Technology at work

[batcap]

I'm going to have to buy a phone of my own shortly - for the last three years I have been using a company phone. Now I'll only have that on alternating months.

So, here's what I'm thinking: "Get a smart phone with mobile web; when you're out you won't have to make notes about checking values when you get home." I'm sure lots of people are doing this, I just haven't seen them talking about it.

Scenarios:
You're previewing an auction, you see an old typewriter and check ebay for it's value. Wha'da'ya'know? the key caps are likely worth $50 or higher!

You're at a yard sale and spot a piece of china marked "Limoges", is it worth the $1.00 it's marked?

There's curb alert free stuff posted on craigslist. It's right around the corner from me, but I'm not home checking the listings. It would be nice if I could have that sent to my mobile phone.


There are too many "scenarios", each unique to the time, place and object. Google and eBay are my main resources for valuing objects, but I have to go home and look up stuff before I buy, thus
losing time and possibly turning my back on valuable objects of limited availability.

Is anyone using mobile web technology to seize opportunities that others are missing?

I'm post this here because the Tech group is arguing about coils, and the Techniques group is all mixed up with long-range locating crap, and because my focus is on Garage Sales, Auction and Fleas.

 

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[bdxample]

One of the reasons I bought my smart phone was for garage sale and other research.
it has saved and made me a significant amount of money.
Tons of useful apps, pick what works for you.
Get it...you won't regret it

 

[clovis97]

I was just getting ready to start a thread about this very topic, asking people if and how they use a smart phone.

I have an iPhone, and love the thing. I can't wait to get upgraded to the next model. It is really the only thing we splurge on, but it pays for itself time and time again.

The iPhone has:

1. Saved me COUNTLESS dollars in mistake buying. Are typewriter keys still valuable? Are 70's vintage Chevy car brochures hot? How about that rusty pedal car? How about those Hardy Boys books? Pentax film camera, all electronic? THIS HAS HELPED TAKE GUESSING OUT OF THE GAME.

2. No more silly calls to the wife asking "Can you look up a Bell Systems tool for me?", and then being ticked when I find out she looked it up wrong.

3. Using the GPS is AWESOME!!!! No longer will you have to guess where the garage sale at 987 Gander Goose Court is in that endless mess of suburban sprawl.

3A. This means you save time getting to the next sale, and can easily add 5 or 6 more sales to your day.

3B. Gasoline is 3.19 a gallon. I can't believe how much gas I am able to save with the GPS and maps!

4. Instant access to websites and their phone numbers. I also look for scrap metal, and even though I'm a super small time scrapper, I can have an instant price on aluminum breakage, brass or #2 copper. Just google the website, and call the number. This feature is better than having just a phone, now you can look up their number and call them!

5. The calendar is a great way to set reminders for auction dates, etc.

6. I use the notes section to jot stuff down, especially phone numbers of people, addresses, etc, and is very handy for GS and auctions.

There are tons of apps you can use to save you time, energy, frustration and money.

*While I will NOT get in a peeing match with someone, get the iPhone. I still haven't met anyone that doesn't absolutely love theirs, but I have met tons of people who haven't been happy with the Droid, Blackberry, etc. I am not a brainwashed Apple guy...the iPhone just works perfectly and is simple to use.

**A smart phone is an awesome investment if you will put it to work as a tool as much as you use it as a toy.

 

[2Minnesota]

Agree with BDxample!

I just got mine (ipone) this winter so haven't got to use the garage sale finder app. yet. Looking forward to trying that one out.

I also use mine to look up new stuff before I buy. Comes in handy when your in the store looking at two or three different models or brands etc. Like reviews on jackets and electrical things. You can find reviews on just about anything...including restaurants and hotels. If they get bad reviews, time to move on and don't waste your $.

Good luck!

 

[SEANO]

Would never leave home with out it. Ditto on what Clovis said!

There's a thread about site people use for research. You may want to look it up and save some of them to your phone.

