ALL IN: GOOGLE EDITION AND A BWE WARNING

Currently in Goodyear AZ (Low 74 Sunny High 98) 

With all the uproar on the Microsoft Livewire issues with Google Blogger and recently the uproar on the changes to Google Maps we figured it was time to update how we are all in when it comes to Google. Our first foray with Google products began a long time ago like a lot of people with Google search on the desktop.

Google is now a verb as you are asked to just google it to find something out. Next we went with GMail.

Both of these were before our smartphone era. During the pre-smartphone era Bob had a Palm Pilot and carried it everywhere with him. When someone mentioned a great place to eat he added it to a Palm docs file. That file got so large he created a file for each state. When the Palm Pilots were placed in the technology graveyard Bob transferred the files to Microsoft Word files and for awhile only existed on the desktop. When we got smartphones they were transferred to Google Docs.

Whenever we wanted to go somewhere we googled it and got directions. Then with smartphones we got turn by turn navigation. With our blogging we used Google Maps for trip info when moving from one spot to another and for the yearly summary of our travels.

We also created a state map for each doc file. Google Maps has probably been our biggest headache though. When you are all in with something you tend to try and stick it out with them. Google has a tendency to just release new versions without much testing it would seem and even a greater lack of understanding what the users need. After a new release there is this great uproar and eventually bug fixes and features they discarded make their way back into Maps but by that time there is a new version and it starts all over again. But we are still using Maps, trying to figure it out.

We use Google Blogger for our blogging but unlike a lot of our fellow bloggers we don't use Livewire we just use the formatting features with Blogger. 

We are old enough that we used IBM Script language, the precursor of HTML, to create documents in the very old days. In fact Bob's Master's Thesis was written with IBM Script. The formatting within blogger isn't great but it is usable. If not we can always switch to html formatting

Finally, we also use Google Calendar.

Our main family calendar is in Microsoft Outlook, a carryover from Bob's working days. The calendar is transferred to Bob's smartphone calendar and then to his Google Calendar and finally to Jo's calendar on her phone so she knows what is going on.

So you can see we are all in when it comes to Google. We still have photos in Yahoo Flickr which we had before and our tasks that Bob maintains are in Outlook but we pretty much have sold our soul to Google. One thing we do like is how Google search has different themes throughout the year. Here is one of our favorites, a Marvel theme.

Finally, the BWE (Baskerville Weather Effect) is in full force. The BWE kicks in when we travel resulting in above normal highs, lows, rain, or 'it never snows that late in the year in Yellowstone', etc. There are two days that have never, ever had rain in the Phoenix area, that is until this year and the BWE. Now there is only one, June 4th never had rain before until we were in the area. The other date is June 11th so we shall see if it is going to be a double bogey today although the forecast is for sunny. We don't "plan" on being here another June 11th so that date is safe.

Till next time,

Bob and Jo