Help available for new smartphone users

Q: I am planning to buy a smartphone, but being a senior, I’m afraid I might have trouble learning to use it. You know, the old-dog-new-tricks syndrome. I’m wondering if anyone teaches a class that helps the elderly master such a device. And, what might be my best phone choices?

A: Going by other seniors’ reactions, you’re making the right call in considering a smartphone. Though the elderly usually lag behind in adopting high-tech tools, those who bought smartphones are more likely than younger folks to say that owning a smartphone is a liberating experience.

Asked whether their phone represented “freedom” or “a leash,” 82 percent of smartphone-using seniors answered “freedom” compared to 64 percent of those ages 18-29. Far more seniors described their phone as “connecting” rather than “distracting.” Pew Research Center didn’t ask respondents to explain their answers, but it’s likely because seniors use their devices much more selectively rather than being tied to it 24/7 like teens and younger adults.

Go for it.

Seniors are increasingly discovering the joys of going digital. Already in 2014, more than half of online seniors said they used Facebook, and they, too, have highly positive attitudes about the impact of online access on their lives. As of 2015, 41 percent of those 65-69 use smartphones, although only a little more than a quarter of all people over 65 have them.

As you might expect, Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) in Belleville does offer a smartphone class. Call 234-4410, ext. 7018, for the particulars. Southwestern Illinois College tells me that it has offered Android classes for all ages, but that the instructor decided not to teach it this fall. You can watch swic.edu/community for future classes — and, for other courses that might interest you.

But don’t sell yourself too short too quickly. Let me give you an example that may make you chuckle. When I went online for the first time umpteen years ago, I was so nervous about finding my way around the great Web that I bought a copy of “The Internet for Dummies” or some such. Guess what? The Internet proved so easy to negotiate that I doubt I ever opened that book.

Instead of paying for a PSOP course, you may find a short, free introductory class is all you need. According to its website, Verizon in Fairview Heights offers an hourlong seminar for beginners, and I would imagine other major carriers do, too.

As for the best phone, that’s a matter of you getting behind the screen and taking it for a test dial or two.

I can give you the Consumer Reports recommendations for seniors made last August. They liked the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Apple iPhone 6 Plus, saying both have a large, high-definition display that is easy to read even in bright light, offer “great” cameras and have long-lasting batteries. Both easily can enlarge the on-screen icons. It liked the Samsung for its Easy Mode “which pares down to the essentials the features within critical apps — camera, messaging and phone.” The iPhone also has features that make its operation less intimidating.

Q: After the recent storm, your paper recommended buying dry ice to keep food in your freezer or refrigerator cold. But where do you buy dry ice?

A: At least every once in a while, the old ways prove best.

It almost goes without saying that I am now a confirmed creature of the Internet. As soon as I’m asked a new question, my fingers are usually filling in a Google search box. That’s what I did for this question and found a website for Penguin-brand dry ice made by Airgas. But of nine possible locations in the St. Louis area, only two were in the metro-east — the Schnucks stores in Waterloo and Godfrey.

Well, that’s not very convenient, I thought. I eventually wound up doing what I would have in ye good olde days — let my fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages. Sure enough, under “Dry Ice” was the venerable Vogt Oil Co. at 5400 North Belt West in Belleville. Hopefully you’ll file this tidbit away for future emergencies.

Q: I have what remains of several gallons of various whitish paints. It’s all latex, but some is exterior and some is interior. I’m wondering if I can just mix it all together and use it in my house so it does not go to waste.

A: If you do, you just might be painting yourself into a dangerous corner, says Ray Eberhart, of Buhrmester’s Paint & Wallpaper in Edwardsville.

“You never — I repeat, never — use an exterior product inside a home,” Eberhart told me. “There are additional fungicides, mildewcides and other nasty stuff in most exterior paints that could cause an off-gassing problem.”

In other words, once you apply the paint, it might start emitting dangerous fumes that could build up in your home and make you sick. In turn, that could lead to the added expense of stripping, repainting and making sure your house was free of the potentially poisonous vapors that you introduced by trying to save a few bucks.

“Somebody could get sick,” Eberhart added. “I didn’t say they would (but) they could. So the specific answer to the individual’s question is just plain no. You don’t do that.”

To get rid of the latex paint, your best bet is to add cat litter, wait until it solidifies and put it out with the trash.

Today’s trivia

What is singer Carly Simon’s father’s claim to fame?

Answer to Wednesday’s trivia: If you’re over 75 or so, you may be able to tell your grandkids about the days when each 3 Musketeers candy bar came in three flavors. Introduced in 1932 by Mars, Inc., each package originally contained three pieces flavored vanilla, chocolate and strawberry — hence the name. Costing just a nickel, the product was marketed as one of the largest bars available, one that easily could be shared by friends. Because of rising costs and sugar restrictions during World War II, the company phased out the vanilla and strawberry in favor a single bar of chocolate.

This story was originally published July 21, 2016 at 10:38 AM with the headline "Help available for new smartphone users."