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Ode to the iPhone

January 1, 2021 / rogerwoodnews

iPhone oh iPhone. How do I love thee. Let me count the ways.

You can make phone calls on it, and very cheaply, almost free. I remember when I had a mobile phone in the 90s and it was attached to my car. Phone calls cost $.70 each and that’s just for a minute. Then I got a flip phone for cellular service, Still on the analog network but cheaper to call with. I finally graduated to the iPhone in 2007.

I started with an iPhone four, but upgraded eventually to the SE model five. I’m still with that model although I bought a reconditioned one recently from eBay. What I like most about it is that it fits in your pocket, as opposed to later models which are more bulky in my opinion. And I don’t think you give too much up in performance with this one. It’s great that it still has the mini plug on the front so you can plug in headphones or external microphones. They dispensed with that in later models, Can buy a dongle that will contain it and plug into a charging spot.

The iPhone is in my opinion the Swiss Army knife of handheld computers. Sure you can make phone calls with it, and the rates are so low that you can almost call that part of it free.

You can make video calls with it, with more options than you can believe. FaceTime, Google meets zoom, WebEx, duo. I mean the list goes on and on. And most of those are free.

It has a very respectable camera even at this level. It will shoot good stills, bursts, and video. And a large enough storage, 64 GB will guarantee you won’t run out of shooting time.

It’s a radio, using the various apps like tune in radio, radio.com and iHeartRadio. A fantastic app is called Radio Garden. Like the others it’s free and you can listen to stations all over the World by just clicking on little White dots on the world map. You can zip from Great Britain to New Zealand with just a tap. News and music from all over the world, and insight into different cultures.

It has a great texting feature, allowing users to communicate with others with great ease. Of course, we might be bringing up a generation that texts instead of talks. But that’s a philosophical issue, not an engineering one. Emailing of course is nothing new now, but they do give you proof of what you have said in a cyber conversation. Just be careful what you write.

Surfing the web with a smartphone is like opening a world of resources. Just about any question can be answered almost immediately. Think about the day when you had to labor over encyclopedias, dictionaries or other references. You won’t be spending time in the library rifling through books and magazines and filling out index cards with material to use for a paper.

It’s a ship spotter, a plane spotter and, if you look up in the sky anytime you will find what constellations and stars are there. Not all apps are free but I haven’t found any really expensive.

Of course it’s a shopping service, where you can research what you may buy and then order it online. And of course it has a Compass and Google maps to guide you to your destinations.

Yes, smartphones will do just about anything for you other than pulling, pushing, dragging, lifting or digging. That’s up to you.

You don’t have a smartphone? Has anybody seen a telephone booth lately?

Liberties

December 24, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

I was reading recently an article in the world news that struck me to the core. In North Korea, where peoples’ liberties don’t really exist whatsoever. A sailor out at sea Was listening to a foreign broadcast out of curiosity. Unfortunately for him, a crewmate that heard him turned him into the authorities. The result of that was a firing squad execution in front of other sailors and their officers. It could also result in the death sentence if anyone in the authoritarianism country listens to anything other than state Radio.

And on my favorite network radio channel I heard a German man who was definitely disturbed because of the COVID-19 restrictions placed on him and his fellow Germans. He said that the lockdown is continuing and that people are not allowed to go out without a mask, sing in church or celebrate Christmas at all. No shopping, no gathering and no joy. Furthermore his son was waiting for a bus when a police officer noticed that he wasn’t wearing a mask. That resulted in a €150 fine. He also reflected back on the dictatorship of the 30s and 40s in the country when such liberties were also restricted. He pointed out quite sadly that today’s restrictions somewhat resemble those. In England they have established several zones, with varying degrees of restrictions. The people I have talked to on the radio usually resent those, but have no control over what is required.

Certainly we Americans are facing stricter times. Some states require facemasks on public property, they also limit gatherings, and break up possible super spreader parties. But the holiday shopping season has continued unabated and people are still planning to invite close family members to their gatherings.

While most stores require masks to be worn, many customers disregard that and even threaten or harm the poor employees that ask them to do so. I have not personally heard of any fines being levied against people that disregard the mask rule. They claim it as a right for a person’s choice, but that choice may not only harm themselves but others, keeping the virus alive.

