June Jamboree
Interesting situations this month include my trialling a fitness watch, a talk on the future of interconnected computers in everyday life, and all-too brief summer weather. I'm making an Irish summer crime story free to download on Kindle, and I'm back to writing crime.
The fitness watch talks to my phone via Bluetooth. The app shows my regular walks and housework looking like busy days, but each day that I go in to town or work on trees provides more than twice the walking. Yoga does not register as exercise because the pedometer doesn't pick it up, although I do yoga a few evenings a week. I also notice that walking, while good for cardiovascular and respiratory health, burns very few calories. We have clearly evolved to be efficient walkers. The watch is supposed to be waterproof but I haven't worn it while swimming because it just goes against the grain to swim wearing a flashdrive. The watch also vibrates to let me know my phone has an incoming call or text, and shows the sender's name, which could be helpful to a hearing-impaired person.
I don't depend on my smartphone as a phone or watch, but the fitness app is making me use it a lot more - by Wi-fi so I am not running up extra charges. A fitness watch is worth considering. However, before you allow the watch app to update your social site with your daily habits, consider a potential stalker, house burglar or your ex and whether you want them to know where and when you are jogging in the park. My app is forbidden to share. For useful security tips of that nature I recommend
The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy by Violet Blue.
I attended a talk with my husband in the Royal Dublin Society, by Alex Duncan, CEO and Co-founder of Openmind Networks Ltd on the development and uses of machine intelligence and interlinked computers. He had a virtual assistant gadget from Amazon to show us. This was called Alexa and looked like a foot-high cylinder, responding to its name by playing requested music, answering questions and potentially summoning a taxi or controlling lights and electronics around the house. We also heard about developments in driverless cars, which have the potential to upset the insurance company mechanisms. The Internet of Things, part of which is my fitness watch, is here and we will all be living in this new world.
Summer in Dublin was early and short; we are back to rain at present. Let's hope we get some more good weather as I have a lot more gardening to do. Since it's summer I'm making a scenic summertime mystery set in Ireland free to download, 25 - 27 June.
Murder At Wicklow Mensa. This is fifth in my Cara Cassidy mystery series and can be read as a standalone. You can read for free on your Kindle or with a free Kindle app on your phone, tablet or PC. If you download, please consider leaving a review.
https://amazon.com/Murder-Wicklow-Men...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Wickl...
FREE READ of my 2014 award-winning crime short story 'London Calling' on the Simon and Schuster website:
http://the-dark-pages-blog.blogspot.i...
Check out my latest books, writing tips, puzzles, events, newsletter and more on my website: http://www.clareobeara.ie
The fitness watch talks to my phone via Bluetooth. The app shows my regular walks and housework looking like busy days, but each day that I go in to town or work on trees provides more than twice the walking. Yoga does not register as exercise because the pedometer doesn't pick it up, although I do yoga a few evenings a week. I also notice that walking, while good for cardiovascular and respiratory health, burns very few calories. We have clearly evolved to be efficient walkers. The watch is supposed to be waterproof but I haven't worn it while swimming because it just goes against the grain to swim wearing a flashdrive. The watch also vibrates to let me know my phone has an incoming call or text, and shows the sender's name, which could be helpful to a hearing-impaired person.
I don't depend on my smartphone as a phone or watch, but the fitness app is making me use it a lot more - by Wi-fi so I am not running up extra charges. A fitness watch is worth considering. However, before you allow the watch app to update your social site with your daily habits, consider a potential stalker, house burglar or your ex and whether you want them to know where and when you are jogging in the park. My app is forbidden to share. For useful security tips of that nature I recommend
The Smart Girl's Guide to Privacy by Violet Blue.I attended a talk with my husband in the Royal Dublin Society, by Alex Duncan, CEO and Co-founder of Openmind Networks Ltd on the development and uses of machine intelligence and interlinked computers. He had a virtual assistant gadget from Amazon to show us. This was called Alexa and looked like a foot-high cylinder, responding to its name by playing requested music, answering questions and potentially summoning a taxi or controlling lights and electronics around the house. We also heard about developments in driverless cars, which have the potential to upset the insurance company mechanisms. The Internet of Things, part of which is my fitness watch, is here and we will all be living in this new world.
Summer in Dublin was early and short; we are back to rain at present. Let's hope we get some more good weather as I have a lot more gardening to do. Since it's summer I'm making a scenic summertime mystery set in Ireland free to download, 25 - 27 June.
Murder At Wicklow Mensa. This is fifth in my Cara Cassidy mystery series and can be read as a standalone. You can read for free on your Kindle or with a free Kindle app on your phone, tablet or PC. If you download, please consider leaving a review. https://amazon.com/Murder-Wicklow-Men...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Wickl...
FREE READ of my 2014 award-winning crime short story 'London Calling' on the Simon and Schuster website:
http://the-dark-pages-blog.blogspot.i...
Check out my latest books, writing tips, puzzles, events, newsletter and more on my website: http://www.clareobeara.ie
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