I use the Iphone and like it, but there's lots of other options. ATT sucks in many parts of my town. I've gone to sales, drove down the road to research and headed back to buy an item (providing its still there).

 

[cyberdan]

"Get a smart phone with mobile web; when you're out you won't have to make notes about checking values when you get home." I'm sure lots of people are doing this,

You will never catch me with one. It might be nice to have but does it come with a 10" screen? I was at a yardsale and this guy was selling an old portable organ that looked brand new but I could tell it was 1940s because of the style. He pulled out his phone and tried to show me what it was going for on ebay the picture was a quarter inch wide and the type even smaller. I had to pull out my magnifying glass to even make out what was on the screen.

There is no way I will spend that kind of money and have to use a loupe everytime I used it.

 

[Rodbuster209]

My son got tired of me calling him to ask where a certain street was,or hey check an address for me and so on , so he got me an I-phone and I used it this morning to check a YS start time, they definately are handy...............just my humble opinion.............Scott.

 

[Produce Guy]

If they made a Tablet with a phone and a camera,I'd buy one and get rid of my dumb phone.

 

[clovis97]

"Get a smart phone with mobile web; when you're out you won't have to make notes about checking values when you get home." I'm sure lots of people are doing this,

You will never catch me with one. It might be nice to have but does it come with a 10" screen? I was at a yardsale and this guy was selling an old portable organ that looked brand new but I could tell it was 1940s because of the style. He pulled out his phone and tried to show me what it was going for on ebay the picture was a quarter inch wide and the type even smaller. I had to pull out my magnifying glass to even make out what was on the screen.

There is no way I will spend that kind of money and have to use a loupe everytime I used it.

The Droid and the iPhone have decent sized screens, much better than some of the other phones with super small screens.

FWIW, it is super easy to enlarge the pictures on the Droid and iPhone...just touch the screen with two fingers and move them apart, and the pic will get bigger.

As well, didn't Motorola just introduce something with a big screen on it, much bigger than the iPhone?

I'm betting they make them, but I'd love a larger, carry-around screen that you could plug your iPhone into and use the larger screen to look at stuff, especially if it was a screen the size of a net book. Anyone know who makes something like that, and how much do they cost?

 

[batcap]

Thanks for all the great replies. I think you can use some phones as modems or wifi hotspots for a laptop. That would help with the size issue. Cricket has Android service for $55/mo. I'll be spending some time researching before I spend though.

 

[cyberdan]

I want sunglasses with built in screens and a camera in the middle.

 

[SEANO]

I want sunglasses with built in screens and a camera in the middle.

Funny you say that, may not be that far away.. Just saw they have downhill ski goggles marketed with screens that show temp, wind speed, and your speed. They expect to have video installed very soon.

 

[Daedalus]

I have the HTC EVO and I would not trade it for anything, I use it more than my Notebook or Netbook computers. And I can do just about the same with it.

We got rid of our I phones and went to this and it was worth the change. Front and rear facing cameras and you can run what software you want on it unlike the I phone we had . Check them out and you will see what I am talking about.

 

[batcap]

I have the HTC EVO and I would not trade it for anything, I use it more than my Notebook or Netbook computers. And I can do just about the same with it.

We got rid of our I phones and went to this and it was worth the change. Front and rear facing cameras and you can run what software you want on it unlike the I phone we had . Check them out and you will see what I am talking about.

They are quite good looking w/ big screens. Feature rich, but too feature rich for me. 8 mp camera - great; a camera pointing AT me all the time - no. A two year contract? Hmmm. I didn't get to the details page, but if they're roping me in for 2 years I'd expect a better monthly rate than Cricket's $55 Android plan.

 

[clovis97]

I got to thinking about this thread today.

If you are leaning towards an iPhone, check out Verizon...they are advertising unlimited usage on anyone signing up right now. I bet they end that eventually, and will have a 2GB limit, just like ATT did.