As Americans, we have certain rights passed down by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I don’t believe that people should be locked down in England or fined in Europe for not wearing a mask,

But I do believe it should be our responsibility for protecting our families and the public from COVID-19.

Happy new year!

Stay Positive!

December 14, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

That this is a trying time is an understatement. But I’m not here to spread the gloom. Quite the opposite, I’d like to share some things with you that I have found to be useful in boosting spirits. You know we Americans expect crises Like the pandemic to be resolved quickly. But this one is not that kind. So, here is what I am doing to stay positive even though I am relatively stuck at home. I hope it will help you.

I keep the television off, except to watch sports and streaming specials. Daytime television will trap you in a chair and leave your mind in a mess.

I step outside whenever possible to get some fresh air.

I try very hard to keep occupied, and producing podcasts like this for InDepth NH, helps a lot. Studying guitar through YouTube teachers is good therapy,

although I am still struggling with the instrument.

I am writing a murder mystery, even though I have no experience in that genre. I have self published three books that essentially contain my memoirs. I would hope you could do that, that is write your memoirs even if they’re not for publication. I found the things in the past I forgot came to life again in print. And your family will have a record of your life.

And I have discovered Zello. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s an Internet-based free portal to converse with people on many subjects. Once you sign up, you will get multiple channels to listen to or talk on.

When you punch in your interest, whether it be genealogy, paranormal, musical instruments, politics or just about anything, you will be shown a list of people on that channel.. Using your iPhone or android device will work for talking. When you punch in a channel you want, you will have a chance to talk on it.

Sometimes a channel moderator is neededTo “trust you in”. That is no big deal. It’s very therapeutic to stay in touch with people, even strangers, that often become friends.

My choice is a channel called Network radios. It stems from my interest in amateur radio, a hobby I’ve been involved in for years. By signing up, I’ve been talking to people all over the world, with great clarity. I have found that most of them are extremely friendly and helpful. Even as I write this, I am listening to two people, from South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Zello is an easy app to use, so nobody should be intimidated by it. And I repeat, it is totally free. That is because the service is sold to businesses that want to set up special channels. They extend the free service to anyone else.

As you get familiar with the service you’ll find that you can set up your own channel that can act as a walkie-talkie or a one-way broadcast for what you want to say.

Marijuana

December 5, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

This is Roger Wood for In-Depth NH. Recreational marijuana initiatives passed in four states this year: liberal New Jersey, moderate Arizona and conservative Montana and South Dakota. The results prove how broadly accepted marijuana has become throughout the country and across party lines. But not in New Hampshire.

Yep in New Hampshire, it is still illegal to buy recreational pot. Advocates like the marijuana policy project Have been trying for years to get the legislature and governor to allow it. They have not been lucky so far. Matt Simon is a lobbyist for the nonprofit Marijuana policy project.

Biden Supporter

November 30, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

She is one of Joe Biden‘s most ardent supporters. And for Mary Carrie Foley of Portsmouth, that enthusiasm goes way back to the 80s, the 1980s. She is also an elector for the electoral college. And she will cast her vote in her native state of New Hampshire. This podcast was originally published on IndepthNH.org

Here’s hoping that Mary Carey Foley will be at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

Child Abuse

November 19, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

Abuse of a child is probably the worst form of domestic violence. It can emanate from a parent, relative, guardian or any adult responsible for a young person. I recently produced a podcast with Dr. David Finkelhor. He is an expert on the subject, studying it for decades.

Hopefully I will learn more about the studies being conducted. It’s important information that should be disseminated.

Flying the Max?

November 9, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

I am not planning on flying the Boeing 737 max. I’m sure you’ve heard of the controversy involving the aircraft. But if not, here’s a brief summary of what I’ve learned by reading articles following the two fatal crashes. Afterwards the 737 Max was grounded, and is still awaiting recertification as a viable passenger plane. When the process is completed by the Federal aviation administration, it will probably be renamed the 737-800 or something like that

In brief, the original solid 737 was not re-designed, but reengineered with very large General Electric engines. So large, they wouldn’t necessarily clear the ground when landing. So they moved them higher on the Wings and forward. That solved that problem but created another.

