D-I-Y at Timpson's

Although not related to the smart phone V non-smart phone debate only in the way that users are being pushed towards communication methods that they do not want to use and that is the trend for companies only offering to contact them using social media. I have never nor ever wish to use the likes of faceache or twatter yet several times I have found that to contact some companies that has been the only method. First it was the withdrawal of phone numbers now it seems email too.

In the good old days snail mail was the only form of communication. At least there are now more alternatives that are more convenient and cheaper.

Email was always a fraught and unreliable way to communicate with a company. I preferred the use of a webform.

I only have a Squitter account purely for communication to companies that don't provide an alternative. It serves no other purpose.

Resolver is sometimes useful where companies don't provide a email or webform communications such as BT.

The salient point here is the number of apps and the pressure to use them. Every damn car park company has its own app, there's 3 or 4 for the NHS, there'll be one for every bank, for every sporting event and so it goes on. Pretty soon you have 50 apps on the phone and suddenly there's an app management issue. I've put a stop to that by turning my iPhone 6S into a WhatsApp burner with an O2 PAYG SIM, and the main mobile number back on the Doro.

SWMBO uses hers rather more, so we got her a new shiny yesterday (iPhone 16e). Her old 6S was down to a battery life of under 24 hours.

This has led me to test my phone.

realme 6 Pro Android 11

The built in camera App does not read QR codes. I had to install a 3rd party App.

So not all Android phones.

Cheers

Dave R

Is your phone OS up to date? I vaguely recall only getting automatic QR recognition after an update.

Tim

I don't know what this Self-service key machine looks like, but I was imagining it would be capable having an updated list of branches without a visit, and displaying them at least as well as a mobile phone would.

You are thinking old school. If all your phone did was display the address, that would be true. But once its in your phone you can use it to get you to the machines using your navigation app without having to type a post code. It will estimate how long to get there, given the current traffic conditions.

I think those who don't use a mobile forget how tied to it a great proportion of its users are. To most an address is useless, it needs to go into your phone. The QR code does this and eliminates any typing.

I just checked and I can't buy a paper map of any of the towns in Trafford, so really its going to be the mobile...

Dave

PDQ?? I used to have a PDA, back in the day. That was pretty mobile.

(I think I've still got a few text files in a PalmOS format somewhere.)

My 6S never managed 24 hours battery life in the first place - and that with all battery-hungry settings toned down.

Turnip doesn't have a camera app in his vintage phone, he's got the daguerreotype app. They don't do a QR scanner for that.

I do my best to limit Apps too. But with banks they're a necessary evil and more reason to avoid such car parks. I don't use an App for the NHS but a desktop browser.

This thread was about QR codes.

To be fair Apps are optional where there is generally an alternative non-mobile access but will be a bigger pain.

I presume a battery change is not a practical solution? I see the list price of an iPhone 16E is 6 times the cost of the most expensive phone I have ever purchased.

He just said he had a J330 which I assume is better known as a Samsung J3.

She was already on her second battery for the 6S. Conversely, so am I on my

SWMBO is being forced by the NHS (it would seem) to use an app for Patient Access rather than her desktop.

Do you have any details? If you are talking about

Just make sure you have a mobile set up so you can recover your account.

I see the NHS web site wants to send you a text but you don't need an app. I have a passkey set up which is device specific, but seems to bypass the need for 2FA

Dave

You can of course also set up a 'mobile' number which is actually a VOIP number, which can receive SMS and send it on to an E-Mail address.

If it had displayed the price you'd probably have walked away. I needed a third front door key so visited a Timpson's shop. I can't recall what the price was but it was high enough for me to rethink whether I really needed a third key. When home I checked Toolstation and was able to buy a replacement cylinder with 3 keys for less than Timpson's want to cut just one key!

Malcolm

I was lucky to get a day out of my old 6S - even with the Apple subsidised replacement battery.

Interesting, thanks. I have Toolstation and SCrewfix within sight of each other, so next time I'm in town, I'll check their prices. I just checked the Timpson's website, to get an idea of what they charge, but they don't say. I noticed that the site also does not include the self-service kiosk at the local Morrison's, but I expect that to be as helpful as the one at Tesco.