It’s true. I have been told by an acquaintance that she thinks I replace my phone too often. Perhaps. But when something breaks, like not being able to use Bluetooth headphones anymore, I admit I get frustrated. Thus, I invoke the warrantee or look to upgrade.
I do not generally buy the latest and greatest phone. I have never been an iPhone lover.[1] I really liked Samsung phones until the s7, but the operating system got too large to allow space for what I wanted on my phone, so I moved on. Right now, I love my Moto, but it doesn’t have near field communication so I can’t use da GooglePay.[2]
Love
- Everything is at my fingertips from my calendar to my email to my latest charges to make sure I am not overspending.
Hate
- Everything is at my fingertips from my calendar to my email to my latest charges to make sure I am not overspending.
You see my problem?
In fact, while just about everything about my phone I both love and hate,[3] the thing that is bugging me the most these days is step counters.
On my phone, Google decided I needed to read a story about how GoogleFit is changing the algorithm to calculate calories and so forth. I never really pay much attention to the calorie count, but I do love counting steps. My challenge is I have two… no three step counting apps on my phone. I am not even sure why I let them both be on my phone, but I do and they do not agree.
Accupedo, the paid version, is one I really like except when I don’t. When I used to travel for work and change time zones, Accupedo couldn’t keep up. I lost thousands of steps when I changed zones in 2019. It made me so mad, I did make a spreadsheet to try and capture them before they disappeared.
My latest challenge is that Accupedo stopped counting sometimes for no apparent reason. I changed from using the built-in step counter for the phone to letting Accupedo calculate my steps. This was a mistake. Not because it is doing it wrong, but because now I have zero idea which algorithm is correct. I don’t have a clue how to understand the algorithm because the settings are things like more or less power for running the app. Sensitivity settings of normal, less, much less, more or much more. How many steps in a row should it sense before it starts counting steps?
I understand there is an algorithm, but just like Facebook[4] I do not have enough information to reverse engineer how they do what they do.
Back in my Samsung days, I loved my Gear Watch and the Samsung Fitness app. I loved getting text messages and emails on my wrist. Unfortunately, I had to give it up after I moved away from Samsung phones[5].
As I was considering my step counts on GoogleFit versus Accupedo, and knowing that it is all going to change soon, I asked myself, “Could I give up having my steps counted?”
I started to panic. Seriously. It was like a free workout as my heartbeat got faster.
While I recognize I am being very silly, I won’t let myself stop considering the advantages of deleting the step counting algorithms. Sometimes, I feel like I have to be connected to the world and let the messaging apps and phone calls and access via the slab of all knowledge keep me bound to my responsibilities in the world around me.
What about being able to read or listen to music anywhere? Should I get a physical Kindle maybe so long after I first wanted one?[6]
What about being available to my kids, my boss, my family? Wouldn’t they miss me?[7]
I realize I could replace everything my phone provides me with other devices. I could even get a landline.
There is a part of me that considers this is both a decadent thought and a selfish one, but sometimes selfish is selfcare. It is possible, though I cannot be sure, that my body will still benefit from all my walking even if I don’t have a device counting my steps.
[1] The interfaces have confused me since the first iPod.
[2] Probably this is good since they “upgraded” it to something I don’t like as much.
[3] It is just another example of how high maintenance I am, while maintaining an appearance of very low maintenance. 😉
[4] Another love/hate relationship – Me and Facebook. Why is Person X at the top of my chat list? I haven’t figured that out yet.
[5] This is a common problem for me with the speed of technology updates. I fall in love with a product or app and suddenly I can’t use it anymore. My favorite solitaire program is no longer available, so I have kept the phone that won’t connect to blue tooth headphones simply so I can play 40 thieves solitaire at night before I fall asleep.
[6] I tried to convince husband I needed a Kindle as a push gift when they first came out. I chickened out when I saw the price.
[7] Probably not.