.I am not an aviation expert but I read that with the engines forward, thrust would be different and could cause the aircraft to stall upon takeoff. That is different from a stalled car, because it would doom the plane. So they installed a computer software program that would offset the probable Stall by pointing the nose down to prevent it. That resulted in the two aircraft to crash virtually vertically into the ground when The pilots couldn’t control the plane manually.

The fix is supposed to solve that, but some people including me are skeptical that it really works.. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to experiment with flying. You also have a choice of taking a different plane.

There are several YouTube videos that explore this, and I would invite you to watch at least one of them. They were unnerving to say the least. Southwest airlines flies only 737s, so they would be a probable customer for the new planes.

Zello Fan

November 1, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

I must confess that I am a big fan of Zello. Not the wiggly sweet kind that you serve for dessert and other occasions although I like Jell-O. No I’m talking about an Internet portal that you talk to people all over the world on at no cost. You can talk to people anywhere about just about any subject. When you sign up or download the Zello app you will be able to search for the topic of interest for you. For instance, genealogy. What happens is you click on the appropriate site whatever it is, and it will display how many people are on that channel. And you can listen usually to what they’re saying. For you to be heard will be to require a moderator to trust you in. That’s a pretty easy process . There are usually moderators monitoring the channel. In fact there are several videos available on YouTube that will instruct you. You can even set up your own channel, to talk on or speak to others, even as a walkie-talkie to talk to your significant others or friends. still all free. My particular interest is network radio. It’s a group of channels on Zello that allow you to talk to people around the world that are generally interested in radio. Radio amateurs, shortwave listeners, anyone who finds the topic interesting. Some of the people use the channels to get into amateur radio. Others are content to just access it after a moderator accepts you. You don’t need a license, but you can get a number to sign in and out on. That makes you kind of a member of the group. I personally have talked to people in England, Africa, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Australia, well you get the picture. And in the process you will learn about other cultures. I found it so and was enthusiastic about talking to people worldwide, many using English. You may learn so much about a country’s culture that you may want to visit one day. I at least learned the geography of the United Kingdom for the most part. Let me give you a sample of a conversation between two countries, England and South Africa.

The two gentlemen are talking about the Covid virus, which is a hot topic everywhere. People on the channel will ask you how you are doing And urging you to be safe. Women and men are equally welcome. Oh did I mention that people on the channels are so nice that they will help you with any questions you may have. What do they use to talk on? Well, while some people invest a couple hundred dollars on what is called a network radio, not much more than a cell phone, you can use a cell phone especially when you have the app installed. I myself have used the cell phone along with an inexpensive network phone with a push to talk button. That goes for all the channels for that matter. It doesn’t take much to check it out. There is a Zello business channel also, but download the free one. Download the app, register and listen. That may be all you wanna do but if you like talking to people especially when you’re cooped up, this hobby could be for you. It certainly is for me.

Introduction

October 29, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

OCTOBER 26, 2020 / ROGERWOODNEWS / 0 COMMENTS

it seems like everybody is doing it, large corporations and small businesses. Just about anyone can do it. The reason is for one thing it’s very inexpensive to get on the Internet radio. Bring a computer and a microphone, but also bring some content people will listen to. It’s kind of ironic that even radio stations broadcasting over the airwaves podcast as well. I hope you will join me on this journey in print and podcasts on InDepthNH.org. Cheers for now.

Introduction

October 26, 2020 / rogerwoodnews

How do I introduce myself without sounding like an old geezer? Because if I tell you I’ve had 50 years in journalism already, you’ll know the answer. If I may say so myself, I think I’ve done it all in the business. Started out in radio news and stuck with journalism for the rest of my career for the most part. Had some experience with newspapers for a while, wrote hundreds of stories actually. Little bit of television, and now podcasting for InDepthNH.org. I predicted back in 2005 that podcasting would be The medium for the future. Now, it seems like everybody is doing it, large corporations and small businesses. Just about anyone can do it. The reason is for one thing it’s very inexpensive to get on the Internet radio. Bring a computer and a microphone, but also bring some content people will listen to. It’s kind of ironic that even radio stations broadcasting over the airwaves podcast as well. I hope you will join me on this journey in print and podcasts on InDepthNH.org. Cheers for now.