Wednesday, April 22, 2015

OK, Thank You for Stalking Me - Day 147

I remember when I first had the Google Now page on my phone. I wasn't impressed by being able to ask my phone about the capital of a country or the time of sunset in some faraway place. Not really. I look up a lot of facts in an average day and hardly ever use voice search. If I'm with others, as is generally the case, people always ask, "What?"

I was much more impressed when my phone started giving my commute details without prompting. Because of my phone's movements, it figured out that I was teaching only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. So, it started offering me the estimated driving times shortly before I had to leave. Creepy? No! I like the idea that a device can become useful without intervention.

Of course, I turned on permission to rummage through my gmail account. Even if I don't complete an actual travel purchase, Jay sends me the email confirmation.

OK, Thanks for Stalking

Just now I started getting information about tomorrow's flights on my tablet and phone. Google Now first learned the basic data a month or so ago, but has saved the info until it became useful. It's also continuing to add details as they become available. I feel we are just seeing the dawn of an era where life is going to be truly and positively impacted by technologies such as these.

It appears now as though we are flying out of Terminal D; I do hope we fly into that Dallas/Ft. Worth terminal too. We have never transferred through that airport, but we are lucky. We will meet up with an friend who works for American Airlines and he'll be on our flight for his commute back to Vancouver. That was entirely coincidental! Maybe in a few years, my phone would've told me this as soon as we booked the tickets or even suggested a date to make it work.

Oh, and thanks Google for throwing in the current temperature in Dallas.


