Monday, March 15, 2010

Stranger Joins The 21st Century

For my birthday a couple of weeks ago, BE splashed out and got me one of these:


How cool is that? I kind of started coveting iPhones when I found out about the baby apps, but I mostly got over it with time.

Let me give some context here. For one thing, I'm pretty much a technological idiot. Fortunately, a gorilla (or a 3-year-old, for that matter) can easily work an iPhone because all you have to do is poke the screen to make it go. For another thing, I've never felt any compulsion whatsoever to have the latest gadget. Prior to getting the iPhone, I'd never owned, or even touched an iPod or any other iProduct. I still buy CDs and I'm fine with that. I still have a big box of cassettes in my parents' basement that I've had neither the time nor inclination to convert to digital, and my parents are probably less fine with that than they let on.

Once I'd unlocked the mysteries of iPhone syncing and gotten over the annoying qualities of that word, and once I'd quit wondering why it has to be called "syncing" instead of "loading" or some other term I'm already familiar with, I downloaded the free lightsaber app. Then I managed to get some music into the iPod bit, and then I found some free apps for babies and grown-ups. After that I found a bunch of ridiculous ringtones that no one but people like me who are easily amazed would actually use in real life. My favorite is the Muzak Imperial March from Star Wars.

Stuck in another generation, anyone? Also my kid has a Beatles T-shirt and knows all the Beatles' first names as well as which Beatles are no longer with us. We're working on surnames. The sad part is that the Beatles aren't even my generation. Star Wars is a stretch because I was 4 when the first one came out, though I remember going to see it in the theater. I thought the movie was all about the droids.

So far, LE thinks the iPhone is his. BE is intensely jealous. Turkcell wouldn't give him one because he paid his bills late a few times. Punished! BE can use the iPhone whenever he wants but LE is allowed only closely supervised contact with no booger fingers. The iPhone actually causes more tantrums than providing distraction from tantrums and I don't want it to get punched or thrown like my old phone, which required some special treatment just to make it so you could hear the other person speaking.

So. After a couple of weeks of heavy topics around here, I'm appealing to my dear readers for lighter iPhone-related information because I'm definitely in the Dark Ages with this one, and whatever I read on the Internet about it just gives me a headache.

First, when I initially got the iPhone I was able to access YouTube through the app or whatever it is that came with the phone. Then suddenly I couldn't anymore. Why is that? How can I get it back?

Next, what cool apps can you recommend?

Thanking you in advance. I'm off to curl up in bed with the iPhone for a few rounds of free Mastermind.

10 comments:

Vicky, Bursa said...

you lucky, lucky lady! My husband promised me (march last year) one for my birthday in September, and I'm still waiting!! Enjoy and get all familiar with it, then maybe you can write a bloggy bit recommending nice apps which are easy to use. Apps - See, I already know the terminology!

Stranger said...

Does your husband take a million years to get around to doing stuff too?

In this case, it's probably better he procrastinated. The price has gone down even since xmas, when I talked BE out of buying me one. The new generation is out in the US, which means the one they have here will just keep getting cheaper... I don't know if the 3Gs is significantly cooler than the 3G. How much cooler could an already extremely cool thing be?

Anonymous said...

You are a Luddite. Or, rather, you would be if you dwelled in a 1st world country, which you don't, so you aren't. Apps: Ninjawords is kind of fun. Kindle. Facebook.Pandora for sure. Skype.Dragon.

Stranger said...

I think it's my hesitance, mistrust, and lingering dislike of new technology that makes me a Luddite. They've had iPods here for ages-- I just wasn't interested in mobile music listening ever since a sticky-fingered cleaner made off with my Discman.

Kindle is an app?! I thought it was a gadget. Cool! I haven't tried for Pandora on the iPhone, but normally you can't access it in Turkey because of some licensing bullshit (not the government this time), and even proxy servers don't work with it.

I've been meaning to get Skype and Facebook. I don't know what Dragon is but I'll find out. And I always enjoy a word game. Thanks for the tips!

I'll just have to figure out how to pry the thing from LE's sticky little hands. He knows how to work it already. I look forward to the day when he'll be the techno-smartie in the house and no one has to rely on me anymore because my skills are pretty limited...

Stranger said...

Ah, that Dragon! Trying to load it now...

Unknown said...

mail.com
I worked part time at Interlang and I was an alcoholic. Also dmb forgot Karya in Moda which was in the top 3 schools.

Stranger said...

Alcoholism at Interlang? Well, I never!

Nomad said...

Joined the 21st Century and we never heard from her again.

Stranger said...

Busted! I can't totally fault the iPhone, but I've been working on one post now for like 4 four days.

Stranger said...

In case anyone cares, you can get YouTube on the iPhone by changing the DNS to 8.8.8.8

It only works when you're on Wi-Fi though. I don't know how to get YouTube when I'm on 3G.

I totally feel like a genius for managing this simple change.