Smart Phone

I'm trying to learn how my SmartPhone works. Melva and I use the AT&T GoPhone service. A while back they forced us to convert to their 4LG network, whatever that is.

As part of the transition we had to select new phones. There weren't any flip phones available by the time we arrived at the store. We decided to chose the ZTE Maven SmartPhone. This is a big change. The new devices aren't just phones. They are also computers that can be connected to the Internet, free of charge, if you have a WiFi connection.

They are also Android devices. Android is a Google operating system. Therefore, if you use Google applications such as: Chrome, Gmail, Music Play, etc. on you computer the phone adds another level of complexity to the technology learning curve.

Part of the fun is getting used to the fact that there is no mouse and that there is no keyboard. You type on the image of what serves as a keyboard with big fat fingers on little tiny letters.

I'm interested in using the device to listen to music. There is a Bluegrass station, WAMU, located in Washington, DC. The signal isn't strong enough to be picked up by any of the radios in our house. They stream live on the Internet as BluegrassCountry.org. You can listen to the music on the computer while you do something else. This has never worked very well for me.

Last night I downloaded the BluegrassCountry app to my phone. Within less than five minutes the installation was complete and I was listening to Bluegrass music on the phone.

Today I'm testing to see if I can listen to the live stream on the phone while I have the phone plugged in for charging. I'm pleased to report that it works. One of the first songs I heard was, Poison Love, from the latest Alison Krauss country album, Windy City.

Dick Henthorn
30 Mar 2017