2010 Games (23) 3-D Printing (24) 5-Night Local Cruise (7) Adobe Premiere Elements (4) adventure game (9) AI Ajith (8) AI-generated images (112) AI-generated text (45) AirAsia (25) Alaska (6) Alaska Cruise 2001 (9) Alaska Cruise 2019 (14) Alaska Cruise 2022 (9) Alaska Cruise 2023 (11) Alaska Cruise 2024 (12) Alberta (16) AllegiantAir (9) almsgiving (4) alternate facts (2) Amazon (57) Amber Sky (2) American Somoa (1) Amsterdam (9) analog (13) Android TV Box (35) Apollo Ghost (7) Apple Inc (17) Aquatic and Community Centre (2) Arts and Literature (29) Aspire Z 24 (6) Australia (4) Bahrain (36) balcony (156) Bali 2018-19 (57) Bangladesh 2020 (10) Barcelona (2) Bathroom Reno (21) BBS (7) BC Ferries (17) BC-WA Road Trip 2013 (6) BCIT (334) beach (66) beer (65) Belgrade (4) Bella Coola Road Trip (11) Bellingham (28) Berlin (4) Białystok (4) bikes (18) Birthday Road Trip 2025 (7) biryani (22) Blaine Stayover (3) Bloedel (8) blog (1) blogging (246) bread (18) Bret (53) briefcase (6) British Columbia (230) British Coumbia (1) British Empire (1) Brunei (1) Bucharest (5) Buenos Aires 2022-23 (81) Bulk Barn (11) Burma (Myanmar) (17) Burnaby (5) Burnaby Lake (2) Cairo 2015 (4) Cambodia (20) camcorder (49) Canada (117) Canada Day (31) Canadian Superstore (85) Canon SX740 HS (1) Cape Town (30) Carnarvon Place (99) cars (67) Central Europe Trip 2024 (36) Central America 2011 (36) changes (1) China (9) China and Malaysia 2011 (26) Christmas (105) Christmas in Cancun (6) Class of 1977 (14) Cleveland Dam (1) Coastal Cruise 2006 (12) coco (1) coffee (14) Columbia Station (13) Columbia Station Noise Problem (7) Columbia Street (42) community gardens (8) Como Lake (1) complaints (95) computer (7) computer lab (21) computers (160) Constanța (1) Coquitlam (3) Costco (17) Countries Visited (16) COVID-19 (115) Cozumel (1) credit card (12) cross-Canada (14) Cruise from Port Louis to Cape Town (1) Cruise to Buenos Aires 2022 (19) Cruise to Cape Town 2025 (14) Cruise to New Zealand 2017 (49) Cruise to Prince Rupert (8) Cruise to Rio 2023 (14) cruises (2) Cuba 2018 (12) dad (1) Dar es Salaam 2024 (5) Deer Lake (1) dentist (12) Desert Southwest (23) Dictionary (2) digital camera (124) digital picture (43) dinosaurs (5) DJI NEO (7) DNA (3) Don (24) drinks (28) driving (43) drone (12) drones (37) Duba 2023 (1) Dubai (71) Dubai 2020 Expo (3) dubai 2021 (29) Dubai 2022 (9) Dubai 2023 (8) Dubai 2024 (10) Dubai 2025 (9) Duck Swap (63) Duolingo (3) Durban (21) e-scooter (2) early retirement (113) Ecoped (17) Electric Vehicles (29) email (58) errands (259) Eurotrip 2005 (31) Eurotrip 2007 (41) Eurotrip 2010 (40) EVO Car Share (5) fake news (2) false advertising (1) father (22) feelings (387) fiction (3) Fiji (2) file archives (30) fire (1) fireworks (14) Fitbit (6) flash memory (20) Flic en Flac (6) Flickr (319) Flickr slide show (31) Flipboard (9) flora and fauna (149) Florida (2) flying (108) food (314) Fraser River (138) frying pan (2) futurecast (21) games (21) Gdańsk (1) glasses (24) Google (90) Google Earth (24) Google Home (46) government (70) GPS (36) grandmothers (12) Grouse Mountain (6) growler (4) hair (5) hair colour (3) Halloween (6) hard disk (14) hardware (52) Harrison Hot Springs (6) Hawaii (10) Hawaiian Shirts (12) HDTV (63) health (133) Hikkaduwa (1) Hollywood (4) Hong Kong (8) Horseshoe Bay (1) Hulu (10) humour (55) Hurghada 2015 (6) Hurghada 2016 (4) Hyack Parade (13) Hyundai KONA Electric (79) IKEA (16) In-front-of-series (6) India (27) Indonesia (10) Instagram (1) Internet (330) IP (24) Ipoh 2019 (3) Istanbul 2022 (6) Italy (22) Italy 2008 (23) jackfruit (10) Jay's Birthday 2025 (16) Jay's Surgery (30) Joel (86) Johannesburg (5) June 2026 Trip to the Caucasus (1) Juneau (1) Kenya (7) KIA Niro (7) kid's story (9) kitchen counters 2024 (5) Kiva (8) KL is ... (3) Krabi 2019 (3) Kraków (1) Kuala Lumpur 2019 (76) Kuala Lumpur 2020 (47) Kuwait (30) Langkawi (4) Laos (10) Las Vegas (28) Las Vegas 2025 (9) Last Will and Testament (2) Laurie (38) Laurie's Visit 2024 (15) lava light (1) LED Strip (6) library (25) light bulbs (8) Linux (2) lists (33) living room furniture (9) Ljubljana (3) London (8) Los Angeles (14) Lowe's (8) Luxor 2014 (8) Lynn Canyon (2) Machu Picchu (1) Madagascar 2024 (8) maintenance (144) Malacca 2019 (4) Malaysia (16) map (1) mattress (5) Mauritius 2024 (27) Mavic Mini (44) Mazatlan (51) Mediaplayer (29) Mediterranean Cruise 2017 (35) Metrotown (10) Mexican Cruise 2008 (14) Mexican Property (19) Mi band (26) Midjourney (7) Mini-Road Trip 2014 (8) Minuwangoda (59) money (223) monkeys (10) Moon