Hello and welcome back to The Padded Room. I'm Margo. I'm here with Wayne and this is
Talking Tech with Wayne, the podcast dedicated to discussing smartphones,
smartphones, and all those things in between. This show is a promise of
information freely given to all that's seeking and that is a pact between us and
all of you. Log into our website www.talking-tech.org
that's all lowercase www.talking-tech.org and click the join the discussion
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100% free. That number is 215-406-HELP 215-406-4357. Today we will be
discussing tablets for seniors. Tablets are becoming increasingly popular
among seniors as they offer a larger screen and more functionality than
smartphones. So let's start with the basics. Wayne what is a tablet and why is
it important for seniors? A tablet is a mobile device larger than a smartphone
and typically has a touchscreen display. Because of its larger display it can
offer them many benefits including accessing the internet, reading books or
news articles and using various apps that can be helpful for daily life. That's
great to hear. How can our listeners choose a tablet that's right for them?
They should choose a tablet that's easy to use and has important features. Some
features include long battery life, Wi-Fi versus cellular connectivity and
touchscreen. Seniors should also consider the operating systems such as iOS or
Android and choose one they're comfortable using. Those are some great tips.
Wayne what are some popular tablets that seniors can use? Some popular tablets
seniors can use include the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab. Both of these
tablets have large screen, long battery life and are user-friendly. Additionally
many specialized tablets are designed for seniors such as the Grand Pad and the
Novo SmartTab. These are great suggestions. What about apps? What
are some popular apps that seniors can use on the tablet? Just as we discussed
in the earlier show many apps can be helpful on a tablet including
communication apps like Skype and FaceTime, news apps like CNN and NRP and
health apps like MyFatnessPal and MedSafe. There are also many games and puzzle
apps such as Sudoku or Friends or Words with Friends that can be fun and engaging.
Those are great suggestions. Now let's discuss how our listeners can use
tablets for entertainment and productivity. Tablets offer many options for
entertainment including watching movies or TV shows, reading books or magazines
and playing games. Many tablets come with pre-installed apps that can provide
access to these types of content. Still they can also download additional apps
that cater to their interest. That's great to hear. What about productivity? Wayne
how can our people use tablets to be more productive? Tablets can also be
helpful in terms of productivity. They can use their tablets to stay connected,
organize, use apps like calendars and reminders and to do laps. Additionally
tablets can be used for video conferencing which can be helpful for remote
meetings or staying in touch with family and friends. These are great
suggestions. What are some popular apps that seniors can use for productivity?
Some popular productivity apps include Evernote which is a note taping app and
Dropbox which is a cloud storage app. Many email and document editing apps can
help you stay productive on the go. Those are great suggestions. What about
accessories? Are there any accessories that can make using a tablet easier? Yes
there are many accessories out there. For example a stylus can be helpful for
those who have difficulty using a touchscreen with their fingers. A stand
or case can help prop up the tablet and make it easier to use for extended
periods. Those are important things to keep in mind. Wayne thank you for those
insights. Now let's talk about how to use a tablet. Using a tablet may seem
intimidating for listeners needing to become more familiar with the technology.
So what are some basic tips for using the tablet? As I discussed on an earlier
show I advised them to start with the basics. Some basic tips for using a
tablet include learning how to navigate the home screen, use basic functions
such as tapping and swiping. Seniors should also learn how to adjust the
settings such as screen brightness and volume to make the tablet more
comfortable. Those are great tips. What about downloading apps? Wayne how can they
download apps onto their tablet? Seniors can download apps onto their tablet
using the pre-installed app store on the devices. That's the Google Play Store on
Android or the app store on iPad. Once there they can search for specific apps
or browse by category to find apps that cater to their interests. Once they find
an app they want to download they can simply tap the download button on
Android or the get button on the iPad and follow the prompts to install it on
their device. That's helpful to know. What about transferring files or photos
from a computer or phone to a tablet? Is that easy to do? Transferring files or
photos from a computer or phone to a tablet can be easy depending on the
method. For example they can use the cloud storage service like Google Drive
or iCloud to transfer files between devices. Additionally many tablets have
a built-in file transfer feature that allows users to connect their devices
to computers and share files directly. Thank you for those insights. Now let's
talk about tablet security and privacy. With the increasing use of technology
seniors must be aware of the potential risk of using tablets. What are some tips
for ensuring tablet security and privacy? Some tips for ensuring tablet
security and privacy include keeping the tablet updated with the latest software
updates and using a passcode or biometrics like fingerprint or facial
recognition to unlock the device. Additionally they should be cautious
when downloading apps and only from trusted sources such as the pre-installed
app store on their device. Those are great tips. What about browsing the internet
on the tablet? Are there any precautions they should take to ensure their privacy
and security? Everyone should take precautions when browsing the internet
regardless of the device they're using. They should only visit secure websites
indicated by a pad lock icon in the address bar and avoid clicking on
suspicious links or pop-up ads. Those are important things to keep in mind. What
about using public Wi-Fi? Is it safe to use public Wi-Fi? Using public Wi-Fi can
be risky and vulnerable to hackers and other security threats. They should avoid
using public Wi-Fi to access sensitive information such as banking or personal
information. That's helpful to know. Thank you for those tips. Now let's talk
about troubleshooting tablet issues. Even with proper maintenance and security
measures, tablets can sometimes experience technical difficulties. Weighing what are
common problems seniors may face with their tablets and how can they troubleshoot
them? As with smartphones some common issues include slow performance,
frozen screens and connectivity issues. They can try closing unnecessary apps and
restarting their device to troubleshoot these issues. If the problem persists they
can try resetting device to its factory settings or seek technical support from
the manufacturer. Those are helpful tips. What about issues with Pacific apps? How
can they troubleshoot issues with Pacific apps? If our listeners are
experiencing issues with specific apps such as apps freezing or crashing,
they can try force closing the app to restarting. They can also try uninstalling
and reinstalling the app. They can contact the app's developer for technical
support if the issue persists. That's helpful to know. What about battery life? How
can they extend the battery life of their tablet? To extend the battery life of
their tablet, listeners can try adjusting the screen brightness or using
power saving mode. They can also disable new features such as location
servers or push notifications to help conserve battery life. Those are important
things to keep in mind. Before we wrap up this episode, do you have any final
thoughts on troubleshooting tablet issues for seniors? My final thought is that
while losing a tablet can be convenient and helpful, seniors may encounter
technical difficulties from time to time. By following basic troubleshooting tips
such as restarting the device or uninstalling and reinstalling an app,
seniors can also resolve these issues independently. However, if the problem
persists, they should seek technical support from the manufacturer or
call our helpline. As with all the information we share here, flex your Google search
muscles, log into our website www.talking-tech.org or call our helpline. That
number is 215-406-HELP. That's 215-406-4357. Well, I see that's all the time I
have for today. It has been my pleasure to be here and I look forward to the next
time we can do it again. I wish you all a farewell.
Talking Tech with Wayne podcast was produced by Great Geek Productions,
hosted by Margo Jones and Wayne Hunter. Music was Transparser Blue Jazz by
Steppen Cartonburg.