XPost: misc.phone.mobile.iphone   
   From: scharf.steven@geemail.com   
      
   On 10/8/2025 11:58 PM, Arno Welzel wrote:   
      
      
      
   > Well - I do not have *any* "social media" on my smartphone and still I   
   > need it for every day tasks. I think, the addiction to social media is   
   > more problem for younger people.   
   Exactly. Though a lot of adults are addicted to social media too.   
      
   There are just so many other tasks that can't be easily accomplished   
   without a smart phone. It makes things a little tough for the technology   
   challenged.   
      
   It's also often the case that you pay less for things when you use your   
   phone to order or pay.   
      
   Because of labor costs, many restaurants have a QR code on the table   
   that brings up the menu and lets you order and pay. It's time-consuming   
   and difficult to get a real menu and to place an order.   
      
   Cash is no longer accepted at many venues, you must use tap to pay or a   
   credit card. Now, reverse ATMs are being put in where you can buy a   
   tap-to-pay card using cash. I see this at places like stadiums where   
   concessions no longer take cash.   
      
   For Costco, I put the EAN-13 bar code, from my card on my phone's lock   
   screen, so I can scan in without having to bring up the Costco app   
   (which generates a QR code that changes every time).   
      
   Some credit cards give you more cash back for tap to pay, including the   
   Apple Mastercard (2% instead of 1%), and a card I have from U.S. Bank   
   (3% cash back for tap to pay). Note that the Apple Card is actually not   
   a very good deal since there are plenty of no-annual-fee credit cards   
   that give 2% back on everything).   
      
   There are some more esoteric applications as well. Two stores I go to   
   have these extremely annoying shopping carts with wheels that lock up if   
   you go past a wire embedded in the pavement, even though parking lots by   
   the store, immediately on the other side of the wire, are regularly used   
   by customers. I tap one icon on my phone, and presto, the cart wheel   
   unlocks.   
      
   When traveling to other countries, Google Translate and Google Lens are   
   invaluable, as are mapping apps and transit apps.   
      
   Here's a list of things that a smart phone can replace, but there are   
   probably a lot more that I didn't think of:   
   • Airline Tickets   
   • ATM / Debit / Credit Cards   
   • Barcode Scanners   
   • Birth Control   
   • Board Games   
   • Books   
   • Business Cards   
   • Calculators   
   • Calendars   
   • Camcorders   
   • Cameras   
   • Car Keys   
   • Clocks / Alarm Clocks   
   • Compasses   
   • Contact Lists / Phone Books   
   • Credit cards   
   • Credit Card Scanners   
   • Dictionaries   
   • eBook Readers   
   • Encyclopedias   
   • Flashlights   
   • Game Controllers   
   • Gaming Devices   
   • GPS   
   • Guitar Tuners   
   • House Keys   
   • Land-line Internet   
   • Landline Phones   
   • Levels   
   • Light Meters   
   • Maps   
   • Measuring Tapes   
   • Membership Cards   
   • Menus   
   • Newspapers   
   • Notepads   
   • Paper Money / Coins   
   • Photo Albums   
   • Portable Music Players   
   • Portable Video Players   
   • Radios   
   • Remote Controllers   
   • Scanners   
   • Shopping Cart Unlockers   
   • Sketchpads   
   • Thermostats   
   • Timers   
   • Transit tickets and passes   
   • USB Thumbdrives   
   • Voice Recorders   
   • Walkie Talkies   
   • Watches   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)