Yesterday I wrote about some of the things I dislike about technology (particularly phones), and I can definitely be skeptical about technology. However, there are a lot of tech uses that make my life better. Going with the 5 Things theme for NaBloPoMo, I thought I’d list 5 apps/technologies that make my life better.
1. Podcasts. I LOVE listening to podcasts. They make doing chores, exercising, and other mundane tasks much better. Some favorites are: The Girls Next Door, Best Laid Plans, Pantsuit Politics, Ezra Klein, Minimal-ish, and the Lazy Genius podcast.
2. My kindle. I know this is a controversial pick because many book lovers prefer physical books, but I use my kindle constantly and prefer it to physical books. I definitely read more since buying it. I love that I can download books from the library using Libby, and can read long books without feeling like they take up too much space when I’m traveling or out and about.
3. Blogs! I love seeing glimpses into other people’s daily lives and connecting with different people this way. I’m so grateful to San for organizing NaBloPoMo because I’ve discovered many new-to-me blogs, and it inspired me to restart a dormant habit of writing.
4. Google Drive. I use docs and sheets all the time and love that I can go back and reference things that I’ve done. I love making grocery lists and packing lists on google docs. I have a generic packing list that I make a copy of for each trip. This week as I prepare to pack us up for Thanksgiving travel, I easily copied my list from last year’s trip to Philly and added a few new things to the list.
5. Apple Music and/or Spotify. I love that I can listen to any song/album I want. This has allowed me to explore more music compared to my teenage years when I could only listen to the cds I had purchased or what came on the radio (although I have so much nostalgia for listening to programs such as the top 8 at 8, which played the top songs every night).
1. Podcasts. I LOVE listening to podcasts. They make doing chores, exercising, and other mundane tasks much better. Some favorites are: The Girls Next Door, Best Laid Plans, Pantsuit Politics, Ezra Klein, Minimal-ish, and the Lazy Genius podcast.
2. My kindle. I know this is a controversial pick because many book lovers prefer physical books, but I use my kindle constantly and prefer it to physical books. I definitely read more since buying it. I love that I can download books from the library using Libby, and can read long books without feeling like they take up too much space when I’m traveling or out and about.
3. Blogs! I love seeing glimpses into other people’s daily lives and connecting with different people this way. I’m so grateful to San for organizing NaBloPoMo because I’ve discovered many new-to-me blogs, and it inspired me to restart a dormant habit of writing.
4. Google Drive. I use docs and sheets all the time and love that I can go back and reference things that I’ve done. I love making grocery lists and packing lists on google docs. I have a generic packing list that I make a copy of for each trip. This week as I prepare to pack us up for Thanksgiving travel, I easily copied my list from last year’s trip to Philly and added a few new things to the list.
5. Apple Music and/or Spotify. I love that I can listen to any song/album I want. This has allowed me to explore more music compared to my teenage years when I could only listen to the cds I had purchased or what came on the radio (although I have so much nostalgia for listening to programs such as the top 8 at 8, which played the top songs every night).
I am trying SO HARD to get into my Kindle, but it has been 2 years, and I am just not quite there...
ReplyDeleteIt's not for everyone! I got really into it when I was travelling, and it was the best when I was up in the middle of the night when the kids were babies.
DeleteThank you for sharing this, Sam. I am a 69 year old retired lady living in Montreal, Canada and still slowly 🐌 learning the technology out there. I hope you have a great week ahead 💓
ReplyDeleteYou too, Linda!
DeleteOoooh yes, I like all of these things. Podcasts? Yes, I listen to a few every day, and I listen to them on Spotify! I have a Kobo and I use it all the time while travelling. How else can you pack 12 books into a purse? I use google drive all the time to track those books, and also expenses and for other little things. What was the last one *scrolls up* oh yes blogs! Of course I love those!
ReplyDeleteExactly! I always download a bunch of books before a trip since I never know what mood I'll be in.
DeleteYou and I are the same person. I use Google Keep for lists and reminders. I like how basic it is.
ReplyDeleteYes to all of those things! I am crazy about podcasts and cannot imagine a life without my Kindle!! I would exclusively use my Kindle except my library doesn't have an extensive collection of ebooks, so most titles are much faster to get physical copies. But the backlight? The ability to change fonts? The ability to highlight? Being able to hold it with one hand? The benefits to Kindles are endless.
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DeleteYou may want to see if there are other libraries near you that you can join that have bigger collections of ebooks even if it's not your local one. When we lived in Colorado, any resident could get a digital card to Denver's system. Here's a list of some options: You may want to see if there are other libraries near you that you can join that have bigger collections of ebooks even if it's not your local one. When we lived in Colorado, any resident could get a digital card to Denver's system. Here's a list of some options. Hopefully the link works this time!
DeleteAbsolutely a huge yes to podcasts! And blogs of course. And spotify- I love having whatever music I want at any time.
ReplyDeleteI'm still stubbornly clinging to my physical books, although everyone keeps recommending an e-reader. Nope! Not ready for that yet.
I love that you followed up your last post with this one - because there's a lot of good about our phones, too. I am so happy you found our little community and decided to join for NaBloPoMo. I've enjoyed getting to know you :)
ReplyDeleteYessss - there is so much GOOD that technology brings us. I will +1 ALL of these! I don't use my Kindle as much because I prefer physical books, but I love having it for trips and such! It's so nice to have something lightweight to throw in a bag.
ReplyDelete