Bugs (4) Moorebot Scout (2) Mother (9) motorcycles (18) mountains (33) movie musical (20) Movie Night (1) movies (194) MS Teams (6) MSC Cruises (1) Mt. Baker (12) Museum of the Future (2) music (82) musical theatre (10) My YouTube (72) MyEV (85) n (1) National Geographic (11) NE/Canada Cruise 2019 (3) Near East Trip 2014 (33) Near East Trip Planning (9) Nearby Neighbourhood Parks of 2020 (21) Neo (1) Nepal (10) Net apps (94) netbook (20) Netflix (25) New 7 Wonders of the World (1) New Caledonia (3) New Westminster (927) New York City (32) New Zealand (8) newspaper (1) NewWest filming (12) NH Trip (10) Niagara Falls (2) Nikon P900 (16) Nikon S9900 (21) Nile Cruise 2016 (4) Novi Sad (1) Novus Internet (2) Nugegoda (11) Nvidia Shield TV (10) NYC2005 (17) NYC2009 (10) Okanagan (27) OnePlus (13) Ooma (8) opinions (277) Our 10-Year Plan (14) our ashes trip (1) Our Cruise History (2) Our Sri Lanka 2021/22 (1) Overnight Trip to Lesotho (2) Ozempic (17) Panama 2018 (10) Pandora (7) paper (1) parade (7) Paris (12) park (2) Parks in the BC Lower Mainland (26) passport (11) Pattaya 2018 (13) Pattullo Bridge (32) PBS (15) peeps (2) Penang 2011 (5) Penang 2017-18 (88) Penang Thaipusam (2) Persian (1) pets (58) Photo Sphere (21) Phuket 2019 (5) Pier Park (97) Pier West (24) pig (8) Pinterest (30) Pinto (10) Pixel 10 Pro XL (4) Pixel 5 (3) Pixel 7 Pro (5) Pixel Watch (18) podcasts (47) poem (2) Port Louis (1) Port Moody (2) Portland (15) Portland Pride 2009 (6) poya day (1) Prince Rupert (1) printers (14) privacy rights (12) PS3 (30) Puerto Vallarta (46) Puerto Vallarta & Guadalajara 2010 (24) Puerto Vallarta 2012 (8) Puerto Vallarta 2013 (8) Puerto Vallarta 2023 (12) PVR (14) QR Code (7) quarantine (10) Quay (30) Queen Victoria (16) Queen's Park (99) quitting smoking (2) quotations (150) Qurna Market (7) Ranger (59) RC vehicles (9) relaxing (27) religion (1) Réunion (1) review (56) Riga (3) road trip (110) robovac (1) Royal City Mall (35) Royal City Star (10) Royal Columbian Hospital (5) RSS (22) Russia (2) San Francisco (19) sandals (12) Saudi Arabia (49) Scandinavian Cruise 2016 (24) scanned snapshots (19) sci-fi (23) science fiction (2) SE Asia 2013 (53) searching (16) Seattle (27) SF Pride 2018 (1) sharing (31) shaving (9) Siem Reap (11) Siem Reap 2018 (34) Sigiriya (7) Simcoe Park (3) SIN-BKK 2024 (20) Sinaia (1) Singapore (5) SkyTrain (49) smartphone (117) social networking (144) Sofia (4) software (65) Sophia (3) soursop (6) South Africa (4) South African safari 2025 (2) Southeastern Europe Trip 2025 (40) Southwest Road Trip (8) souvenirs (18) Sri Lanka (125) Sri Lanka 2004 (55) Sri Lanka 2006 (29) Sri Lanka 2009 (35) Sri Lanka 2012/13 (95) Sri Lanka 2019/20 (88) Sri Lanka 2021/22 (79) sri lanka 2023 (1) Sri Lanka 2023/24 (54) Sri Lankan food (102) Sri Lankan Property (20) staff (4) Stanley Park (5) stars (34) Strata BBQ (12) Street View (36) students (102) Summer Lovers (5) Sunapee (71) Surf Internet (13) Surrey (75) T&T Supermarket (19) tablets (54) Taipei (5) technology (114) TED (1) telephone (46) television (177) temple (32) Tesla (2) Təməsew̓txʷ (1) Thailand (20) Thailand 2026 (1) Thanksgiving (14) the French Riviera 2023 (38) The Happiness Series (2) The Harbor Gameroom (16) the Maldives (1) The Wedding Weekend (6) the Wenas (29) Then and Now Images (3) thrift shop (28) Tile Trackers (3) Tim (74) Time Machine (2) Tipperary Park (55) to (1) tour (2) tourist shots (43) train (23) transit (66) travel planning (242) Treiste (1) Trieste (1) TRS-80 (6) Tulum (4) TuneIn (2) Tunis 2016 (6) Turkey (Country) (9) Vancouver (211) Vancouver Island (25) Varna (3) Vegas 2024 (5) Venice (1) Vietnam (9) Viking Passage Cruise 2022 (30) Villa Diletta (27) Vilnius (4) Walmart (63) Warsaw (10) Washington DC (16) weaather (1) weather (578) webcam (26) Week in Montreal 2019 (9) Weekend in Winnipeg 2022 (6) Westminster Building (1) Window (1) Windows (64) winter 2014-15 (153) Winter 2015-16 (161) winter 2015-16 (planning) (17) Winter 2016-17 (planning) (16) winter 2017-18 (planning) (7) winter 2018-19 (152) winter 2018-19 (planning) (14) Winter 2019-20 (136) winter 2019-20 planning (11) winter 2020 (3) Winter 2020-2021 (159) winter 2020-21 planning (11) winter 2021-22 (113) winter 2021-22 planning (17) winter 2022 (2) winter 2022-23 (104) winter 2022-23 (planning) (9) winter 2023-24 (68) Winter 2023-24 (planning) (13) Winter 2024 (2) Winter 2024-25 (112) winter 2024-25 (planning) (15) Winter 2025 (2) Winter 2025-26 (35) Winter 2025-26 (planning) (11) World Vision (17) Zagreb (2) Zanzibar 2024 (3) zip.ca (20)