Why You Should Have a Second Phone Number and E-Mail Address
Do you have only one phone number and e-mail address for your personal, professional, purchasing, and mobile use. It’s not unusual for people today to only have one phone: a mobile phone that often functions as their work, home phone and mobile number.
A new mobile app called Shuffle has launched a simple utility that lets you create additional, disposable phone numbers you can use to call or text as well as receive voicemail through, right from your iPhone. There are a number of other apps available, but Shuffle allows you to create email aliases that forward mail to your main inbox.
According to Shuffle’s founder Craig Collett “Individuals have the need to protect their personal privacy and keep different business and social aspects of their life separated.”
While I have advised many of my clients to have separate e-mail addresses for personal and professional use, having a separate phone number only for registration and purchasing purposes will keep your primary phone number more private.
To read more, CLICK HERE
An App for Everything!!
In today’s Wall Street Journal, Geoffrey Fowler writes that “There’s an Uber for everything now. Washio is for having someone do your laundry, Sprig and SpoonRocket cook your dinner and Shyp will mail things out so you don’t have to brave the post office. Zeel delivers a massage therapist (complete with table). Heal sends a doctor on a house call, while Saucey will rush over alcohol. And by Jeeves, cutesy names are part of the schtick—Dufl will pack your suitcase and Eaze will reup a medical marijuana supply.”
While I have not yet found an app for most of my everyday chores, I do rely on my iPhone for a car service (Uber and Via), Starbucks, breaking news, weather, and of course, sports.
Fowler reports that “Life sure is easy when you let your apps do the walking, but I learned they’re not only for the lazy. Most provided great service and, to my surprise, some have ingenious new business models that actually saved me money. It’s just not clear how many will make sense outside dot-com Camelots like San Francisco—or even still be in business in a year.”
As I have stressed to my clients, it is important to document your needs and interests. I meet with many people in the course of a day and recommend different equipment (smartphones, tablets, laptops) and services based on their individual interests.
To read the complete article, CLICK HERE
How Smart is Your Smartphone?
Remember when your phone was only a phone and it had to be connected to a wall jack? Outside, you needed to find a pay phone and have coins to place a call. Wow, how times have changed!
Chances are that if anyone told you at that time that your phone someday would be a device that exchanged e-mails and messages, listen to music, catch up on the news, check the weather, stocks, and watch a movie, you would probably want them committed. It is estimated that over two-thirds of the US population owns a smartphone. A smartphone is loosely defined as a hand-held computer, typically offering Internet access, data storage, email capability, etc.
If you already own a smartphone (iPhone, Galaxy, Blackberry, etc.), it probably came with basic apps (applications) that will permit you to surf the web, take pictures, and communicate with friends and family via e-mail or text messages.
Sales of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) now exceed computers. More people are accessing the web through mobile devices than computers. In addition to the functions listed above, there are now mobile apps that permit you perform many functions on the fly. Below are some examples:
Travel
– Book and track a flight
– Search and book a hotel
– Make restaurant reservations
– Reserve a car service
Finance
– Track your portfolio and execute trades
– Check your bank balance, transfer funds, and pay bills
– Make mobile payments
Entertainment
– Look up movie showtimes, view trailers, and read reviews
– Stream for favorite movies and TV shows
– Purchase, listen to, and read books
– Play games such as Scrabble, Solitaire, and Bridge
Photography
– Take and edit pictures
– Share them with family and friends
– Create albums by event or date
Medical
– Set up emergency contacts
– Research symptoms and ailments
– Keep a record of medications
– Refill prescriptions
– Check out doctors and hospitals
Social Media
– Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
These are just a few of the many services that are offered online. If you would like to discuss your personal preferences and how to set them up on your smartphone and/or tablet, give me a call at 917 921-4518 or e-mail me at jblue@bluetutor.com.