Smiling is not something usually associated with my interactions with technology. Groaning, moaning, growling perhaps, but not smiling. Not until Friday.
I was in my closet, evaluating outfits for the evening, when faintly, right at the edge of my brand new right hearing aid's capability, I heard the first few bars of Humoresque. A little louder, it switched to my left ear, and I realized it was my phone's ring tone.
No way on God's green earth would I have heard that without my updated assistive devices.
Even better, as I walked out of the closet toward the rest of the house the sound became progressively louder. The music led me right to my phone.
I don't remember who called. I was entranced. I was tempted to call my cell from the land line (don't judge; yes, we like our land line) just to do it all over again. Tech that seamlessly enhanced my life was hanging over my ears.
It turns out that what I found remarkable is mundane. Dr. K just nodded and asked if I had Bluetooth.
I do. The technician at Costco asked me the same question, so I'm sure a connection was made. It's still a wonderful surprise.
And it kept getting better. I can listen to music from my phone, obviating the need for the very cool but suddenly useless ear buds gifted by my son. I listened to Cory Booker's Instagram inspiration for my day instead of reading the words with the sound off because I'm sitting on the couch next to a football-comatose-husband.
They are smaller and charge faster than their predecessors. They come with a warranty and cleaning help. And they gently alert me to the fact that my phone, though no longer in my sight or within my hearing distance, has begun to demand my presence.
Tech that makes me smile. Who knew?
Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago I was setting up for an event with a friend and her husband. He wanted to watch their grandchild's streaming soccer game, so she handed him her phone, but told him to wait until she disconnected the Bluetooth so she didn't get the crowd noise coming through her hearing aid.
That occurred to me on the couch...I I'll be adding that step frequently, I think.
Deletea/b
At church yesterday a lady who sits in front of me mentioned that her husband had gone to get his phone. His hearing aids don't work without the phone! Terry nor I have hearing aides, but it's good to know technology is advancing so that we could, if needed, connect everything together through our phones. I love my iPhone and can't imagine being anywhere without it.
ReplyDeleteMy newest hearing aids do the same, but I prefer to listen to music through my little bluetooth speaker from my iPhone. The sound quality is so much better with my new hearing aids that I do use them for phone calls now.
ReplyDeleteOh, and we still have a land line too. :-)
I am a Luddite living in a primitive tech world, which is how I like it. We still have a landline at home. I don't use my iPhone unless I leave the house, and I don't take or make phone calls on it. Plus texting is blocked from my iPhone. People who want to reach me have to email me (preferred) or call the landline. I monitor and use email whenever I am awake, so I am not hard to reach.
ReplyDeleteGlad to read that you constantly monitor email as it's your main communication tool. I have an acquaintance who sounds a lot like you except she only reads email once a day, at the end of the day, when she sits down at her desktop computer. She is difficult to contact.
DeleteI love my Bluetooth hearing aides! I use it to answer my phone and my Arlo doorbell.
ReplyDelete