Posted by on Oct 16, 2019 in Older Articles

Using an iPhone with Maria Arapakis

Get (Way) More from Your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, & Mac!

by Maria Arapakis

Using an iPhone can be frustrating. Some people think I’m nuts because I’m such a cheerleader for today’s technologies. Yet I am not a naïve Pollyanna. I’m fully aware that alongside the countless positives of 21st century technologies (and yes there is a lot to cheer about), there are also substantial negatives — headaches, temptations, frustrations, even dangers.

But when all is said and done, the payoffs are far bigger than the risks or aggravations. Plus, even if I never convince you of this, nowadays there is no getting away from technology. So, if you’re going to endure the negatives, the invasiveness, and the challenges of this Digital Age, you might as well cash in on its many truly awesome gifts of using an iPhone or other Apple device.

There’s a lot to love

  • You can summon emergency help any time, and pretty much anywhere.
  • You can listen to fabulous music, stimulating podcasts, and narrated audiobooks pumped right into your ears (or your bluetooth-enabled hearing aids!).
  • You can watch “streamed” movies, documentaries, and shows choosing from an embarrassment of riches from Netflix, Prime, Hulu, HBO, ShowTime, and many more streaming sources … all quite literally at your fingertips, 24-7, whenever and wherever you want.
  • You can attend (for free!) classes at Stanford, Harvard, Oxford, MIT, or any of hundreds of other institutions of learning.
  • Also around the clock and in virtually “no time at all,” you can send friends, family, and colleagues messages, photos, videos, and information, no matter where you are or where they are in the world.
  • You can be shown and told how to get from one place to another with your portable GPS guidance system.
  • You can shop for anything and everything 24/7, no matter what the weather, no matter if your car is in the shop, no matter if you are recovering from surgery, no matter what.
  • You have the equivalent of a constantly updated Encyclopedia Brittanica (remember those?) that provide in an instant answers to a kazillion questions about a bazillion topics.
  • You have an ever-present flashlight, magnifying glass, kitchen timer, alarm clock, compass, dictating machine, typewriter (remember those!?), calculator, pedometer, and stopwatch.
  • You can translate something into Chinese, Greek, Italian, German, Spanish, or Russian so quickly it takes your breath away.
  • You can book flights or a cruise or a hotel room or a B&B, finding the best travel bargain as you do.
  • You can pay bills, transfer funds, and monitor your bank and credit card.
  • You can find the love of your life!

The Choice is Yours!

If your choice is the lightweight, 24-7 way of doing it all, I hope you’ll join me in one of my upcoming 3-hour Apple Tools & Toys CFU Classes!
Empower Yourself with Apple Tools & Toys!
Sessions are available:
Wednesday, 10/23/19 (6:30pm-9:30pm)
Saturday, 12/7/19 (10am to 1pm)
Wednesday evening, 1/8/20 (6:30pm-9:30pm)
Entertain & Educate Yourself with Apple Tools & Toys!
Session are available:
Saturday, 11/9/19 (10am to 1pm)
Wednesday evening, 12/11/19 (6:30pm-9:30pm)
Saturday, 1/4/20 (10am to 1pm)

A psychologist, trainer, author, and fan of All Things Apple, Maria Arapakis, has had over 35 years of experience training and motivating adults world-wide. Since her “retirement” about ten years ago, she has dedicated herself to helping folks take better advantage of their iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. 

Learn about Colorado Free University’s registration policies.