CSA Online by Alan Breznick Getting Smart(er) About Smartphones Your smartphone may be smarter than you think. So perhaps it’s time to get smarter about using it to max out its value to you. Most people know that smartphones can let you make calls, send texts and browse the internet, but there are many more things that these gadgets can do to make your life easier and more fun. Let’s start with the basics. What makes smartphones “smart”? Put simply, a smartphone is a mobile device that combines the functionality of a traditional mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. Whether you have an iPhone from Apple or an Android device from a bevy of other makers, countless built-in or downloadable ‘apps’ (applications, single-purpose software) help you do things such as engaging with social media, booking travel, making mobile payments, depositing paper cheques and watching streaming services. Most older Canadians use smartphones This versatility explains why so many older Canadians have adopted smartphones. More than half of all Canadians aged 65 and older now own smartphones, per Statistics Canada. Specifically, StatsCanada reports that the proportion of older Canadians with smartphones rose from 46% in 2020 to 55% in 2022. And, in a 2020 poll by Toronto-based Environics Analytics, most (83%) Canadians aged 65 and older owning smartphones said that they used them daily. So, what can I do with my smartphone? Almost anything that you can imagine. Let’s run through some examples. Feeling good Want to monitor and improve your health? Both iPhones and Android phones offer health apps that let you store your medical info, list your medications and keep it all safe through an encrypted link to your doctor. Other apps offer exercise routines, ranging from seated to age-based (you can also run classes through YouTube). Some smartphone fingerprint sensors even help monitor your heart rate, whether resting or while exercising. Stressed? Paced breathing and other meditation and mindfulness aids abound; a smartphone lets you take these practices on the road. Both iPhones and Androids aid sleep hygiene through apps that let you set your bed and wake-up times and monitor your sleep goals. Just remember that too much blue light before bedtime can interfere with restful slumber. Awake and hungry? Smartphones make it easy to find and use recipes right in the kitchen. Some apps can even help you figure out what to cook from ingredients on hand. And, of course, vendor apps enable online shopping and let you notify stores when you pull in for curbside pickup. Finding fun Smartphones are known for optimized game apps, but they can also help you expand your home-and-away entertainment. An obvious use, especially with wireless Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, is listening to audiobooks. Download these for free from your public library or a paid provider. The same goes for music, even movies (though screen size may matter!). Your smartphone can “cast” (send) movies, TV shows and videos to a larger screen. With iPhones, you can use the AirPlay feature to cast programs to an Apple TV box connected to your TV. With Android phones, cast via a Google Chromecast gadget plugged into a port on your TV, among other options. Can’t find your TV remote? Use your smartphone to control a smart TV or accessory, including an Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV 4K, or Roku. With iPhones, find the remote-control option in Control Center. With Android phones, download a compatible TV remote-control app from the Google Play store. For outside entertainment, major ticket vendors such as Ticketmaster and StubHub offer mobile apps through which you can browse, buy and manage tickets. After buying the tickets, you can often add them to a digital wallet (Google Wallet or Apple Wallet) for easy access and entry. 42 | www.snowbirds.org
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