Good News re My CellPhone- It Pays to Check With a Real Expert

 

A few years ago, my cellphone suddenly stopped responding, so I went to a phone I thought would be reliable. The guy did a quick check and said that it needed an expensive repair. I figured that it was a "lemon" and not worth the investment, so I bought a new one from him. 

Not long afterwards, I found myself in a different phone place with a friend. The non-functioning phone was still in my bag, so I showed it to the guy at the desk as I told him the story. He quickly clicked something and it came back to life. He wouldn't even take payment, claiming that he hadn't done anything. As I write this I realize that there were some very obvious differences between the two businesses. The first was just a small store, and the second had a huge lab with more staff through a door. 

Recently the newer phone, still in use, started showing not only quicker battery "emptying," but super slow charging. I wondered if it needed a new battery, or would it pay to get a new phone.... 

Cautious, after wasting a lot of money, I decided to only consult with a store with a proven good reputation and a lab. The one who brought the other phone back to life can only be reached by car, which we don't have, but there's a small chain which I've dealt with before. I saw it grow from a table to at least two stores in nearby shopping centers. 

I had a ride to the smaller branch, which was manned by a young guy the generation of my grandchildren. He took the phone out of the case and took it to the lab in the back. When he returned a couple of minutes later, he said that it charges beautifully, and all I need is a good charger. I asked for the best he has, and it only cost NS99. 

When I got home, I plugged it in connecting my phone, and for the very first time ever the screen said:

"SUPER FAST CHARGING"

That's sure better than:

"charging too slowly which may damage the phone" 

I definitely learned my lesson and must get another for my travel bag. 

HA Report #8 Really Enjoying My Rechargeable Hearing Aids

 

Last week, just two weeks after getting my second pair of hearing aids, though they're my first pair of rechargeables, I returned to HaOzen for an "update." Israeli healthcare is extraordinary. 

Israel began as a "quasi-socialist" country. Healthcare is a government department, though there is a choice of "sick funds." The basic prices and services are the same, but there are difference in the "trimmings." Think of the variety of T-shirts, dresses or jeans you can buy, even in the same store.

Those who feel that their hearing isn't what it should be and feel the need for hearing aids are required to go to an ENT-Ear, Nose & Throat doctor to check if it isn't something medical that a doctor can't fix. If the doctor diagnoses the need for HA's he/she writes a referral, and the patient gets a high-tech hearing test. With that, the person chooses from a wide variety of places which have arrangements with their sick fund. The price and choice of hearing aids depends on the severity of one's hearing loss. We're given generally over a month to decide whether or not the hearing aids are both useful and comfortable. If there's a problem with them, they can be returned within that time period. No charge to the patient. That's why I went for that "chat." Some customers/patients need technical advice, and others find them so terribly uncomfortable that they're returned well before the deadline. I visited a lot more with my first pair, needing different size domes to fit better in my ears. 

Since I wasn't having any problem with the new hearing aids I didn't bring my charger or any other equipment. The hearing ids were in my ears. The audiologist asked how I was doing, and I made it clear that I'm enjoying them. It took awhile to get used to the fact that I didn't have to worry about packing spare batteries whenever leaving the house for more than half an hour. And I'm glad that I no longer have to remember to put in fresh batteries before Shabbat. 

I have the charger and timer at the end of the kitchen counter, and every night before going to sleep I put the hearing aids in the charger. The timer has it go on while I'm asleep, so when I'm up the hearing aids are fully charged. This also works on Shabbat. And if I'm going swimming during the day, I leave my hearing aids in the charger, just because it's a safe place.

I also told her that when I had left the clinic two weeks earlier I could hear the wind blowing loudly in my ears. To quiet things down I began playing with the controls to quiet it down.

Since then, the wind hasn't been heard. Over forty years ago, a neighbor taught me how to use a computer by saying one word, "Play." That was a time when most people had never even seen a computer, and I had needed to learn quickly for work. I follow his instructions with all new technology, yes, including my hearing aids. With Bluetooth I can control my hearing aids on my phone.

Don't fear hearing aids. They're very helpful. Research has shown that delaying the use of hearing aids lowers one's attention span. Not hearing well causes a form of ADD and worse.

Enjoy in good health.

Sometimes People are So Nice

 

No doubt I'm sometimes guilty of complaining too much, but when there's something really nice to talk/write about it's so important to let the world know.

Last Thursday on my way home from Jerusalem after seeing cousins, I had some wonderful experiences. While walking out of the Old City, I had checked the bus schedule and saw that if I hurried I could catch a bus to the Shiloh Junction. 

With still another couple of minutes' walk to the lightrail I saw a train coming. I had to hurry, since the next train might have gotten me there too late. As I huffed and puffed onto the train a young man slid out of his seat, so I could take it. I paid and then sat down. I guess he heard and saw my arrival.

I got to the bus stop with time to spare, and the bus actually came on time, which is quite rare. 

On the bus I looked up and saw those little "outlets" to plug in the phone for charging, which was needed, since my phone battery was getting dangerously low. The only problem was that no matter how much I tried, they didn't work, so I asked the driver about it. He couldn't fix it from his end, but a young soldier on the other side of the aisle offered me his portable charger. But he got off a few stops later, and I saw that my phone battery was still low. I thanked him and told him it was fine.

To my surprise the driver reached into his pocket and gave me his portable charger. Wow!

 Yes, Sometimes People are So Nice.

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 2

Jerusalem Egged Buses Modernizing, Part 1, is about the new way of paying for bus rides in order not to waste the driver's time. It's more complicated than the "exact change only" which is required in some places abroad. The complication is that not all bus stops are equipped with paying machines, and you can't pay the driver. Part 2 is about the modernizing of Egged Jerusalem buses:

Charge Your Phone/Tablet/Laptop As You Ride

Yes, in the newest buses, if you're lucky, you'll find yourself next to these chargers. You have to provide your own cord of course, but it's still a very nice little modern convenience.

People who travel in cars generally have chargers easily available, but we bus travelers dependent on public transportation  sometimes find ourselves wandering like gypsies.

I try to remember to have a portable charger with me and a charger you plug into an electric socket. They both have the type of wires you need to use the chargers on the bus.

Enjoy!

PS if have any suggestions for other topics of "improvement" or modernization on the buses, please let me know, thanks.

New Cellphone!!!

I didn't plan on buying a new cell phone today, but when I called my dd#1 to confirm our brunch together, all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Then I called dd#2, and all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Then I called dh, and all I heard was:

I can't hear you! Hello, hello, I can't hear you!!!

Dd#1 finally managed to get through and said:

Imma, you must get a new phone!

And when dh could finally communicate with me, he agreed, so dd#1 and I got me a phone for dessert after our lovely brunch together. Yes! It's that modern looking skinny thing, but mine is in hot metallic red!!! I did not want black!

Everything's great, except that I don't know how to use it. Not exactly true. I wouldn't leave the place until they showed me where to plug in the charger, how to turn it on and off and how to lock and unlock the keyboard. You know, I'm not that dumb. I'm not going to take a phone home which I can't turn on. I also made the salesman make it work in English. He set the time, but the date's wrong, and I can't figure out how to fix it. I keep following instructions, but nada. I learned how on my old one. I called service and asked for an English Language Instruction Book.

Now, why did I choose that one? Once I realized that all the phones have cameras, I began paying attention. This one has a 2.0 megapixel, which makes it potentially, a real camera. I won't have to schlepp 2 ton tessie-- my Cannon A620 every place. It felt comfortable in my hand. It's the size of a diet cracker, but thinner.

Yes, here's the baby; it's a Samsung X820: