I watched my husband texting in snail speed -due to the one-finger-search-system he uses on any keyboard- and so I interfered. Helpful, as only loving spouses can be, I showed him the little microphone on his phone, and asked him to use it.
“Speak what you want to say, and the phone will write it for you,” I explained and with that I gently pushed him into the 21st century. A short while later he started using it and I could hear him speak his texts. Small mishaps happen both ways. Either we type and auto-correct takes over or we speak and can’t be understood. Tomato or Tomatoes -who cares?
A few nights ago our house felt cold and I gave our thermostat an angry look from across the room. “Do your job, put the temperature on fricking 70,” I joked and of course nothing happened. However, it must have confused my husband.
He got up, put his mouth close to the thermostat and with a firm voice he said, “70 degrees, please.” Gosh, I love that man!
“Hon, it’s still our old thermostat, you will have to program it manually,” I said with a shaky voice, trying to hold back laughter almost killed me. He pressed numerous buttons, then he gave up and left it up to me. When did everything technical in our home became my territory?
Technology sure has come far.
After months of research, I finally found the one and only dog-proof trashcan for our kitchen and while I didn’t want to spend that much money, I ordered it anyway.
A new shiny, touch-less trashcan which -hold your horses- opens and closes the lid automatically, all controlled by a motion sensor, is now the star in our kitchen. A quick movement with my hand over the lid and it opens quietly and closes a few seconds later almost noiseless. It is trash-heaven!
We got quickly used to it and our dogs, even after intensive studies, haven’t figured it out (yet) and the way it looks like they have given up -for the moment. Needless to say, I am in love with a trash can and left a very rare 5-star review full of praises -mainly for dog owners.
In the same corner of the kitchen, right above our trashcan, sits our coffee maker, and just the other night I caught myself moving my hand over the lid when I tried to set the coffee maker for the next morning.
Not just once, no, numerous times did I try to activate the nonexisting motion sensor on our old coffee maker before I realized what I was doing. It’s funny how the brain works -or perhaps doesn’t work?
“Alexa…is there a touchless coffee maker on the market?”
We don’t have an Alexa, we are confused enough the way it is already.
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Loved your story and technology is amazing these days. I still have the old dial type thermostat, but I’d love to tell it what to do. I’m planning to reblog your story tomorrow. I think my readers would really relate to your writing. I’m following you now too. Enjoying reading your blog!
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Thank you for your nice comment. If you feel like reblogging, you have my blessing. 🙂
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Thank you! I’ve scheduled it for tomorrow. 😊
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Good one! 🙂
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True one too 🙂
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awesome incident. ha ha
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Ah, the trials of technology. At least it provides us with a few laughs. We had Google home but for a few days as my tech savvy son visited and told us all the data Google collects on folks who have it. Hubby tossed it! As for the garbage bin, great idea. We had a dog who was extremely competent at using the pedal on the pedal operated bin! The dogs might pick up how to work it in time! Thanks for a great laugh this morning!
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Our dogs studied me and the trashcan for weeks. The looked at the bottom but without a pedal to step on, they were lost. Then one of them (a Weimeraner) looked at the top and the lid gently hit him on the chin. It startled her, she back off and when she was trash-ready, the garbage can was closed again.
So far, the haven’t figured it out. (Knock on wood.)
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Hehe! You should have videoed that!
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Yep, if I would know how to operate that damn thing 🙂
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Haha! do you have a video feature on your smart phone or is that even trickier?!!lol
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It really is something, isn’t it? I taught my mom how to use the voice activated texting and with some of the errors that come with predictive speech/text I’ve had some good laughs at her expense. We recently installed Hue lightbulbs and Alexa turns on our lights. We can even turn them on when we’re not home! Don’t you just wonder what’s next? 🙂
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Beautiful blog!!
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I have (unused) Siri on my iMac. Occasionally I press throng thing and he pops up. One day, whispering under my breath, I uttered “go away”. Siri replied with “that’s very rude”
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the wrong – I suspect revenge
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Me too LOL
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Laughing hard here
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🙂
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Wonderful and hilarious! We traverse similar, but even more old-fashioned technology interfaces. Our son-in-law has dragged us up to date and installed a new remote for our TV which will allow us to watch almost anything we fancy and will respond to voice commands… Somewhere along the line I too became the household IT consultant – a role I maintain by imposture.
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Haha I am afraid I might be an imposture myself. Perhaps we are just braver and push buttons randomly until something -anything- happens? 🙂
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We have both Alexa, and Google home. The latter was a freebie with a new phone. I don’t think that Alexa graduated college!!!
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Never thought about it. Perhaps she is home schooled by Apple 🙂
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First – my phone will do voice-to-text?!! WANT!!
I know what you mean about using technology. Several years ago Mr Science (omg – you are sooo like him!) put motion detector lights in the washrooms and laundry room. Now, whenever I travel or go to someone else’s home, I stand somewhat confused in the doorway of the washroom wondering why the lights won’t go on 😆
btw – I have no idea how to program the thermostat. Gilles is actually ok with that 😉
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Haha….yes I suppose your phone does voice to text as well. 🙂
Mr. Science (brilliant) put motion detector lights in the washrooms (brilliant) why don’t we have that?
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The concept might be brilliant but the execution has been a bit clunky. The light is on a 5 minute grace. After 5 minutes of not detecting motion, the lights will turn off.
Unfortunately, the sensor can’t see anyone in the shower ….
I can’t convince him to change it …
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Brilliant it’s a water-saver and a motion detector 🙂
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bwahahahaha!!!
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