work with cards that need to be scanned. If you have to insert the card for any reason, I think there is another app for that and then there are bank wallets which I haven't looked into.


My second story also has a happy ending.  M decided to get a new phone number. People today do NOT have home phones anymore - only a cell phone number. So she texted me (or was that e-mail?) - I have no idea, messages come to me in all formats on my phone. I clicked on the number and was able to update my contact list for her, deleted the old one, saved the new one and VOILA - contact was updated!

I'm absolutely amazed at what can be accomplished with a smartphone and I will admit that I use about 1 percent of its capabilities. Imagine if I had time one day to really mess around with it. I could try on the next plane trip to mess around - nothing to do for several hours and see what I can learn!

And I resisted getting e-mail on my smartphone, but now I have access to all my e-mail accounts on the phone and it has saved my bacon several times. I scan for the urgent things and can deal with those on the fly and I have to say that I like being able to do that!

However, there is one app on my smartphone that is a pain. It's been a pain for years, I have no idea why I even keep trying to use it. That is Scrabble. I love playing the game, but the app is so frustrating and it doesn't work, more often than it works. You would think by now that they could get it right. I'm sending them an e-mail right after this gets posted to find out what the heck is going on.

If you're into the weather at all, it started to rain yesterday and apparently going to rain for three or four days. It's wet!  This morning, I decided to "cheat" and bypass the traffic on the regular route. I took the toll highway all the way in and I have to say that I sailed in in record time. I'm driving along and WHOA - that's my exit before I even knew what was happening. If only I were a teeny bit richer (or reorganized my finances a wee bit - like buy less fabric and use the toll highway!), I would take the darn thing all the time in the morning!  It sure saves a lot of time and stopping and starting!

Sorry, I didn't get a chance to post yesterday - I do have photos in there that are waiting to be posted. I find that if I don't write first thing in the morning, it isn't going to happen for the day. There are certain times of the day for certain things. Like designing quilts. I have a LOT to design and I'm doing one collection a day until I'm done. My brain is much more creative in the morning as well. So I'm off to mess around with EQ7.

Have a great day!   (and stay dry!)

Ciao!!!